Abstract
AbstractAnthropogenic biomass burning is poorly represented in models due to a lack of observational data but represents a significant source of short‐lived toxic gases. Guy Fawkes Night (bonfire night) is a regular UK‐wide event where open fires are lit and fireworks are set off on 5 November. Previous gas phase studies of bonfire night focus on persistent organic pollutants primarily using off‐line techniques. Here the first simultaneous online gas phase measurements of several classes of compounds including isocyanates, amides, nitrates, and nitro‐organics are made during bonfire night (2014) in Manchester, UK, using a time‐of‐flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (ToF‐CIMS) using iodide reagent ions. A shallow boundary layer and low wind speeds favor pollutant buildup with typical HCN, HNCO, and CH3NCO concentrations of tens of parts per thousand increasing by a factor of 13 to potentially harmful levels >1 ppb. Normalized excess mixing ratios relative to CO for a range of isocyanates and amides are reported for the first time. Using a HNCO:CO ratio of 0.1%, we distinguish emissions from flaming and smoldering combustion and report more accurate normalized excess mixing ratios for the distinct burning phases. While bonfire night is a highly polluting event, NO2 concentrations measured at this location are higher at other times, highlighting the importance of traffic as an NO2 emission source at this location. A risk communication methodology is used to equate enhancements in hourly averaged black carbon and NO2 concentrations caused by bonfire night as an equivalent of 26.1 passively smoked cigarettes.
Highlights
Biomass burning (BB) is a major source of gas and carbonaceous aerosol emission to the atmosphere (Andreae & Merlet, 2001), both of which act to reduce air quality worldwide (Molina et al, 2007)
The first simultaneous online gas phase measurements of several classes of compounds including isocyanates, amides, nitrates, and nitro-organics are made during bonfire night (2014) in Manchester, UK, using a time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (ToF-CIMS) using iodide reagent ions
The transition from formic to acetic acid shows a deviation in the straight line, which is a manifestation of the systematic error in the mass axis
Summary
Biomass burning (BB) is a major source of gas and carbonaceous aerosol emission to the atmosphere (Andreae & Merlet, 2001), both of which act to reduce air quality worldwide (Molina et al, 2007). One example of a regular, nationwide BB event in the UK is Guy Fawkes Night, or bonfire night, which is celebrated annually on and around 5 November by lighting open fires and fireworks as part of community events and at individual households These bonfires are lit at roughly the same time during the evening and are designed to have a strong flaming phase that lasts for 1–2 h. The UK Environment Agency permits the open burning of untreated wood and garden waste (UK Government 2015) and states that treated materials and household waste (solvents, plastics, etc.) should not be burnt, it is likely that these types of materials do contribute to the composition of bonfire night open fires This mixed fuel source is difficult to categorize and most likely represents a mixture of residential biofuel combustion and garbage
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