Estimates of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and other Indoor Air Pollutants Emitted from Biomass Fuels Used in Residential Sector of Northern India

Abstract

Biomass combustion to cook food in developing countries has become a global newlineconcern due to its large impact on climate, air quality and human health. Biomass newlinefuels used in residential sector of India are a major component of total energy use in newlineIndia. The biomass burnt indoors in conventional cookstoves; result in the generation newlineof a variety of air borne products in an uncontrolled manner. The species emitted and newlinetheir concentrations depend on the nature of the source of biomass and other factors newlineincluding the physical parameters associated with the consumption of the biomass. newline newlineThese biomass fuels emits large amount of indoor air pollutants and organic newlinecompounds especially PAHs, which form a major fraction of airborne particles in the newlineatmosphere and hence it is important to measure and identify them. newlineThe objectives of this study included the following: newline Theemission factors of total (gaseous-phase and particulate-phase) PAHs, emitted newlineduring the burning process adopted in indoor residential cooking especially rural newlinekitchen in Northern India including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar newlinePradesh and Bihar, using a dilution sampler for aerosol stabilisation at district newlinelevel from stove-fuel systems commonly used in Northern India have been newlinemeasured. newline To evaluate the budget estimates of total PAH and TSP using the activity data newlineavailable from literature for Northern India. newline Source apportionment studies for total PAHs (gaseous-phase and particulatephase) newlinein ambient air of Delhi to evaluate the impact of biomass burning as an newlineimportant source of PAHs in the environment. newline Assessment of concentration of PAHs in urban soil samples to evaluate the impact of newlineparticulate PAH on the quality of the soil and also assess the major source of PAH. newline The emission factors of gaseous phase PAH, particulate phase PAH, and total PAHs newlinefrom biomass fuels used as residential fuels in rural sector of Northern India. Due to newlinespatial variability in use of fuel types over these states, large variations are possible in newlineemission factors