Airborne characterization of smoke marker ratios from prescribed burning
A Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler – Total Organic Carbon (PILS-TOC) and fraction collector system was flown aboard a Twin Otter aircraft sampling prescribed burning emissions in South Carolina in November 2011 to obtain smoke marker measurements. The fraction collector provided 2 min time-integrated of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014-10-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/10535/2014/acp-14-10535-2014.pdf |
| Summary: | A Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler – Total Organic Carbon (PILS-TOC) and
fraction collector system was flown aboard a Twin Otter aircraft sampling
prescribed burning emissions in South Carolina in November 2011 to obtain
smoke marker measurements. The fraction collector provided 2 min
time-integrated offline samples for carbohydrate (i.e., smoke markers
levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan) analysis by high-performance
anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Each fire
location appeared to have a unique Δlevoglucosan/Δwater-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) ratio (RF01/RF02/RF03/RF05 =
0.163 ± 0.007 μg C μg<sup>−1</sup> C, RF08 = 0.115
± 0.011 μg C μg<sup>−1</sup> C, RF09A = 0.072 ±
0.028 μg C μg<sup>−1</sup> C, and RF09B = 0.042 ± 0.008
μg C μg<sup>−1</sup> C, where RF means research flight). These
ratios were comparable to those obtained from controlled laboratory burns and
suggested that the emissions sampled during RF01/F02/RF03/RF05 were dominated
by the burning of grasses, RF08 by leaves, RF09A by needles, and RF09B by
marsh grasses. These findings were further supported by the Δgalactosan/Δlevoglucosan ratios (RF01/RF02/RF03/RF05 = 0.067
± 0.004 μg μg<sup>−1</sup>, RF08 = 0.085 ± 0.009
μg μg<sup>−1</sup>, and RF09A = 0.101 ± 0.029
μg μg<sup>−1</sup>) obtained as well as by the ground-based fuel
and filter sample analyses during RF01/RF02/RF03/RF05. Differences between
Δpotassium/Δlevoglucosan ratios obtained for these
prescribed fires vs. laboratory-scale measurements suggest that some
laboratory burns may not accurately represent potassium emissions from
prescribed burns. The Δlevoglucosan/ΔWSOC ratio had no
clear dependence on smoke age or fire dynamics suggesting that this ratio is
more dependent on the type of fuel being burned. Levoglucosan was stable over
a timescale of at least 1.5 h and could be useful to help estimate the air
quality impacts of biomass burning. |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |