Combustion Of Peat Research Articles

Assessment of the impact of smoke from thermal destruction of materials of different origins on soil health.

The results of the study of the influence of smoke from the thermal destruction of materials of vegetable and synthetic origin on the enzymatic activity of ordinary chernozem are presented. The decrease of activity of investigated indicators (catalase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, invertase) from thermal destruction of pine sawdust, straw, coniferous and leaf fall, peat, and materials based on polystyrene, rubber, and polyvinyl chloride was revealed. A significant decrease in the activity of soil enzymes after exposure to gaseous products of combustion during 15-60min of soil fumigation was found. Oxidoreductases turned out to be the most sensitive to smoke. Smoke from peat burning has minimal inhibitory effect, activity of catalase after 30min of fumigation decreased only by 15%, and peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase - by 8 and 12%. While the activity of the same enzymes when exposed to smoke from thermal degradation of rubber-based materials decreased by 16-42%, and polyvinyl chloride - by 29-73%, to a lesser extent from polystyrene (decrease by 7-29%). All obtained data on changes in the enzymatic activity of soils are reliable with the level of statistical significance p < 0.05.

Initial impacts of wildfire on overwintering conditions for a Species-at-Risk snake

Peatlands are important ecosystems that are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate-mediated disturbances such as wildfire, which can threaten peatland hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological function. However, the magnitude of these changes and their impacts to peatland-dependent species worldwide is a key knowledge gap. Peatlands in the eastern Georgian Bay, Ontario, region provide overwintering habitat for the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus c. catenatus), a species considered at-risk across its North American range. Overwintering habitat is considered suitable when peat temperature is above 0°C and the water table position provides moisture without risk of prolonged flooding. This combination of suitable ecohydrological conditions, also known as the life zone or resilience zone, commonly occurs in hummocks which are raised microforms on the peatland surface. Due to a changing climate, peatlands are at risk of increased wildfire frequency and burn severity which may reduce overwintering habitat availability and suitability through changes in peat thermal and hydrological properties. In 2018, a wildfire burned over 11,000 ha of the eastern Georgian Bay landscape which supports critical habitat for the massasauga at the northern limit of the species range. To assess the potential impact of wildfire on massasauga overwintering habitat, we monitored water table position, snow depth, and peat thermal dynamics in hummocks across a burn severity gradient (unburned to severely burned) in three burned and three unburned peatlands across three winters (2019–2022). We found that hummocks were able to provide unflooded habitat above 0°C regardless of peat burn severity; however, there was moderate evidence that hummock burn severity influenced mean daily resilience zone size. Overall, hummock overwintering suitability appears to be dominantly controlled by peatland surface topography and interannual winter weather. With the frequency and intensity of wildfires predicted to increase globally under a changing climate, it is critical to understand how interannual variability of winter weather conditions influences overwintering habitat suitability after wildfire, to identify peatland ecosystems that provide resilient species at risk habitat.

Large variation in carbon dioxide emissions from tropical peat swamp forests due to disturbances

The huge carbon stock of tropical peat swamp forest (PSF) in Southeast Asia has been threatened by environmental disturbances due to quasi-periodic El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) droughts, biomass and peat burning, smoke haze, drainage, and deforestation. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from such disturbances have not been well quantified because of insufficient field data. Therefore, we quantified the ecosystem-scale CO2 balance and examine the disturbance effects from a long-term field experiment for 12–15 years at three PSF sites with different degrees of degradation in Indonesia. Here, we show a drastic change of an undrained PSF from a CO2 sink to a source owing to the transient groundwater lowering by the droughts, a significant decrease in ecosystem photosynthesis due to the radiation attenuation by smoke haze in drought years, and long-lasting CO2 emissions through enhanced peat decomposition by drainage. The impact on CO2 emissions was greater from drainage than drought-induced disturbances.

