Sugarcane Burning Research Articles

Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions in the agro-industrial system of sugarcane in Piauí, Brazil

The present study presents an estimate of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the production process of ethanol and sugar originated from sugarcane in Piauí. The field research was carried out in a mill with an attached distillery, where the harvest was conducted manually, from January to December 2015. Life Cycle Assessment principles were considered in the quantification of total CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions in the stages of agriculture, industrialization and distribution, converting them according to their global-warming potential into carbon-equivalent (CO2eq). The use of fuels, agriculture inputs, sugarcane burning, manufacture of machinery and physical structure of the mill, application of pesticides, seeds, use of chemical reagents in the production process and human labor were considered in this study. The results show a total emission of 2,413.3 kg CO2eq /ha.year, and the main key sources were sugarcane burning (48%) and use of chemical products (29.6 %). The industrial and distribution stages contributed with 2% of the emissions each. There was an emission of 29.9 kg CO2eq per ton of sugarcane processed and it was estimated that there would be a net reduction of 83% of emissions if the harvesting could be thoroughly conducted mechanically.

Impacto da queima da cana-de-açúcar sobre internações hospitalares por doenças respiratórias

The scope of this article is to evaluate the impact of emissions from sugarcane burning on hospital admission numbers for respiratory diseases in a sugarcane region. Hospital admission records for respiratory diseases were acquired from the database of the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) in the period from March 28, 2011 to December 28, 2012. Levels of PM10, NO2, O3, Temperature and Relative Humidity were recorded. Logistic regression models were created to analyze the association between the total number of hospitalizations, atmospheric pollutants and meteorological variables. A total of 1,179 hospitalization admissions were recorded, with a significant increase in cases of pneumonia in the burning period (p = 0.005). Likewise, it was observed that the cluster of PM10 and NO2 was influenced 67.9% (95% CI: 11.111-2.537) followed by cluster PM10, NO2, O3 and Temperature that influenced 91.1% (95% CI: 1.116; 3.271) in the total number of hospitalization admissions. During the sugarcane burning period there were more hospitalization admissions due to respiratory tract diseases, mainly pneumonia, where the influence of air pollutants and temperature in the process of illness in the population was detected.

A comparative chemical study of PM10 in three Latin American cities: Lima, Medellín, and São Paulo

The study was part of the South American Emissions, Megacities and Climate Project (SAEMC). The objective was to identify and quantify organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), monosaccharides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oxy and nitro-PAHs, water-soluble ions (WSI), and elements in particulate matter collected in intensive campaigns during a period (June, 2010) in Sao Paulo (Brazil), Lima (Peru), and Medellin (Colombia). PM10 concentration was higher in Sao Paulo than in the other two sites and 75% of the samples had concentrations above the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. High concentrations of levoglucosan, a biomass burning tracer, highlighted the importance of this source in the Brazilian megacity. Levoglucosan-to-mannosan ratios for Sao Paulo suggested sugarcane burning, which in 2010 occurred in 70% of the state municipalities during harvest. Vehicular-related elements (Fe and Cu) had higher concentrations in Sao Paulo. As and Pb in Medellin were attributed to industrial emissions. Ni in Lima was associated with emissions from metal smelting facilities and ship heavy oil combustion. Higher total PAH concentrations and benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaPE) index in Sao Paulo indicated a stronger influence of vehicular exhaust in this megacity. The results highlighted the importance of biomass burning and vehicular sources for Sao Paulo, vehicular exhaust, biomass burning, and industrial sources for Medellin, and marine aerosol, together with vehicular, industrial, and ship exhaust, for Lima.

