Open agro-burning in Asia and potential impact on air quality and climate

Kim Oanh N.T. Asian Institute of Technology

Thailand

BAQ06-Yogjakarta

Highlights

Agro-residue burning and emission AIRPET findings on biomass burning

contribution to urban particulate pollution Rice straw burning emission and air

quality Emission characterization and study on

health effects and climate change properties at AIT

Methodology

Emission from Biomass Burning

Emission of large amount of PIC including CO, VOC, semi-VOC, fine PM

Local effects: health, visibility PM Toxic gases: CO, VOC, PAH, etc.

Regional and global effects

O3 Pollution Trend in BMR with highest levels in 1997

Statistics of hourly O3 from ambient stations in BMR

Rice Straw Open Burning in Field

In many places: USA, Japan, Asia Cheap and fast way for land clearing and

some nutrient recovery Asian developing countries

Increase in burning areas and frequency Regulations: very limited to none

High emission due to incomplete combustion

Effects could be substantial but not yet properly quantified

Rice straw burning in Thailand

New sources in Vietnam ?

VN Express, 2005

PM2.5 and PM10 in six Asian cities

Findings of AIRPET http://serd.ait.ac.th/airpet High PM levels, especially during dry season Source apportionment study for PM identified

high contribution from biomass burning (20-30% PM2.5)

Correlation between CO, PM10 and maximum hourly ozone in BMR and hotspot counts

PM2.5 in 6 AIRPET cities

PM2.5-wet season

0

50

100

150

200

250

Bangkok Beijing Chennai Bandung Manila Hanoi

PM2.5

Co

nc

en

tra

tio

ns

,ug

/m3

upwind traffic Mixed

residential Industrial Commercial

PM2.5-dry season

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Bangkok Beijing Chennai Bandung Manila Hanoi

PM2.5

Co

nce

ntr

atio

ns,

ug

/m3

upwind traffic* Mixed

residential Industrial Commercial

USEPA 24h STD: 65 ug/m3 Annual: 15 ug/m3

Hotspot detected by MODIS in year 2004 overlaid landuse map of BMR

Phuong, 2006 (AIT thesis)

Hot spots and monthly average air pollutants in Pathumthani (April 03 – April 04)

Correlation of hot spot and CO

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4

Month

Nu

mb

er o

f h

ot

spo

ts

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

CO

(p

pm

)

Hot spot

CO

Correlation of hot spot and PM10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4

Month

Num

ber o

f hot

spo

ts

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

PM10

(μg/

m3

)

Hot spot

PM10PM10

CO

Danutawat and Kim Oanh, 2006

Daily hot spot count and daily air pollution in Pathumthani (1 February – 31 March 04)

Correlation of hot spot and CO

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1 6 11 16 21 26 2 7 12 17 22 27date

Nu

mb

er o

f h

ot

spo

t

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

CO

(p

pm

)

Hot spot

CO

Correlation of hot spot and PM10

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1 6 11 16 21 26 2 7 12 17 22 27date

Num

ber o

f hot

spo

t

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

PM10

(μg/

m3

)

Hot spot

PM10

24h-PM10

24h-CO

Danutawat and Kim Oanh, 2006

Correlation of Hotspot and Maximum ozone concentration - March, 2004

0

50

100

150

200

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Ozo

ne C

once

ntra

ion

(ppb

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

Hot s

pot n

umbe

r Hot spot

Ozone

CO * 20

Hotspot counts and maximum hourly ozone in BMR, March

2004

Phuong, 2006 (AIT thesis)

Emission characterization and

exposure study by AIT team

0.00

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

140.00

160.00

180.00

200.00

5.0-10.0 um 1.0-5.0 um 0.7-1.0 um 0.5-0.7 um

5.8-10.0 um 1.1-5.8 um 0.7-1.1 um 0.4-0.7 um

Massco

ncen

trati

on

(u

g/m

3)

0.E+00

1.E+06

2.E+06

3.E+06

4.E+06

5.E+06

6.E+06

7.E+06

No

of

part

icle

s (

no

of

part

icle

s/m

3)

Mass

Number of particles

PM emission from rice straw burning

Emission Factor in Hood

0

5

10

15

20

25

Hood 1 Hood 2 Hood 3 Hood 4 Hood 5 Hood 6 Hood 7 Hood 8 Hood 9

PM

, g

/m2

0

5

10

15

20

25

Wat

er/m

2

PM, g/m2

Water/m2

Kim Oanh et al. 2006

PM size distribution

Estimated climate impact of rice straw open burning per ha of rice paddy

Species 

Emission factor

kg/kg RS

Emission Kg/ha

GWP for100-year

Kg CO2 eq.,

100 years

GWP, 20-years

Kg CO2 eq., 20 years

CO2 1.3 8,840 1 8,840 1 8,840

CH4* 0.0027 18 23 420 62 1140

N20* 0.00007 0.5 296 140 275 130

CO 0.114 800 3 2,330 10 7,750

VOCs* 0.057 400 1.7 660 4.9 1900

EC 0.00068 5 650 3,000 2000 9,250

OC 0.0037 25 -75 -1,900 -250 -6,300

Total  -  - 13,500 22,700

Example: 200,000 ha x 2 crops/year in BMR

Acknowledgement

Swedish International Development Agency

Fogarty research foundation