Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal

Diesel irrigation pumps are a source of air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The environmental implications of these pumps are often overlooked and very rarely addressed in the IGP. Few studies in the past have estimated the amount of diesel consumed by irrigation pumps in the IGP or othe...

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Main Authors: Sagar Adhikari, Parth Sarathi Mahapatra, Vikrant Sapkota, Siva Praveen Puppala
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-02-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/2/56
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author Sagar Adhikari
Parth Sarathi Mahapatra
Vikrant Sapkota
Siva Praveen Puppala
author_facet Sagar Adhikari
Parth Sarathi Mahapatra
Vikrant Sapkota
Siva Praveen Puppala
author_sort Sagar Adhikari
collection DOAJ
description Diesel irrigation pumps are a source of air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The environmental implications of these pumps are often overlooked and very rarely addressed in the IGP. Few studies in the past have estimated the amount of diesel consumed by irrigation pumps in the IGP or other proxy variables to estimate the amount of emissions. A considerable amount of uncertainty remains in calculating emission factors (EF) using real-time measurements. We measured pollutants from nine diesel irrigation pumps in the southern &#8216;Terai&#8217; belt of Nepal. Fuel-based EF were then estimated using the carbon mass balance method. The average EF for fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>), CO<sub>2</sub>, CO and black carbon (BC) were found to be 22.11 &#177; 3.71, 2218.10 &#177; 26.8, 275 &#177; 17.18 and 2.54 &#177; 0.71 g/L, respectively. Depending upon the pump characteristics (age, design, make, hours used, etc.) and fuel mixtures, the EF of PM<sub>2.5</sub>, BC and CO had larger inter-variability. This study provides estimates for an under-represented source of ambient air pollution which will assist in the development of better emission inventories and informed policy making.
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spelling doaj.art-53999366bb05459db38063d8334da2392022-12-22T01:35:48ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332019-02-011025610.3390/atmos10020056atmos10020056Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of NepalSagar Adhikari0Parth Sarathi Mahapatra1Vikrant Sapkota2Siva Praveen Puppala3International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, NepalInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, NepalInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, NepalInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, NepalDiesel irrigation pumps are a source of air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The environmental implications of these pumps are often overlooked and very rarely addressed in the IGP. Few studies in the past have estimated the amount of diesel consumed by irrigation pumps in the IGP or other proxy variables to estimate the amount of emissions. A considerable amount of uncertainty remains in calculating emission factors (EF) using real-time measurements. We measured pollutants from nine diesel irrigation pumps in the southern &#8216;Terai&#8217; belt of Nepal. Fuel-based EF were then estimated using the carbon mass balance method. The average EF for fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>), CO<sub>2</sub>, CO and black carbon (BC) were found to be 22.11 &#177; 3.71, 2218.10 &#177; 26.8, 275 &#177; 17.18 and 2.54 &#177; 0.71 g/L, respectively. Depending upon the pump characteristics (age, design, make, hours used, etc.) and fuel mixtures, the EF of PM<sub>2.5</sub>, BC and CO had larger inter-variability. This study provides estimates for an under-represented source of ambient air pollution which will assist in the development of better emission inventories and informed policy making.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/2/56emission factordiesel irrigation pumpparticulate matterblack carbon
spellingShingle Sagar Adhikari
Parth Sarathi Mahapatra
Vikrant Sapkota
Siva Praveen Puppala
Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal
Atmosphere
emission factor
diesel irrigation pump
particulate matter
black carbon
title Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal
title_full Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal
title_fullStr Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal
title_full_unstemmed Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal
title_short Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal
title_sort characterizing emissions from agricultural diesel pumps in the terai region of nepal
topic emission factor
diesel irrigation pump
particulate matter
black carbon
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/2/56
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AT vikrantsapkota characterizingemissionsfromagriculturaldieselpumpsintheterairegionofnepal
AT sivapraveenpuppala characterizingemissionsfromagriculturaldieselpumpsintheterairegionofnepal