Spatial variability and dynamics of soil pH, soil organic carbon and matter content: The case of the Wonji Shoa sugarcane plantation

Abstract This study presents the spatial variability and dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil organic matter (SOM) and soil pH contents at the Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate (WSSE), Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected immediately after the sugarcane was harvested and then analysed for SOC, SOM and pH content using standard procedures. The analysis results showed that the pH value varied between 6.7–8.4 (neutral to moderately alkaline) and 7.3–8.5 (neutral to strongly alkaline) for the top and bottom soil profiles, respectively. The SOM content is in the range of 1.1–6.7% and 0.74–3.3% for the upper and lower soil layers, respectively. Nearly 45% of the samples demonstrated a SOM content below the desirable threshold (<2.1%) in the bottom layer and, hence, inadequate. Moreover, most of the topsoil layer (95%) has an SOM content exceeding the desirable limit and hence is categorized within the normal range. Interestingly, the SOC content showed a spatial variability in both the surface and sub-surface soil layers. A lower SOC and SOM content was found for the sub-soil in the south and southwestern part of the plantation. A further decline in the SOC and SOM content may face the estate if the current waterlogging condition continues in the future for a long period. Overall, the study result emphasizes the need to minimize the pre-harvest burning of sugarcane and action is needed to change the irrigation method to green harvesting to facilitate the SOC retention in the soil and minimize the greenhouse emission effect on the environment, hence improving soil quality in the long-term.

Utilization of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash with Fly Ash as Alternative Fillers in Bituminous Concrete

Most of the roads in India are paved with bituminous concrete due to its low cost initial investment with respect to cement concrete pavement. Bituminous concrete is a dense mixture of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, fillers and bitumen as binder. It requires frequently maintenance work. Performance of bituminous concrete depends upon its density and gradation. Its density and stability can be increased by filling its very fine voids. These voids are generally filled with filler materials, like stone dust or silica fume. Fillers are very effective in stability and rut resistance properties in bituminous concrete. Sugarcane bagasse ash is waste material, which is generally disposed in open land after burning sugarcane bagasse in Sugar mills. It is a locally available material and can be utilized as a filler material. In this paper, three different bitumen concrete grade II mixes with Sugarcane bagasse ash as filler (BCSBA), with Fly ash as filler (BCFA) and with both Fly ash and Sugarcane bagasse ash (BCSBFA) were prepared at 5%, 5.5%, 6%, 6.5% and 7% bitumen content. Content of fly ash and sugarcane bagasse ash were decided as per blending requirement of bituminous concrete grade II. Performance of bituminous concrete with fly ash and sugarcane bagasse ash were tested by Marshall stability Test. The laboratory result showed that sugarcane bagasse ash can be used as filler with fly ash without significant reduction of stability of bituminous concrete. It was also found that excess addition of sugarcane bagasse ash can increase flow value. This type of study can be a solution of sugarcane bagasse ash disposal problem.

Effect of Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio on compressive strength of lateritic soil mixed with bagasse ash geopolymer

This paper investigated the effect of Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio on compressive strength of lateritic soil-bagasse ash geopolymer. Lateritic soil was obtained from Sikhio District, Nakhon Ratchasima. Bagasse ash is a waste from the burning of sugarcane for electricity The lateritic soil to binder ratio was fixed at 85/15. The alkaline activator was composed of sodium silicate solution (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) at concentration of 5 M. The Na2SiO3/NaOH ratios were 80/20, 70/30 and 50/50. The compressive strength of lateritic soil-bagasse ash geopolymer samples was evaluated at curing time of 7, 14, 28 and 60 days. It can be seen that the compressive strength of lateritic soil mixed with bagasse ash geopolymer increases as the Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio and curing time increase. The maximum compressive strength of lateritic soil-bagasse ash geopolymer was found at the Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio of 80/20 and curing time of 60 days, which gave maximum compressive strength of 9.84 MPa.

How Much Sugarcane Straw is Needed for Covering the Soil?

Burning sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) prior to manual harvest has been gradually replaced by a mechanized, green harvesting system that returns large amounts of crop residue (straw) to the soil surface in Brazil. A portion of the residue is required to protect soil against erosion, but some may be available as a feedstock for bioelectricity and cellulosic ethanol. Since excessive straw removal will degrade soil resources, it is imperative to determine the amount of straw needed for soil protection and to incorporate that information into decision-support tools so that straw management is sustainable. Our objective was to determine the amount of sugarcane straw needed to completely cover the soil surface. Photographic image analysis was used to quantify surface soil cover under 0 to 21 Mg ha−1 of straw. Photos of 1-m2 areas where various quantities of straw were homogeneously distributed were taken at a resolution of 8 megapixels (3264 × 2448 pixels) and then processed with ImageJ 1.52a software to obtain soil cover fraction. Straw layer thickness was also measured to the nearest millimeter using a ruler mounted in a rectangular acrylic box (0.5 m2, 0.15 m height) into which the equivalent of 1 to 21 Mg ha−1 of straw was placed. Soil cover increased exponentially, reaching more than 90% with 3 Mg ha−1 and full coverage with approximately 7 Mg ha−1. Straw layer thickness increased linearly by 0.5 cm per Mg of straw left on the soil surface. Our findings will lead to more sustainable straw management practices that balance soil conservation and provision of feedstock for bioenergy production.

