Chemical properties of emission from biomass fuels used in the rural sector of the western region of India

This paper presents the emission factors (EF) of particulate matter (PM), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), SO2, NO, NO2 and water soluble ions emitted by residential biomass fuels collected from the rural sector of Western India. Burning process has been simulated using a dilution chamber. Average EF of PM, OC and EC from fuel wood (FW), agricultural residues (AR) and dung cakes (DC) from Western India are estimated as: PM: 1.69 ± 0.98 g kg−1, 2.15 ± 1.00 g kg−1 and 5.37 ± 3.90 g kg−1; OC: 0.43 ± 0.29 g kg−1, 00.54 ± 0.22 g kg−1, 1.14 ± 0.67 g kg−1; EC: 0.25 ± 0.16 g kg−1, 0.23 ± 0.11 g kg−1 and 0.14 ± 0.08 g kg−1 respectively. Similarly, the average EF of SO2, NO and NO2 from FW, AR and DC are determined to be: SO2: 0.66 ± 0.37 g kg−1, 0.29 ± 0.45 g kg−1 and 0.74 ± 0.48 g kg−1; NO: 0.55 ± 0.25 g kg−1, 0.74 ± 0.37 g kg−1 and 0.50 ± 0.23 g kg−1; NO2: 1.05 ± 0.49 g kg−1, 1.41 ± 0.81 g kg−1 and 0.91 ± 0.45 g kg−1 respectively. Cl− has the highest average EF (FW: 97.03 ± 74.98 mg kg−1, AR: 175.71 ± 145.78 mg kg−1, DC: 158.15 ± 109.07 mg kg−1) among the anions, followed by PO43−(FW: 116.59 ± 63.43 mg kg−1, AR: 58.45 ± 1.42 mg kg−1, DC: 85.77 ± 78.85 mg kg−1) and NO3− (FW: 64.23 ± 68.38 mg kg−1, AR: 36.78 ± 22.80 mg kg−1, DC: 50.25 ± 49.33 mg kg−1). Similarly, among the cations, the highest emitters are Na+ (FW: 40.25 ± 26.64 mg kg−1; AR: 47.96 ± 18.35 mg kg−1, DC: 30.51 ± 23.39 mg kg−1), K+ (FW: 29.32 ± 23.95 mg kg−1, AR: 50.89 ± 34.62 mg kg−1, DC: 18.23 ± 14.54 mg kg−1) and NH4+ (FW: 27.93 ± 22.59 mg kg−1; AR: 46.37 ± 41.79 mg kg−1, DC: 41.74 ± 36.01 mg kg−1). The total emissions of trace gases, PM and its chemical composition from FW, AR and DC have been calculated using laboratory generated EFs over Western India. •Chemical characterization of emissions from combustion of residential bio-fuels used in rural Western India.•Laboratory based determination of EF of PM, OC, EC, WSIC and trace gases of residential bio-fuels used in rural Western India.•Emission estimates of PM, OC, EC, WSIC and trace gases from residential bio-fuels used in rural Western India.