Gaseous, particulate matter, carbonaceous compound, water-soluble ion, and trace metal emissions measured from 2019 peatland fires in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan

Abstract

This study aimed to develop field emission factors of gaseous pollutants, PM2.5, OC/EC, water-soluble ions, and trace elements and to estimate the total gas and particulate emissions from peatland fires. This study was conducted in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, in September 2019 during the main fire episode. Gas samples were collected using the LGR-ICOS analyzer at a flow rate of 0.5 L/min. In comparison, particulate pollutant samples were collected using two Airmetrics Mini Volume Portable Air Samplers at a flow rate of 5 L/min with Quartz fiber and PTFE filters. For further analysis, quartz fiber filters were used for carbon aerosols and water-soluble inorganic ions, while PTFE filters were used for trace element analysis. The gaseous emission factors determined in this study for CO2, CO, and CH4 were 1589.5 ± 41.8 g/kg, 236.5 ± 25.7 g/kg, and 5.4 ± 1.3 g/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, the emission factors for PM2.5, OC, EC, water-soluble inorganic ions, and elements were 27.8 ± 41.8 g/kg, 18.1 ± 8.9 g/kg, 0.25 ± 0.06 g/kg, 1.7 ± 0.7 g/kg, and 62.5 ± 32.3 mg/kg, respectively. With peat burned density of 0.11 g/cm3, a burned depth of 37 cm, and a total area burned of 317,749 ha, peatland fires in Central Kalimantan in 2019 had emitted CO2, CO, PM2.5, total carbon aerosol, water-soluble ions, and elements about 34.9 ± 0.9 Tg, 5.3 ± 0.6 Tg, 0.6 ± 0.3 Tg, 0.4 ± 0.2 Tg, 36.7 ± 15.9 Gg, and 1.4 ± 0.7 Gg, respectively.