Seasonal variations of PM10 — Trace elements, PAHs and Levoglucosan: Rural sugarcane growing area versus coastal urban area in Southeastern Florida, USA. Part II: Elemental concentrations

The largest sugarcane-growing area in the United States is in South Florida. An estimated 7 million tons of dry sugarcane leafy biomass is removed from the fields before harvest by burning the leaves off the sugarcane stalks. Preharvest sugarcane leaf foliage burning is a major source of airborne particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), biogenic trace elements such as K, volatile hydrocarbons and other pollutants. In one harvesting period, approximately 22 million tons of CO2, a greenhouse gas, is released, 7 million tons from leaf foliage preharvest burning alone and 15 million tons from burning sugarcane bagasse in the sugar mills for power generation. In this study, PM10 was collected from Belle Glade, close to the sugarcane-growing area, and from Delray Beach, an urbanized area along the East Coast of Florida. The PM samples were analyzed for trace elements and close to organic compounds. To elucidate the importance of preharvest sugarcane biomass smoke emissions on air quality, 39 trace elements, 18 PAHs, and levoglucosan were selected to apportion ambient PM constituents. Al, Ca and to a great extend also Mg are the major soil-related trace elements and key markers for fugitive soil dust emissions. Similarly, sea salt aerosol blown from the Atlantic Ocean into Florida added appreciably to PM10 trace elements concentration, especially Na and Cl. Approximately half of the sea salt aerosol (PM10 -portion) by mass is removed from the atmosphere during the transport of ocean air from Delray Beach to Belle Glade. Ambient acid displacement reactions caused a substantial portion of the Cl (˜30%) to be liberated from the sea salt aerosol to the atmosphere during transport as gaseous HCl. The PAH concentrations at Belle Glade were high when the biomass combustion markers levoglucosan and K also showed the highest concentrations. This indicates that during the sugarcane harvest season, when leaf foliage is burned off just before harvest, most of the ambient PAHs associated with PM10 are indeed related to preharvest burning, harvesting machinery emissions, bagasse burning in sugarcane mills, and other related activities that consume biomass and/or fossil fuels for sugarcane harvesting and processing.

Clarity Index Analysis and Modeling Using Probability Distribution Functions in Campo Grande-MS, Brazil

The importance of statistical analysis in the field of energy for environmental engineering is shown in this research paper, in which the adequacy of the data sets of clarity index with the model of “best” probability (based on the criteria used) was studied. In Campo Grande which is the capital of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, located in the Center-West region of the country, there is a predominance of the atmospheric conditions of low cloudiness, with a high frequency of days with a clear sky and in consequence a low-frequency of days with cloudy sky. The aerosols resulting from the burning of sugarcane influence the sky conditions in Campo Grande thus reducing the frequency of the clear sky.

Atmospheric dispersion of methane emissions from sugarcane burning in Mexico

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas whose atmospheric dispersion may have different implications at distinct scales. One significant contributor to methane emissions is sugarcane farming in tropical areas like in Mexico, which has the sixth highest production level in the world. A consequence of the industrial use of this resource is that sugarcane preharvest burning emits large quantities of methane and other pollutants. The objective of this research is to estimate the methane emissions by sugarcane burning and to analyze their atmospheric dispersion under the influence of meteorological parameters, according to different concentration scenarios generated during a period. The methane emissions were investigated using the methodology of Seiler and Crutzen, based on the stage production during the harvest periods of 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. Average of total emissions (1.4 × 103 Mg) at the national level was comparable in magnitude to those of other relevant sugarcane-producing countries such as India and Brazil. Satellite images and statistical methods were used to validate the spatial distribution of methane, which was obtained with the WRF model. The results show a dominant wind circulation pattern toward the east in the San Luis Potosi area, to the west in Jalisco, and the north in Tabasco. In the first two areas, wind convergence at a certain height causes a downward flow, preventing methane dispersion. The concentrations in these areas varied from 9.22 × 10−5 to 1.22 × 102 ppmv and 32 × 10−5 to 2.36 × 102 ppmv, respectively. Wind conditions in Tabasco contributed to high dispersion and low concentrations of methane, varying from 8.74 × 105 to 0.33 × 102 ppmv. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas for which it is essential to study and understand their dispersion at different geographic locations and atmospheric conditions.

