Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USA
Agricultural stubble burning is the third largest source of air pollution after vehicular and industrial emissions. Fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), and black carbon (BC) ar...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Pollutants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4672/3/2/15 |
| _version_ | 1827735908530520064 |
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| author | Sai Deepak Pinakana Edward Robles Esmeralda Mendez Amit U. Raysoni |
| author_facet | Sai Deepak Pinakana Edward Robles Esmeralda Mendez Amit U. Raysoni |
| author_sort | Sai Deepak Pinakana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agricultural stubble burning is the third largest source of air pollution after vehicular and industrial emissions. Fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), and black carbon (BC) are some of the pollutants emitted during such burning events. The Lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas is a major hub of agricultural activity, and sugarcane farming is one of them. Unfortunately, this activity results in episodic events of high air pollution in this low-resourced, Hispanic/Latino majority region of the U.S.–Mexico border. This study presents results from a sugarcane site in La Feria, South Texas, where the air quality was monitored before, during, and after the sugarcane stubble burning. Various parameters were monitored on an hourly basis from 24 February 2022 to 4 April 2022. Our results demonstrate high levels of all the monitored pollutants during the burning phase in contrast to the pre- and post-burning period. The black carbon levels went up to 6.43 µg m<sup>−3</sup> on the day of burning activity. An increase of 10%, 11.6%, 25.29%, 55%, and 67.57% was recorded in the PM<sub>1</sub>, PM<sub>2.5</sub>, PM<sub>10</sub>, Black Carbon, and CO levels, respectively, during the burning period in comparison with the total study period. The absorption Ångström exponent value reached a maximum value of 2.03 during the burning activity. ThePM<sub>2.5</sub>/PM<sub>10</sub> ratio was 0.87 during the burning activity. This study also highlights the importance for continuous monitoring of air quality levels due to stubble burning in the Lower Rio Grande Valley Region of South Texas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:01:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcb9217963e5459b8b937bbb0ac7f7a5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4672 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:01:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pollutants |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcb9217963e5459b8b937bbb0ac7f7a52023-11-18T12:11:38ZengMDPI AGPollutants2673-46722023-03-013219721910.3390/pollutants3020015Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USASai Deepak Pinakana0Edward Robles1Esmeralda Mendez2Amit U. Raysoni3School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USASchool of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USASchool of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USASchool of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USAAgricultural stubble burning is the third largest source of air pollution after vehicular and industrial emissions. Fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), and black carbon (BC) are some of the pollutants emitted during such burning events. The Lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas is a major hub of agricultural activity, and sugarcane farming is one of them. Unfortunately, this activity results in episodic events of high air pollution in this low-resourced, Hispanic/Latino majority region of the U.S.–Mexico border. This study presents results from a sugarcane site in La Feria, South Texas, where the air quality was monitored before, during, and after the sugarcane stubble burning. Various parameters were monitored on an hourly basis from 24 February 2022 to 4 April 2022. Our results demonstrate high levels of all the monitored pollutants during the burning phase in contrast to the pre- and post-burning period. The black carbon levels went up to 6.43 µg m<sup>−3</sup> on the day of burning activity. An increase of 10%, 11.6%, 25.29%, 55%, and 67.57% was recorded in the PM<sub>1</sub>, PM<sub>2.5</sub>, PM<sub>10</sub>, Black Carbon, and CO levels, respectively, during the burning period in comparison with the total study period. The absorption Ångström exponent value reached a maximum value of 2.03 during the burning activity. ThePM<sub>2.5</sub>/PM<sub>10</sub> ratio was 0.87 during the burning activity. This study also highlights the importance for continuous monitoring of air quality levels due to stubble burning in the Lower Rio Grande Valley Region of South Texas.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4672/3/2/15stubble burningPM<sub>2.5</sub>sugarcaneRio Grande ValleySouth Texasblack carbon |
| spellingShingle | Sai Deepak Pinakana Edward Robles Esmeralda Mendez Amit U. Raysoni Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USA Pollutants stubble burning PM<sub>2.5</sub> sugarcane Rio Grande Valley South Texas black carbon |
| title | Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USA |
| title_full | Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USA |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USA |
| title_short | Assessment of Air Pollution Levels during Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event in La Feria, South Texas, USA |
| title_sort | assessment of air pollution levels during sugarcane stubble burning event in la feria south texas usa |
| topic | stubble burning PM<sub>2.5</sub> sugarcane Rio Grande Valley South Texas black carbon |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4672/3/2/15 |
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