AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Impact of Biomass Combustion Activities from Olive Oil Industry on Air Quality in South European Regions
BEGONA ARTINANO, Ana Sanchez de la Campa, Esther Coz, Rocio Fernandez Camacho, Marta Becerril, Pedro Salvador, Rosa Perez Pastor, Susana Garcia Alonso, Jesus de la Rosa, CIEMAT
Abstract Number: 474 Working Group: Biomass Burning Aerosol: From Emissions to Impacts
Abstract Olive oil production in Southern Europe represents roughly the 70% of the global production. Nevertheless olive waste entails an important environmental problem that has been recently addressed through different technological solutions. Biomass combustion seems to be an efficient and economical way out for olive wastes. Additionally, the economic crisis has favored the use of olive wood waste as alternative fuel for domestic heating in any type of combustion facility. The impact on air quality of all these activities is still unknown and subject to debate, in part due to a lack of a regulatory framework.
To characterize this impact, an experimental study aimed at assessing the contribution of the different sources to measured atmospheric particle matter (PM10) concentrations has been started in a relevant olive oil producing region of Spain. These concentrations have exceeded in occasions the European air quality normative.
Chemical composition of PM10 was obtained from collected filters. Ctotal concentration represents 30-50% of PM10, being OC the dominant specie (85% of Ctotal). Maximum concentrations were observed in OC and K.
Ultrafine particles (UFP) and Black carbon (BC) were monitored with CPC and MAAP instruments. Peaks of UFP levels and OC-EC concentrations during the late afternoon have been related with local domestic combustion sources. The response of a 7 wavelength Aethalometer AE33 suggested a strong influence of a biomass combustion source during the daytime with UVPM(lambda@370nm)/nIR-BC(lambda@880nm) ratios of 2. Specific wood burning tracers (levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan) have been analyzed by GC/MS for source apportionment analysis.
This project has been funded by Consejeria de Medio Ambiente (10/2013/PC/00 Project) and Consejeria de Economia (2011 RNM 7800 Project) of Junta de Andalucia (10/2013/PC/00 Project), Fundacion Ramon Areces (AEROCLIMA), MINECO (MICROSOL CGL2011-27020) and Fundacion Biodiversidad (PARTICULAS). The Air Quality Office of Junta de Andalucia and AMAyA are also acknowledged for their support.