Reduction of Pollution and Diseases Through A Law to Prohibit the Burning of Sugarcane

The sugar industry in Mexico represents a colossal economic, social, industrial and food, and its exponents the sugar mills are highly polluting the environment by the old processes

Fire increases the productivity of sugarcane, but it also generates ashes that negatively affect native fish species in aquatic systems

Sugarcane is one of the main crops used around the world as a feedstock for the production of sucrose and biofuel. Prior to harvesting, sugarcane dry leaves are burned to facilitate manual cutting and enhance productivity. This practice generates ashes from sugarcane straw (hereafter referred as SCA), which may be carried to aquatic ecosystems, where its impacts on organisms and ecosystem integrity remain unknown. Here, we experimentally tested the toxicity of five different concentrations of SCA (0, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 mg/L) on three native (Astyanax lacustris, Moenkhausia bonita and M. forestii) and two non-native (Oreochromis niloticus and Poecilia reticulata) fish from the Paraná River Basin, Brazil. The toxicity was estimated by calculating the median lethal concentration (LC50-24h) and the hepatosomatic index (HSI). We hypothesised that native fish are more sensitive to an increase in SCA than non-native fish. We verified that the mortality of native fish sharply increased with the increase in higher SCA concentration (LC50-24h values: A. lacustris = 2525.71 mg/L, M. bonita = 2124.95 mg/L and M. forestii = 1981.74 mg/L). However, no deaths were recorded for non-native fish species in any SCA concentrations. Accordingly, the HSI index values statistically differed with the increase in SCA concentrations for native fish, while for non-native fish we did not observe any difference. Therefore, only native species died or suffered liver damage with an increase in SCA concentrations. Extrapolating our findings to natural environments, we suggest that sugarcane burning, a widely used agricultural technique, has the potential to reduce the population size of native organisms and facilitate the dominance of non-native fish species in aquatic ecosystems.

Identification, Quantification and <i>In-Vitro</i> Genotoxicity of Major Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons Produced by Sugarcane Fly Ash Emitted from Sugarmill

Sugarcane burning during harvest and non-harvest season emits various pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), alkanes, and PAHs (Polyaromatic hydrocarbons) in the surrounding environment. Among these pollutants, PAHs are of uttermost concern due to their high level of toxicity. Burning of sugarcane bagase in sugar mill results in the production of fly ash. Fly ash is produced as a result of sugarcane bagasse burning in sugar mills. In present study, fly ash that comes out from the sugar mill chimney was collected from Western Uttar Pradesh, India and used for further analysis. High temperature and incomplete combustion inside chimney lead to the formation of PAHs. Extraction of PAHs present in fly ash samples was done by ultrasonication method and was identified with GC-FID (gas chromatography-flame ionization detector). Results exhibit the presence of eight PAHs in fly ash samples where the Benzo(a)pyrene and Naphthalene were found to be in high concentration. Furthermore, we have evaluated toxic effects of fly ash and Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (Standard of BaP & Nap) through different methods i.e. MTT, ROS and comet assay. Significant reduction (p < 0.001) in cell viability was noted in cells treated with fly ash as compared to control. Fly ash samples were also found to induce significant oxidative stress in HeLa cells, which ultimately causes DNA damage. Therefore, it may be concluded that the fly ash samples are toxic to the environment due to the presence of PAHs. Hence, the present study plays an important role in determining the harmful effects of PAHs and their source of occurrence.