Important Contribution to Aerosol Oxidative Potential from Residential Solid Fuel Burning in Central Ireland

Numerous studies have shown negative health effects related to exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM), likely due to induced oxidative stress. In this study, we have examined ambient PM samples from Birr, a small (~5000 inhabitants) town in central Ireland, for their water-soluble DTT-based oxidative potential (OP_DTT) with a resolution of 6 h, together with online chemical characterization measurements, to assess the OP of organic aerosols, in particular from residential solid fuel burning. The OP_DTT normalized by the volume of sampled air shows a high variability, ranging from &lt;0.1 to 3.8 nmol min−1 m−3, and a high correlation with PM mass. A lower variability was associated with the mass-normalized OP. Nevertheless, both tended to present higher values during night-time pollution episodes. Simple and multivariate linear regression approaches linked OP_DTT to residential solid fuel burning, and in particular to wood (~87%) and peat (~13%) combustion. The results of the present study show how residential solid fuel burning can have a severe impact on air quality, even in small towns, with potential negative health effects on the exposed population.

Thermal Decomposition and Combustion Analysis of Malaysian Peat Soil Samples Using Coats Redfern Model-free Method

This research investigates the thermal decomposition behaviour of Malaysian peat soil through thermogravimetric analysis at varying heating rates. The study aims to analyse the thermal kinetics of decomposition for distinct peat soil types under inert and oxidative atmospheres while considering the role of available oxygen. The investigation encompasses virgin and agricultural peat, employing a non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis technique to evaluate thermal decomposition characteristics and compute kinetic parameters using the Coats Redfern model-free approach. The pyrolysis profiles reveal three primary stages: moisture evaporation (30–180°C), organic component decomposition (200–500°C), and mineral decomposition (600–800°C). Virgin peat experiences a 43% mass loss during pyrolysis, while agricultural peat shows a 46% mass loss, emphasising insights into thermal behaviour and consistent decomposition patterns across peat types. Combustion profiles exhibit three main stages: dehydration (30–180°C), oxidative pyrolysis transforming organic matter into volatiles and char (200–300°C), and subsequent char oxidation (300–500°C). The study determines average activation energy trends, measuring 14.87 kJ/mol for virgin peat and 5.37 kJ/mol for agricultural peat under an inert atmosphere, and 28.89 kJ/mol for virgin peat and 36.66 kJ/mol for agricultural peat under an oxidative atmosphere. The research introduces an innovative two-step reaction model elucidating peat thermal decomposition kinetics (excluding dehydration), including a discussion on the impact of oxygen availability on kinetic parameters. These findings essential peat fire smouldering modelling, contributing to peat combustion behaviour for effective strategies to reduce peat fire risks.

The complex composition of organic aerosols emitted during burning varies between Arctic and boreal peat

AbstractPeatlands in the northern hemisphere are a major carbon storage but face an increased risk of wildfires due to climate change leading to large-scale smoldering fires in boreal and Arctic peatlands. Smoldering fires release organic carbon rich particulate matter, which influences the earth’s radiative balance and can cause adverse health effects for humans. Here we characterize the molecular composition of biomass burning particulate matter generated by laboratory burning experiments of peat by electrospray ionization 21 T Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, revealing a highly complex mixture of aromatic and aliphatic organic compounds with abundant heteroatoms including oxygen, sulfur and up to five nitrogen atoms. Primary organosulfur species are identified in the emissions of peat-smoldering, in part also containing nitrogen. Differences are observed when comparing structural motifs as well as the chemical composition of boreal and Arctic peat burning emissions, with the latter containing compounds with more nitrogen and sulfur.

Influence of Fuel Properties on the Light Absorption of Fresh and Laboratory-Aged Atmospheric Brown Carbon Produced from Realistic Combustion of Boreal Peat and Spruce Foliage.

Climate change has exacerbated fire activity in the boreal region. Consequently, smoldering boreal peatland fires are an increasingly important source of light-absorbing atmospheric organic carbon ("brown carbon"; BrC). To date, however, BrC from this source remains largely unstudied, which limits our ability to predict its climate impact. Here, we use size-exclusion chromatography coupled with diode array UV-vis detection to examine the molecular-size-dependent light absorption properties of fresh and photoaged aqueous BrC extracts collected during laboratory combustion of boreal peat and live spruce foliage. The atmospheric stability of BrC extracts varies with chromophore molecular size and fuel type: in particular, the high-molecular-weight fractions of both peat- and spruce-BrC are more resistant to photobleaching than their corresponding low-molecular-weight fractions, and total light absorption by peat-BrC persists over longer illumination timescales than that of spruce-BrC. Importantly, the BrC molecular size distribution itself varies with fuel properties (e.g., moisture content) and to an even greater extent with fuel type. Overall, our findings suggest that the accurate estimation of BrC radiative forcing, and the overall climate impact of wildfires, will require atmospheric models to consider the impact of regional diversity in vegetation/fuel types.

