Field measurements of PM2.5 emissions from typical solid fuel combustion in rural households in Fenhe Basin, China

Solid fuel is the most widely used energy source for cooking and heating in the rural households in developing countries. In this study, emissions from 13 fuel-stove combinations were studied in two typical rural villages in the Fenhe Basin, Shanxi Province, China. This study gathered data on the emission characteristics of particles with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 mu m (PM2.5), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and 21 parent and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs and oPAHs, respectively); the mechanism of gas formation was also determined. The PM2.5 EFs of biomass burning ranged from 4.11 +/- 2.12 to 138 +/- 47.2 g/kg, which was higher than that of coal combustion (1.57 +/- 0.89 to 4.11 +/- 0.63 g/kg). Notably, the average PM2.5 EFs of biomass burning in a traditional stove and elevated kang were 50.9 +/- 13.8 and 23.0 +/- 3.99 g/kg, respectively, suggesting that the elevated kang had superior emission mitigation. Wood pellet burning in a biomass furnace yielded lower PM2.5 EFs than firewood burning in the biomass furnace, which demonstrated wood pellet combustion's superior emission reduction effect. The relative contribution of OC4 to OC subfractions may be useable as tools for identifying the sources of coal and biomass burning. Regarding PAHs, biomass with abundant lignin pyrolysis produced numerous hydroxyl radicals that were conducive to the release of greater proportions of oPAHs. By contrast, pPAHs had greater relative contributions in coal combustion. Regarding gaseous pollutants, its formation mechanism varied with combustion phase. Emission differences between the two phases were mainly determined by the relative contributions of volatile C/N and char. Clarifying the pollutant formation mechanism can better guide the implementation of emission control from household solid fuel combustion.

Automated summary

This study investigated the emissions from different fuel-stove combinations in rural villages in Shanxi Province, China. The results showed that solid fuel combustion, particularly biomass burning, resulted in higher emissions of particles and organic compounds compared to coal combustion. The study also found that elevated kang and wood pellet burning had superior emission reduction effects. The research provides important insights into the formation mechanism of pollutants and can guide the implementation of emission control measures in household solid fuel combustion.