Emission inventories of atmospheric pollutants discharged from biomass burning in China

Abstract

Based on biomass consumption data in the period of 2000-2007 and selected emission factors, the total amounts of NOx, SO2, CO, CO2, CH4, NMHC, PM, and BC discharged from biomass burning in the Chinese mainland were evaluated. Specifically, emission inventories for provinces and types of biomass were developed and are discussed in detail. In 2007, the total emissions of NOx, SO2, CO, CO2, CH4, NMHC, PM, and BC were estimated to be 1.09 Mt, 0.17 Mt, 59.30 Mt, 946.63 Mt, 2.20 Mt, 3.03 Mt, 3.62 Mt, and 0.43 Mt, respectively, with annually averaged growth rates of 2.7%, 3.0%, 2.5%, 2.6%, 2.5%, 2.2%, 2.6%, and 2.6%. Uneven allocation of air pollutants discharged from each province was observed, with larger emissions from Shandong, Henan, Heilongjiang, Anhui, and Hebei. The contribution to the amount of pollutants discharged from each kind of biomass burning differed greatly, in which straw and firewood were the main sources of NOx, CO, CO2, CH4, NMHC, PM, and BC emissions, and the combined contribution rate was about 95% of the total. However, the combined contribution to SO2 emissions was only about 74%, while the contribution of animal waste burning to SO2 emissions was 19%, due to the relatively higher emission factor.