Geochemical status of non-reclaimed ash dumps subjected to long-term self-overgrowing: Evidence from the Tyumen, Russia

Establishing the geochemical state of ash dumps of solid fuel thermal power plants in the absence of reclamation is extremely important in urban conditions. The current study was performed to assess the level, spatial distribution, soil pollution and risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils of abandoned ash dumps from the city of Tyumen, Russia. In general, the soils of as dumps had elevated levels of PTEs and PAHs compared to the crustal abundance and global soil background. A number of metals, namely Sr, Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn, and V, were concentrated in the soils of ash dumps (2–6 times), while As, Co, and Pb slightly exceeded the citywide average (up to 1.5 times). Naphthalene (NAP) was the only representative of the studied PAHs, the concentrations of which in the soils of ash dumps significantly exceeded the median content in urban soils of Tyumen. Elevated levels of NAP are likely a consequence of frequent fires occurring in grassy areas. Spatial patterns of pollutants are mainly controlled by the initial heterogeneity of technogenic substrates, rather than the post-depositional processes including vegetation and soil cover development. Low and moderate pollution and human health risks of PTEs and PAHs were revealed in topsoils of the studied sites. Although elevated levels of pollutants in coal ash dump soils are due to peat combustion, they pose less of an environmental risk than the more common coal ash dumps and are potentially suitable for a wider variety of management practices.

INTENSIFICATION OF HEAT AND MASS EXCHANGE PROCESSES OF PROCESSING OLD SLUDGE

At sewage treatment plants, in addition to filtered water, sludge is formed during wastewater treatment. They are dumped on mud sites, which occupy large areas and are almost completely overflowing. The content of a large amount of minerals and toxic substances in sediments leads to the deterioration of the condition of groundwater and soil, which in turn leads to the deterioration of ecology and life. An urgent task in Ukraine is the creation of complex processing of sludge, which includes economic, technological, social and ecological aspects. The purpose of the research is to intensify the heat and mass exchange processes of processing old sludge deposits with the subsequent creation of a technology for obtaining composite fuel based on them. The study of drying kinetics of composite granules was carried out on an experimental convective stand with automatic data collection. A comparison of the drying time of composite granules depending on the granulation method was carried out, which showed the expediency of carrying out the process for granules formed on a screw mechanical device. Adsorption studies were carried out, which made it possible to determine the equilibrium moisture content. It was established that the specific heat of combustion of composite granules exceeds the heat of combustion of peat by 1.2 times, which allows them to be used as an alternative fuel.

After-use of cutover peatland from the perspective of landowners: Future effects on the national greenhouse gas budget in Finland

Recently, increased attention has been drawn to the greenhouse gas emissions of the Land use, Land use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector. In the Finnish LULUCF sector, the soil-originated emissions from the after-use of cutover peatland have become a more relevant question. This is due to the rapid increase in the number of former peat-harvesting sites, caused by the decline in the combustion of energy peat due to its high CO2 emissions. We conducted a nationally representative survey to study which after-use options of cutover peatlands are preferred by landowners. Based on the preferred after-use options, we estimated their impact on the national greenhouse gas emissions in the Finnish regions in 2035, and what factors influence the landowners’ choice of after-use options. We found that the four most popular after-use options for landowners were afforestation (71%), agriculture (24%), production of wind and solar power (22%) and rewetting (18%) when the respondent chose the three most attractive options. However, there were clear regional differences in the preferred after-use options, which might lead, if realized, to different soil-originated emissions at the regional level. The preferred after-use options could produce emissions of 0.35 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year (Mt CO2 eq y−1) by 2035 in Finland. Most of these emissions (30.1%) would come from South Ostrobothnia in western Finland, mainly due to the indicated high interest in agricultural after-use. Most landowners prefer financially profitable after-use options, such as forestry, agriculture, as well as wind and solar energy production in cutover peatlands. However, environmentally oriented landowners favour many kinds of actions to support biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and water protection in cutover peatlands. It is crucial that economic productivity and the greenhouse gas sinks of cutover peatlands be considered simultaneously to meet the climate targets of the LULUCF sector in Finland.

