Chapter 15 - Investigating the Problem of Crop Residue Burning in an Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP)—An Emerging Concern to Air Quality

Abstract

Biomass burning occurred during Rabi and Kharif season contributes huge emission of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter in the atmosphere which deteriorate the air quality in almost all regions of the world. Crop residue burning activities emits a number of air pollutants like particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), black carbon (BC), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that affect the quality of air and human health. Increase in the concentration of these air pollutants made IGP a worldwide hotspot of toxic airborne pollutants and photochemical smog. Crop residue burning also causes reduced visibility and accelerates the risks of transport-related accidents. Biomass burning also leads to the formation of atmospheric brown clouds in mostly Asian regions which further puts impact on ambient air quality, visibility and earth's radiation budget. In spite of the fact that the problem of bad air quality is rapidly increasing due to crop residue burning, there are still very few review studies which focus on addressing this important issue and their impacts on ambient air quality. Hence, this chapter reviews about the sources and impacts of crop residue burning on Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Moreover, it also discuss about the role of crop residue burning in other regions of India and the factors associated with them which will affect their air quality.