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Type: Journal Article
Author(s): Ingrid J. George; Robert R. Black; C. D. Geron; Johanna Aurell; Michael D. Hays; William T. Preston; Brian K. Gullett
Publication Date: May 2016

In this study, volatile and semi-volatile organic compound (VOCs and SVOCs) mass emission factors were determined from laboratory peat fire experiments. The peat samples originated from two National Wildlife Refuges on the coastal plain of North Carolina, U.S.A. Gas- and particle-phase organic compounds were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and by high pressure liquid chromatography. Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) accounted for a large fraction (~ 60%) of the speciated VOC emissions from peat burning, including large contributions of acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and chloromethane. In the fine particle mass (PM2.5), the following organic compound classes were dominant: organic acids, levoglucosan, n-alkanes, and n-alkenes. Emission factors for the organic acids in PM2.5 including n-alkanoic acids, n-alkenoic acids, n-alkanedioic acids, and aromatic acids were reported for the first time for peat burning, representing the largest fraction of organic carbon (OC) mass (11-12%) of all speciated compound classes measured in this work. Levoglucosan contributed to 2-3% of the OC mass, while methoxyphenols represented 0.2-0.3% of the OC mass on a carbon mass basis. Retene was the most abundant particulate phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Total HAP VOC and particulate PAH emissions from a 2008 peat wildfire in North Carolina were estimated, suggesting that peat fires can contribute a large fraction of state-wide HAP emissions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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Citation: George, I. J., R. R. Black, C. D. Geron, J. Aurell, M. D. Hays, W. T. Preston, and B. K. Gullett. 2016. Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in laboratory peat fire emissions. Atmospheric Environment, v. 132, p. 163-170. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.02.025.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Regions:
Keywords:
  • air quality
  • biomass
  • biomass burning
  • biomass burning
  • C - carbon
  • coastal plain
  • emission factors
  • Fine-Particle Emissions
  • fire management
  • gas phase
  • laboratory fires
  • North Carolina
  • organic soil
  • organic soils
  • particulate matter
  • peat
  • peat fires
  • smoke management
  • source apportionment
  • tracers
  • VOC - volatile organic compounds
  • wood combustion
Tall Timbers Record Number: 32478Location Status: Not in fileCall Number: AvailableAbstract Status: Fair use, Okay, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 54688

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.