МОНИТОРИНГ ДОРОЖНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ В ЧРЕЗВЫЧАЙНЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ РАСПРОСТРАНЕНИЯ СМОГА ТОРФЯНОГО ПОЖАРА

The physical phenomenon of smog formation from burning peat bogs and its persistent air pollution on the highway is investigated. It is shown that particulate smog particles of small sizes PM10 and PM2.5 are capable, as on condensation nuclei, of creating optically dense aerosol fogs and, thereby, reducing the visibility range on the roadway to 50 meters or less, significantly increasing the risk of traffic accidents. It is proved that, together with carbon monoxide CO, smog saturates the air with pollutants to dangerous concentrations that can significantly weaken the reflex reactions of drivers to changing traffic conditions. In combination, this leads to an emergency situation, accompanied by a transport collapse, requiring the involvement of forces and means of emergency response.

Current state of the coal ash handling problem in Russia and abroad, aspects of the coal ash applications in hydrogen economy

One of the global state tasks, contributing to the implementation of the goal of developing the energy sector of the Russian Federation and given in the Energy Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period until 2035, is to reduce the negative impact of the fuel and energy complex industries on the environment.In this regard, special attention is paid to the coal ash handling problem, which is intensified by tightening of the environmental legislation with the transition to the principles of the best available technologies, greening of the coal power, depletion of the capacity of the coal ash disposal sites, etc. Disposal of ash, slag, ash-and-slag mixtures, formed at combustion of coal, peat and shale, is one of the main problems of the modern solid-fuel thermal power plants in Russia, the number of which makes 172. The average age of the coal-fired TPPs is about 50 years that significantly affects the technical and environmental performance of the ash removal system of TPPs. At the Russian TPPs for the ash and slag conveying hydraulic ash removal systems are the most common, used in the vast majority of cases being technically outdated, uneconomical and ecologically not friendly.Annually 25 … 30 million tons of ash and slag are formed at the coal-fired power plants of the Russian Federation. Currently more than 1.5 billion tons of ash and slag are accumulated at the ash disposal sites of thermal power plants, and every year these figures are growing. About 2/3 of all ash and slag disposals are close to the design filling or are already overfilled. Elimination of objects of the accumulated environmental damage, representing ash disposals of the coal-fired power plants, is one of the conditions for Russia's transition to the standards of “green” economy. The problem of coal-fired power plants in terms of elimination of the accumulated environmental damage can be solved only by implementing the large-scale projects of integrated coal ash processing, obtaining required products.The article provides statistical data for the 2019 relating to the volumes of the coal ash generation and utilization in various countries of the world. An overview of the various applications of the coal combustion by-products, the main of which are ash and slag, in Russia, India, China, EU countries, etc. is presented. The article contains data on the applicability of the coal ash for various technologies of its use according to the Russian Ministry of Energy. A review of scientific and technical information sources on the prospects of using coal ash in hydrogen power engineering for hydrogen sorption and storage is given, as well as a review of traditional methods of hydrogen storage. Terminology in the field of coal ash handling found in scientific and technical information sources is considered, and a classification of coal combustion by-products in Russia and abroad is given. The main recommendations of the author, contributing to the increase in the use of coal ash in Russia, are given.

Water pollution risks by smoldering fires in degraded peatlands

Climate change may increase the overall susceptibility of peatlands to fire. Smoldering fires in peatlands can cause substantial emissions of greenhouse gases. It is, however, less clear how smoldering affects the soil pore water quality. In this study, soil samples were collected from agricultural fen and disturbed bog study sites in Germany and Lithuania to quantify the effect of peat burning on pore water composition. The samples were air dried and smoldered under ignition temperature (approximately 200 °C) with different durations (0, 2, 5, and 10 h). Pore water samples were extracted from the soil to determine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions, fluoride, extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF), and sulfate concentrations. The results showed that soil smoldering changes the peat pore water chemistry and that changes differ between fens and bogs. The smoldering duration is likewise influential. For fen grasslands, 2 and 5 h of smoldering of peat caused a >10-fold increase in DOC (up to 1600 mg L−1) and EOF concentrations. The fluoride (up to 60 mg L−1) and sulfate concentrations substantially exceeded WHO drinking water guidelines. In contrast, the temperature treatment decreased the DOC concentrations of samples from raised bogs by 90 %. The fluoride concentrations decreased, but sulfate concentrations increased after smoldering of the bog samples. DOC, fluoride, and sulfate concentrations of bogs varied significantly between the smoldering duration treatments. For all peat samples, the extracted DOM was dominated by humic-like substances before smoldering, but the fraction of low molecular weight substances increased after smoldering combustion. In conclusion, smoldering alters the biogeochemical processes in both peatland types and possibly impair the water quality of adjacent water resources especially in fen peat landscapes.

