You are here:
FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM) AND ORGANIC SPECIATION OF FIREPLACE EMISSIONS
Citation:
Purvis*, C R., R C. McCrillis*, AND P. H. Kariher. FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM) AND ORGANIC SPECIATION OF FIREPLACE EMISSIONS. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 34(9):1653-1658, (2000).
Impact/Purpose:
To share information.
Description:
This paper presents a summary of fireplace particle size and organic speciation data gathered to date in an on-going project. Tests are being conducted in a residential wood combustion (RWC) laboratory on three factory-built fireplaces. RWC wood smoke particles <10?m (PM10) consist primarily of a mixture of organic compounds that have condensed into droplets; therefore, the size distribution and total mass are influenced by temperature of the sample during its collection. During the series 1 tests (15 tests), the dilution tunnel used to cool and dilute the stack gases gave an average mixed gas temperature of 47.3?C and an average dilution ratio of 4.3. Averages for the PM2.5 (particles <2.5 ?m) and PM10 fractions were 74 and 84%, respectively. For the series 2 tests, the dilution tunnel was modified, reducing the average mixed gas temperatures to 33.8?C and increasing the average dilution ratio to 11.0 in tests completed to date. PM2.5 and PM10 fractions were 83 and 91%, respectively. Since typical winter time mixed gas temperatures would usually be less than 10?C, these size fraction results (even from the series 2 tests) probably represent the lower bound; the PM10 and PM2.5 size fractions might be higher at typical winter temperatures. The particles collected on the first stage (cutpoint 11.7 ?m) were light gray and appeared to include inorganic ash. Particles collected on the remainder of the stages were black and appeared to be condensed organics because there was noticeable lateral bleeding of the collected materials into the filter substrate. Total particulate emission rates ranged from 10.3 to 58.4 g/hr; corresponding emission factors ranged from 3.3 to 14.9 g/kg of dry wood burned. A wide range of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 8270 semi-volatile organic compounds were found in the emissions; of the 17 target compounds quantified, major constituents are phenol, 2-methyl phenol, 4-methyl phenol, 2,4-dimethyl phenol and naphthalene.