Compressive Behaviour of Concrete by Using Bagasse Ash From Sugar Mill

The materials which are useless and unwanted is called waste product and this waste product is a burden and harmful to the environment. Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is one kind of waste which can be termed as the residue left over from burning sugar cane bagasse. The utilization of this waste may be very economical and can also solve the environmental problem. Silica and alumina are the main element of SCBA which is used as a pozzolanic material. This recycling procedure of SCBA reduces environmental pollution and this is also considered the cost-effective material. In this paper, SCBA replaces the cement as a weight of 5%, 10% and 15% which is considered. After completing the compressive strength test, the result shows that the compressive strength increases when 5% cement is replaced by sugarcane bagasse ash and this is the correct replacement of cement.

An Exploratory Analysis of the Effect of Regulatory Policies for Pre-Harvesting Sugarcane Straw Burning on Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Diseases in the State of S&amp;#227;o Paulo, Brazil

Emissions generated by sugarcane burning have been associated with acute respiratory effects and increase in hospital admissions, among other health effects. In 2002 the State of Sao Paulo (SP...

Sugarcane burning emissions: Characterization and emission factors

Open burning of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) has a large impact in regional atmospheric pollution and global climatic change. In this research, pollutant emissions from sugarcane residues burning were measured in order to determine the emission factors (EFs) of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), K, Na, Ca, Mg, NO3−, SO42−, NH4+, and Cl− contained in particulate matter (PM), as well as EFs of the gaseous pollutants, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4) and 37 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Experiments were carried out in an open combustion chamber equipped with isokinetic sampling, following EPA 5 and modified EPA 201-A methods. Preliminary tests showed that continuous feeding of residues does not represent the open burning carried out in the field since flaming stage is sustained, thus batch feeding of residues was used to perform around 30 experiments. Gaseous pollutants EFs were 1618 ± 108, 25.7 ± 2.04 and 2.29 ± 0.13 g kg−1 for CO2, CO and CH4 respectively, while C2 compounds have the highest EF of VOCs. PM10 and PM2.5 accounted for 55% and 36% of total PM mass, whereas carbonaceous species (EC and OC) accounted for 66% in PM2.5 and 58% in PM10 and total PM mass. Emission factors of EC varied from 0.34 to 0.37 g kg−1, and EF of OC were 0.44, 0.67 and 1.2 g kg−1 for PM2.5, PM10 and total PM, respectively. Highest EFs of determined elements and anions were K and Cl−, respectively. Heavy PAHs such as benzo[b]fluoranthene, bezo[k]fluranthene and benzo[a]pyrene presented the greatest EFs with 0.265 ± 0.04, 0.264 ± 0.08 and 0.254 ± 0.015 mg kg−1 respectively. Kruskal Wallis tests indicated that EFs had no significant differences among sugarcane varieties harvested in sites with different altitudes and climate, thus they can be applied for inventories estimations in world regions similar to Mexico, as well as in air quality forecasting models and climatic model allowing a better knowledge of air pollution and climatic change scenarios. The results of this research can be the base to design and establish public policies in order to regulate and eventually eliminate the practices of pre-harvest and post-harvest sugarcane burning.

Sugarcane cutting work, risks, and health effects: a literature review.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE Describe the main work risks for sugarcane cutters and their effects on workers’ health.METHODS Critical review of articles, with bibliographic research carried out in the PubMed, SciELO Medline, and Lilacs databases. The following keywords were used: sugarcane workers, sugarcane cutters, sugarcane harvesting, cortadores de cana-de-açú car , and colheita de cana -de-açúcar . The inclusion criteria were articles published between January 1997 and June 2017, which evaluated working conditions and health effects on sugarcane cutters. Those that did not deal with the work impact of cutting burned and unburnt sugarcane in the cutter’s health were excluded. The final group of manuscripts was selected by the lead author of this study and reviewed by a co-author. Disagreements were resolved by consensus using the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and, where necessary, the final decision was made by consulting a third co-author.RESULTS From the 89 articles found, 52 met the selection criteria and were evaluated. Studies have shown that cutters work under conditions of physical and mental overload, thermal overload, exposure to pollutants, and are subject to accidents. The main effects observed were respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, musculoskeletal, heat stress, dehydration, genotoxic, and those due to accidents.CONCLUSIONS Work on the manual cutting of sugarcane, especially of burned sugarcane, exposes workers to various risks, with different health impacts. Risk reduction for exposure to pollution and thermal and physical overload is required as a measure to preserve the health of the worker.

