AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Characterization of Emissions from the Combustion of Solid Fuels Used in the Navajo Nation and Others relevant to Developing Communities
Charles James, Sandra Garcia-Fine, Barbara Ward, WYATT CHAMPION, Lupita Montoya, University of Colorado Boulder
Abstract Number: 592 Working Group: Biomass Burning Aerosol: From Emissions to Impacts
Abstract The combustion of solid fuels for heating and cooking contributes to elevated concentrations of indoor particulate matter (PM) in many developing communities, where young children, women, and the elderly usually have the highest exposure to these emissions. High indoor PM has been shown to cause acute and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular disease, among others. Biomass, wood charcoal, and sometimes, coal, are often the most accessible fuels in developing communities. This experimental study characterized the emissions from combustion on fuels used in the Navajo Nation and others relevant to other developing areas. The fuels tested from the Navajo Nation included Black Mesa anthracite coal, Juniper, and Piñon pine. The combustion efficiency and emissions from these fuels were compared to Kingsford charcoal briquettes, wood charcoal, and a charcoal briquette made from pyrolyzed human waste, developed at the University of Colorado. The later is a proposed biofuel for developing communities underserved by sanitation infrastructure. Standardized Water Boiling Tests and emissions monitoring from an Aprovecho Portable Emissions Measurement System, a TSI DusTrak®, and filter sampling for gravimetric, elemental, and carbon analyses were used.