AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Characterization of Emissions from the Combustion of Solid Fuels Used for Heating in the Navajo Nation
WYATT CHAMPION, Lea Connors, Lupita Montoya, University of Colorado Boulder
Abstract Number: 622 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Over 60 percent of homes in the Navajo Nation use a wood stove for heating. Many of the stoves are old, damaged, or improperly used for coal. Previous studies in Navajo homes found elevated indoor concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and increased risk of respiratory tract infection linked to the use of a solid fuel stove for heating. The present study characterizes gas-phase and particle emissions from two coal types (Black Mesa and Fruitland) and four wood types (Pine, Juniper, Cedar, and Oak) commonly used by the Navajo. Fuels were tested following standard protocols and using a standard cookstove, and actual Navajo woodstove, respectively. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was collected onto quartz and Teflon filters, while carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were also monitored. Particle analyses included mass, elemental and organic carbon, select polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and inflammatory response to filter extracts. Preliminary results found 430 percent higher fine emissions and 53 percent more CO emissions from coal use compared to wood. Coal emitted 33 percent more CO, and nearly all PM2.5, during the ignition and cold-start phase compared to steady combustion (simmer). Wood emitted slightly more CO, but much less PM2.5, during the ignition and cold-start phase compared to steady combustion. Refined emission factors and an estimation of cellular oxidative response from exposure to these relevant solid fuels may help inform decision making in this community.