Soil aggregation and carbon stabilization in burn and no-burn sugarcane management systems

Retaining sugarcane straw over the soil after harvesting can improve soil structure and increase soil carbon stabilization, mainly in macroaggregates. We evaluated the carbon content in the aggregate classes in areas under burn and no-burn (adopted for five years) sugarcane management systems, focusing on the superficial layer (0.00-0.20 m). The experiment was carried in an Oxisol and the treatments consisted in burnt sugarcane, manual harvest; burnt sugarcane, mechanized harvest; and no-burn, mechanized harvest. The retention of sugarcane straw on the soil surface is justified by the increase in carbon content and carbon stock in the surface layer (0.00-0.20 m) by restructuring of the soil, even though it cannot match the structure of the soil under native forest. Our results suggest that in no-burn management the carbon not occluded inside aggregates was important to increase carbon stabilization in soil and that more attention should be given to macroaggregates 2.00-8.00 mm present in this management system, that showed higher carbon content and was responsible for increase of the geometric and weight diameter, increasing the erosion resistance in the long term in relation to burn systems.

Effect of days postburning and calcium oxide on the fermentation, aerobic stability and nutritional characteristics of sugarcane silage for finishing Nellore steers

AbstractIn this study, the effects of days postburning and calcium oxide (CaO) on the fermentation, aerobic stability and nutritional characteristics of sugarcane silages for finishing Nellore steers were investigated. Silages were prepared in minisilos from in natura and burned sugarcane that remained in the field 1 and 10 days postburning (1‐day burned and 10‐day burned, respectively). Next, forages were left untreated or treated with CaO (10 g/kg fresh forage). Compared to that in untreated silages, CaO application increased the dry‐matter (DM) recovery of in natura, 1‐day and 10‐day burned silages (p &lt; 0.001) by 67, 179 and 209 g/kg DM respectively. The CaO treatment increased (p &lt; 0.001) the aerobic stability of the in natura and 10‐day burned silages by 62.7 and 24.7 hr respectively. In a feedlot experiment, feeding 1‐day burned silage reduced DM intake of steers throughout the feedlot period (0–93 days; p &lt; 0.05) compared with that of steers fed in natura silage diet, but the average daily gain (ADG) was lower (p = 0.006) only during the adaptation period (−0.16 kg/day; 0–28 days). The CaO application decreased DM intake (p = 0.007; −1.17 kg/day) and ADG (p &lt; 0.001; −0.13 kg/day) of steers only during the adaptation period likely owing to low silage palatability caused by increased Ca and butyric acid concentrations (≥11.6 g/kg DM). We recommend feeding beef cattle with CaO‐treated burned sugarcane silages in low‐dietary concentration because of its high butyric acid concentration.

Burnt sugarcane harvesting work: effects on pulmonary and systemic inflammatory markers

Objective: To evaluate the effects of burnt sugarcane harvesting on the plasmatic and urinary concentrations of the club cell secretory protein (CC16) and inflammatory systemic biomarkers in a group of sugarcane cutters.Methods: Seventy-eight sugar cane workers were evaluated. The plasmatic and urinary concentrations of CC16, a pulmonary damage marker and inflammatory systemic biomarkers were collected at three time points: before, three months after and six months after the onset of the burnt sugarcane harvesting period. All evaluations were performed at ∼7 am, before the daily work shift. In the three-month evaluation, a post-work shift assessment (acute effect) was also performed.Results: The age of the workers was 37.9 ± 11.0 years. The PM2.5 concentrations were 27.0 (23.0–33.0) and 101.0 (31.0–139.5) µg/m3 in the pre harvest and harvest periods, respectively (p < .001). Burnt sugarcane harvesting was associated with a reduction, throughout the work during burnt sugarcane harvesting (subchronic effect), in plasmatic and urinary CC16 concentrations. Acutely, there was a decrease in plasmatic concentrations. There were acute and subchronic increases in inflammatory markers (neutrophils, monocytes) and muscle damage markers (CK and LDH) and a decrease in red blood cells.Conclusions: Harvesting of burnt sugarcane was associated with acute and subchronic reductions in the plasmatic and urinary concentrations of CC16 protein and changes in systemic inflammatory markers.