AAAR 37th Annual Conference October 14 - October 18, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
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Emissions from Rural and Urban Open Waste Burning in Ghana
DAVID PFOTENHAUER, Evan Coffey, Ali Moro, Maxwell Dalaba, Abraham Oduro, Jerimiah Asumbere, John Nyante, Maxwell Sunu, Emmanuel Appoh, Michael Hannigan, University of Colorado, Boulder
Abstract Number: 348 Working Group: Source Apportionment
Abstract In many nations, citizens burn waste as the only method for its removal. The emissions from open waste burning are still poorly understood, and their contribution to ambient pollution and human exposure unexplored. We collected gaseous and particle phase emission data from many rural and urban trash burning events in Ghana. We sorted and weighed select trash piles prior to burning to estimate typical composition and weight distributions. Emission factors for gaseous pollutants, carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as particulate matter (PM) were calculated for each trash burning event. We further analyze the samples for organic species using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) methods and confirm molecular tracers that can be used to assess waste burning source contributions to ambient pollution. Finally, we isolate and measure emissions from specific plastic types and waste composites to determine material contributions to bulk waste burning emissions.