TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of PM2.5 collected during broadcast and slash-pile prescribed burns of predominately ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona
AU - Robinson, Marin S.
AU - Zhao, Min
AU - Zack, Lindsay
AU - Brindley, Christine
AU - Portz, Lillian
AU - Quarterman, Matthew
AU - Long, Xiufen
AU - Herckes, Pierre
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Native American Cancer Research Project, administered by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (# 5 U54 CA096320 ) and the U.S. Department of Energy through contract No. DE-FC02-02-EW15254, administered through the Historically Black College and University Minority Institutions Environmental Technology Consortium and Howard University . We also thank members of the White Mountain Apache Tribal Council, the White Mountain Apache Health Advisory Board, and the US Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs for their assistance. Finally, we thank the burn bosses and firefighters of the Peaks Ranger District and the White Mountain Apache Tribe, who made this work possible.
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Prescribed burning, in combination with mechanical thinning, is a successful method for reducing heavy fuel loads from forest floors and thereby lowering the risk of catastrophic wildfire. However, an undesirable consequence of managed fire is the production of fine particulate matter or PM2.5 (particles ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter). Wood-smoke particulate data from 21 prescribed burns are described, including results from broadcast and slash-pile burns. All PM2.5 samples were collected in situ on day 1 (ignition) or day 2. Samples were analyzed for mass, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), inorganic elements, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC). Results were characteristic of low-intensity, smoldering fires. PM2.5 concentrations varied from 523 to 8357 μg m-3 and were higher on day 1. PAH weight percents (19 PAHs) were higher in slash-pile burns (0.21 ± 0.08% OC) than broadcast burns (0.07 ± 0.03% OC). The major elements were K, Cl, S, and Si. OC and EC values averaged 66 ± 7 and 2.8 ± 1.4% PM2.5, respectively, for all burns studied, in good agreement with literature values for smoldering fires.
AB - Prescribed burning, in combination with mechanical thinning, is a successful method for reducing heavy fuel loads from forest floors and thereby lowering the risk of catastrophic wildfire. However, an undesirable consequence of managed fire is the production of fine particulate matter or PM2.5 (particles ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter). Wood-smoke particulate data from 21 prescribed burns are described, including results from broadcast and slash-pile burns. All PM2.5 samples were collected in situ on day 1 (ignition) or day 2. Samples were analyzed for mass, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), inorganic elements, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC). Results were characteristic of low-intensity, smoldering fires. PM2.5 concentrations varied from 523 to 8357 μg m-3 and were higher on day 1. PAH weight percents (19 PAHs) were higher in slash-pile burns (0.21 ± 0.08% OC) than broadcast burns (0.07 ± 0.03% OC). The major elements were K, Cl, S, and Si. OC and EC values averaged 66 ± 7 and 2.8 ± 1.4% PM2.5, respectively, for all burns studied, in good agreement with literature values for smoldering fires.
KW - Elemental carbon
KW - Fine particulate matter
KW - Organic carbon
KW - PM
KW - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
KW - Prescribed burn
KW - Wood-smoke particulate
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U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.01.051
DO - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.01.051
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79952440818
SN - 1352-2310
VL - 45
SP - 2087
EP - 2094
JO - Atmospheric Environment
JF - Atmospheric Environment
IS - 12
ER -