AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Online Characterization of Biomass-derived Cooking Fuel Emissions with a Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer
EBEN CROSS, Dan Sweeney, Amy Banzaert, Amy Smith, Timothy Onasch, John Jayne, Douglas Worsnop, Jesse Kroll, MIT
Abstract Number: 406 Working Group: Biomass Burning Aerosol: From Emissions to Impacts
Abstract Nearly half of the world’s population is dependent on solid biofuels for heating their homes and cooking their food. Lack of sufficient ventilation within many living spaces results in extremely high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) within indoor environments. Real-time chemical characterization of biomass particulate combustion emissions is a critical step toward designing improved combustion sources, assessing alternative biomass-derived fuels, and pinpointing the combustion stages at which human exposure to PM is highest. In this paper, we will present recent laboratory results obtained with a soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). The SP-AMS was used to characterize the composition and variability of particulate emissions from a large set of field-relevant cookstove designs and biomass-derived fuel types. The SP-AMS enables online, highly time-resolved measurements of both black carbon and organic carbon, as well as specific aerosol components of interest (e.g., PAHs). In this paper, we will present species-specific emission indices for each burn cycle with the aim of better understanding the health and climate impacts of biofuel combustion practices.