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Physicochemical and Toxicological Profiles of Particles from the Combustion of Individual California Biomass Species
AMBER KRAMER, Tiancong Ma, Tian Xia, Yifang Zhu, University of California, Los Angeles
Abstract Number: 447
Working Group: Wildfire Aerosols
Abstract
Wildfires driven by global climate change are rapidly becoming more common in daily life in California. The incomplete combustion of biomass, as seen in wildfires, produces plumes of emissions filled with toxic gasses and particulate matter (PM) that lead to increased morbidities and mortalities. To protect populations from harmful wildfire PM emissions, a better understanding of the specific risks associated with biomass combustion in different environmental biomes is needed. Here, we developed a unique contained chamber method which allows us to combust several individual species found throughout California under controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions as well as simultaneously characterize physicochemical and toxicological profiles of emitted PM. We characterize differences in PM emissions between the different species and under different combustion conditions. Particle size distribution was measured using SMPS (10 – 500 nm) and APS (0.5 µm – 20 μm in diameter). The PM-bound organic chemical properties and toxicological outcomes were assessed by collecting PM samples on glass fiber filters and in impingers. We perform oxidative stress, cellular viability, and cytokine assays, and pair these toxicological results with the organic chemical speciation from each biomass species, to provide novel data about specific risks of PM exposure to California residents based on specific biota found throughout the state. To better understand how PM may change between the combustion zone and community exposure zone downwind from wildfires, we assessed the organic chemical concentrations, toxicological properties, and particle size distribution changes after PM aging in the chamber. Our developed chamber method not only allows for measurements during combustion, but also allows us to monitor PM over an aging period. Results from this study could provide practical knowledge for comprehensive risk assessment related to wildfire emissions.