Grantee Research Project Results
2008 Progress Report: Improved Treatment of Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter Concentrations from Biomass Combustion Emissions
EPA Grant Number: R833747Title: Improved Treatment of Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter Concentrations from Biomass Combustion Emissions
Investigators: Kreidenweis, Sonia M. , Kroll, Jesse H. , Heald, Colette L. , Collett Jr., Jeffrey L. , Hao, Wei Min , Worsnop, Douglas R. , Trimborn, Achim , Jimenez, Jose-Luis , Onasch, T.
Institution: Colorado State University , Fire Sciences Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station , Aerodyne Research Inc.
Current Institution: Colorado State University , Aerodyne Research Inc. , Fire Sciences Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: September 1, 2007 through December 31, 2010 (Extended to December 31, 2012)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2007 through August 31,2008
Project Amount: $598,645
RFA: Sources and Atmospheric Formation of Organic Particulate Matter (2007) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Particulate Matter , Air
Objective:
We propose to measure, for the first time, volatility distributions, as functions of both dilution and temperature, of open biomass burning emissions for a variety of fuel types relevant to U.S. air quality. We propose to interpret data using semivolatile partitioning models, and to implement and test new biomass-burning emissions maps and partitioning models in large-scale model runs.
Progress Summary:
In this project, we will generate open biomass burning emissions, subject them to controlled dilution and thermal processing, and will evaluate the gas / particulate partitioning as a function of both dilution and temperature. We will also measure emission factors for levoglucosan, a key biomass burning tracer. As the first step in our study, we are completing analyses from the 2007 FLAME study in which we characterized emissions from a variety of North American fuels. Although emissions were not subjected to controlled dilution during FLAME, the data are providing insights into the nature and variability of composition of emissions from a broad range of fuels. Our two major activities thus far are as follows: (1) The temperature-dependent volatilities of particulate matter from different fuels, as measured by a thermal denuder, were characterized and reported (see Publications). Those results are guiding our choices of a subset of FLAME fuels to be used in our upcoming experiments, so that emissions with widely differing volatilities will be represented. The analyses also established the characteristics of the thermal denuder, and investigated the chemical nature of volatile organic species through measurements from a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS), which we also plan to deploy in our upcoming experiments. (2) Time-resolved composition data from the HR-ToF-AMS are being analyzed to show how emissions vary as a function of burn conditions. In the accompanying figure, the modified combustion efficiency (MCE) is used to separate the flaming and smoldering phases of a burn. Organic aerosol emissions are clearly seen to initially peak during the flaming phase of the burn (MCE > 0.9), but total organic aerosol emissions are dominated by emissions during the smoldering phase of the burn. Aerosol potassium peaked during the flaming phase, whereas emissions of species producing C2H4O2+ in the AMS, a biomass burning marker derived from levoglucosan and related anhydrosugars, occurred only during the smoldering phase of this burn.
The data from our studies will help improve models of biomass burning primary particulate emissions, including understanding how emissions vary during different burn phases. Improved representation of the role of biomass combustion in affecting ambient PM2.5 levels is expected to be a key contribution to improved understanding of the sources of atmospheric organic particulate matter, and its impacts on air quality and health.
Future Activities:
In summer 2009, we will conduct a pilot study at CSU to test our dilution schemes and confirm expected detection limits for our filter and continuous measurements. In November 2009 we will conduct our main field study at the Fire Science Laboratory in Missoula, Montana, where we will obtain the primary dataset that will be analyzed in this project.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 31 publications | 24 publications in selected types | All 24 journal articles |
---|
Type | Citation | ||
---|---|---|---|
|
Huffman JA, Docherty KS, Mohr C, Cubison MJ, Ulbrich IM, Ziemann PJ, Onasch TB, Jimenez JL. Chemically-resolved volatility measurements of organic aerosol from different sources. Environmental Science & Technology 2009;43(14):5351-5357. |
R833747 (2008) R833747 (2009) R833747 (Final) R831080 (Final) R832161 (Final) |
Exit Exit Exit |
|
Huffman JA, Docherty KS, Aiken AC, Cubison MJ, Ulbrich IM, DeCarlo PF, Sueper D, Jayne JT, Worsnop DR, Ziemann PJ, Jimenez JL. Chemically-resolved aerosol volatility measurements from two megacity field studies. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 2009;9(18):7161-7182. |
R833747 (2008) R833747 (Final) R831080 (Final) R832161 (Final) |
Exit Exit |
Supplemental Keywords:
Primary organic aerosol, semivolatile organics, volatile organic carbon (VOC), organic gas-aerosol partitioning, modeling, volatility distribution, thermal denuder, levoglucosan, source profiles, fire emissions, fire maps,Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.