Data sinks, carbon services: Waste, storage and energy cultures on Ireland’s peat bogs

This article examines strategies by the Irish state to phase out the extraction and burning of peat as a carbon fuel source in relation to the growing energy demands of data centres. One of the major proposals within the ‘just transition’ for post-extractive peat boglands is to incentivise the construction of data centres and associated energy infrastructures alongside bog reclamation projects to encourage carbon sequestration. These entangled plans for data, energy and carbon ‘storage’, driven by large-scale and transformative relations to boglands, inherit colonial ways of valuing bogs as ‘wastelands’ that must be put to work for industrial capital. We argue that through paired digital and green industrial strategies, the transformative energy cultures and frontiers of capital continue to expand beyond the apparent sites of data and energy infrastructural development, penetrating deeper into the earth and its atmosphere.

Neodymium isotopes in peat reveal past local environmental disturbances

Over the past decade, the neodymium (Nd) isotope composition of mineral matter from peat cores has seen increasingly common use as a tracer of dust influx associated with major changes in the Holocene atmospheric circulation. However, the incomplete understanding of the local controls on the sources of the sediment supplied to peatlands remains a key difficulty in the interpretation of the archived Nd isotope signals. Here, we used neodymium isotopes to reconstruct environmental disturbances in peatlands. We performed a multi-proxy study of two peatlands that experienced peatland burning and validated the recorded peat Nd signatures using reference surface sampling. Our data show a link between the Nd isotope signals and local environmental disturbances: peat burning, local fire activity and pollution fluxes. Our study illustrates the crucial role of identifying local events that influence the supply of mineral material to peatlands. Insufficient recognition of such local controls may either obscure the large-scale variations in the atmospheric circulation patterns, or introduce artefacts to the Holocene climate record. We also provide recommendations for the use of Nd isotopes in palaeoecological studies of peatlands.

Potential disruptive effects of zoosporic parasites on peatland-based organic freshwater aquaculture: Case study from the Republic of Ireland

Irish freshwater aquaculture holds great potential for aiding food security. However, its necessary expansion has been hampered by the adoption of important environmental EU directives. A novel peatland-based recirculating aquaculture multi-trophic pond system (RAMPS) was developed to assess its potential to assist in the sustainable development of industry whilst remaining aligned with environmental protection by adhering to organic aquaculture practices. Microalgae play a pivotal role in the farms' wastewater bioremediation. However, a collapse of the algal population within the system towards the end of the pilot study was observed. No relationship between physicochemical fluctuations and the collapse were indicated. Further investigations into the potential presence of biological agents were then conducted and fourteen species of zoosporic parasites from five different genera (Labyrinthula, Vampyrella, Amoeboaphelidium, Paraphelidium and Aphelidium) were identified after conducting next-generation sequencing (MinION). The presence of these species indicated the potential cause of algal collapse. Additionally, changes in weather conditions may have also contributed to the issue. Given the lack of data available on zoosporic parasites and their potential impact on organic aquaculture practices, additional research needs to be conducted. Developing a means to monitor and mitigate against these complex zoosporic parasites will inform food security, it will particularly help safeguard “organic” freshwater aquaculture where there is a reliance on using natural-based approaches to address disease mitigation. This information will in turn inform the replication of this RAMPs system in peatlands internationally creating local employment in green technologies, as communities' transition away from burning peat as fossil fuel. Also, zoosporic parasites may reduce important microalgae in peatland-based culture ponds that serve as exceptional sequesters of carbon. Findings of this study will inform related research that focus on the emergence of microbial pathogens in local aquatic ecosystems brought on by variances in climate.

Experimental study of 1-D downward-opposed smoldering combustion of tropical peat and effect of excess air on the transition from smoldering to flaming

This research is conducted to study the effect of air-flow rate to the smoldering combustion dynamics and transition flaming. Test is done using peat extracted from Papua Provinces, Indonesia. The combustion is conducted on natural, 1.33 cm/s, 3.98 cm/s, and 6.63 cm/s of air-flow, respectively, representing the oxidation with lack and excess of air as calculated by stoichiometric equilibrium. Test result show that smoldering spread rate tends to increase with increasing the air supply. Differences in physical properties yield the different of the smoldering dynamic behavior. In general, the higher the air-flow velocity leads to a higher smoldering temperature, spread rate, and mass loss rate. Combustion with natural air and lack of oxygen will result in smoldering whereas in excess air led to transition flaming.

