Variations in FINN Emissions of Particulate Matters and Associated Carbonaceous Aerosols from Remote Sensing of Open Biomass Burning over Northeast China during 2002–2016

Yingchang You,Jiacheng Chang,Yansong Bao,Shaofei Kong,Sunling Gong,Chao Chen,Jianping Guo,Tianliang Zhao,Guoxu Ma,Chao Yu,Ming Wu

doi:10.3390/su10093353

Abstract

Various particulate matters (PM) and associated carbonaceous aerosols released from open biomass burning (including open straw burning, grass and forest fires) are major sources of atmospheric pollutants. Northeast China is a central region with high forest and grass coverage, as well as an intensive agricultural area. In this study, the FINN (Fire INventory from Ncar) emission data was used to analyze the spatiotemporal variations of PM and associated carbonaceous aerosol component (PM2.5, PM10, OC and BC) emissions from open biomass burning in Northeast China from 2002 to 2016. The results show that the total amount of annual PM2.5, PM10, OC and BC emissions was estimated to be 59.0, 70.6, 31.5, and 4.3 kilotons, respectively, from open biomass burning over Northeast China, averaged from 2002 to 2016, with significant inter-annual variations in amplitudes from 28.0 to 122.3, 33.7 to 144.1, 15.0 to 65.0, and 2.1 to 8.6 kilotons. The regional PM2.5, PM10, OC and BC emissions showed significant seasonal variations with highest emissions in spring (with a seasonal peak in April), followed by autumn (with a seasonal peak in October), summer, and winter in Northeast China; high emissions were concentrated in the forests and grasslands with natural fires, as well as over agricultural areas with crop straw burning from human activities. The PM2.5, PM10, OC and BC emissions over forest areas presented decreasing trends, while the emissions over farmlands showed increasing trends in Northeast China during 2002–2016; this reflects on the dominance of biomass burning that shifted from forestland with natural fires to farmlands with increasing human activities. Three key meteorological drivers—strong near-surface wind speed, high air temperature and low relative humidity—were identified as having significant positive impacts on the inter-annual variations of PM2.5, PM10, OC and BC emissions from open biomass burning in Northeast China.

Highlights

Open biomass burning is a major source of gaseous pollutants and particulate matters [1,2]
Wiedinmyer et al [40] presented a detailed description of the FINN datasets and compared the FINN dataset with other biomass burning inventories; the results showed that the FINN emissions agree well with other emission inventories, and the different evaluations for chemical species were consistent within the uncertainties of the frameworks
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Summary

Introduction

Open biomass burning is a major source of gaseous pollutants and particulate matters [1,2]. Forest fires and crop straw burning are main emission sources of particulate matters and associated carbonaceous aerosols in Northeast China [31,32]. Open fire from farmlands is closely related to anthropogenic factors (crop straw burning, crop types, laws and regulations, etc.), while forest and grassland fires are mostly determined by natural factors (lightning, precipitation, winds, temperature, etc.) Both anthropogenic and natural factors with large uncertainties may severely limit study on the spatial and temporal distribution in air pollutant emissions from biomass burning over a largescale region. We selected Northeast China as the study region to analyze the spatiotemporal variations in emissions of particulate matters and associated carbonaceous aerosols over the past 15 years (2002–2016) and provide a scientific basis for air pollution mitigation policies and sustainable development in China

Observation Data and Analysis Methods

Results and Discussion

Spatial Variations of Emissions in the NE Region

Conclusions