Carbonaceous gas and aerosol emissions from biomass burning in China from 2012 to 2021

Open biomass burning (OBB) has significant impacts on air pollution, human health, and climate change. In recent years, the issue of OBB has been the subject of increasing research. However, the emissions of carbonaceous gases and aerosols (CGA) from OBB have received less attention, and the spatiotemporal characteristics and emissions of CGA remain poorly understood. In this study, an optimized Fire Radiative Power (FRP) algorithm was used to estimate the emissions of CGA from OBB in China. Then the spatiotemporal characteristics of CGA emissions from OBB across China from 2012 to 2021 were assessed. The results show that the annual average emissions of CGA in China from 2012 to 2021 were 239.74 Mt. The spatial distribution of CGA from OBB in China is concentrated in the Northeast, North, Southwest, and East regions. Across the study period, the trend of total national emissions was first increasing then decreasing, with a maximum in 2014, and a minimum in 2018. Emissions of CGA between 2012 and 2021 were dominated by the combustion of residues in agricultural land, which accounted for 50–65% of total CGA emissions. Crop residues open field burning and burning ban were also the main reason for the sharp increase of CGA in 2014 and dramatically reduced to a minimum in 2018. The study provides new insights into OBB and carbon neutrality. The results provide valuable information for stakeholders, allowing for the implementation of effective regional policies to reduce emissions of CGA in China.