Hydrologic‐based modelling of burn depth potentials in degraded peat soils

AbstractPeatland drainage may degrade system resilience to high intensity, soil‐consuming fires. Peat soil fires are unique in that they can smoulder vertically through the soil column, with a multitude of consequences including large carbon emissions, altered hydrology, and dramatic shifts in vegetation communities. In this work we developed and verified a new method to model peat burn depths with readily available water level and peat hydraulic property data at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (VA and NC, USA). To model peat burn depths across 11 sites in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge we combined water table time series data and soil moisture release curves, developed at multiple depths, with moisture‐to‐ignition thresholds. A subset of the results from this empirical modelling approach of peat burn depth severity were compared against those made using a mechanistic model of soil moisture, HYDRUS 1‐D. By comparing modelled burn depth potentials between these two approaches for a range of peats, we confirmed that our simpler, water table‐based approach had similar performance to HYDRUS 1‐D in drained and degraded peats, like those found in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. A comparative analysis of modelled burn depths across our study site found that water table position and peat water holding capacity were the key governing controls on burn depth potential. Our findings suggest that drainage weakens both short‐ and long‐term controls on peat burn depths by reducing soil moisture and by decreasing peat water holding capacity. This new approach offers land managers with an additional tool for assessing risk while offering insight into the drivers of peatland wildfire severity.

RESULTS AND PROSPECTIVE OF STUDIES DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF THE GEOTECHNOLOGIES OF NATURE DISPERSIVE MEDIAS

The review of the results according to the research methods of the characteristics of heat and mass transfer during rocks freezing and the modelling of rocks is given in the article. In the direction of technological developments the plant for thermochemical proceeding of combustible shale and other materials by the pyrolysis method is represented. The way of utilization of polymeric wastes by the pyrolysis of peat and polymeric compositions is proposed. The rheological research of leaching disperses of peat of different content are held. It is revealed that the degree of decomposition has the greatest impact to all rheological parameters of peat and leaching suspensions. The content of humic substances, ash elements, and also non-hydrolyzed substances in it has stronger influence on the structure durability of peat disperses. The results on the study on colloidal and chemical features and the content of functional groups of humic peat substance are given. The research results on the use of ash from peat burning and the sediment of the systems&#x0D; of wet dedusting as raw for new materials production.

Smoldering peat fire detection by time-resolved measurements of transient CO2 and CH4 emissions using a novel dual-gas optical sensor

A compact and sensitive dual-gas laser absorption sensor was developed for smoldering peat fire detection by real-time monitoring of transient CO2 and CH4 emissions from peat combustion exhaust. The sensor combines two infrared lasers to exploit CH4 and CO2 absorption lines centered at 6057.09 cm−1 and 6359.96 cm−1, respectively. Scanned-wavelength modulation spectroscopy with the second-harmonic detection (WMS-2f) and a custom-designed Herriot multipass gas cell (10.3 m path length in a 40.5 mL volume) were employed to improve detection sensitivity. The simultaneous real-time transient emissions (CH4 and CO2) were measured at an interval of 0.1 s under various smoldering peat combustion conditions in a top open cylindrical reactor. An increasing trend of CH4/CO2 ratio from 0.053 to 0.075 and the greenhouse gas (GHG) flux from 1.5 g/m2 s to 3.4 g/m2 s was observed with increasing oxygen supplies from 10 mm/s to 24 mm/s. However, a decreasing trend of CH4/CO2 ratio from 0.06 to 0.043 and GHG flux from 2.6 g/m2 s to 0.4 g/m2 s was noticed with increasing peat moisture content from 8% (dry peat) to 100%. The measurement results agree well with commercial non-dispersive infrared CO2 and CH4 analyzers which are not fast enough to capture transient emissions due to their low time response. The developed dual-gas sensor has the potential to be applied for detecting underground peatland fires and evaluating the overall GHGs emissions from smoldering wildfires due to its excellent temporal resolution, hardware simplicity, and compactness.