Chemical composition of aerosols from kerosene heaters burning jet fuels

Abstract

During the Persian Gulf conflict, some of the U.S. military personnel were diagnosed with a "mystery illness" or "Gulf War Syndrome." Environmental exposure included combustion products from unvented heaters in tents and may have contributed to the observed health effects. In our previous study, gases, including NO, CO, and SO2 emitted from various heaters burning different fuels within an Army tent, were measured and analyzed. Aerosols from the heaters were characterized physically and chemically. This paper discusses chemical analyses of particulate emissions from the same heaters and fuels as presented in the previous study. The results were compared with gas analyses under the same conditions. In the elemental study, each heater and fuel produced large amounts of sulfur. Other elements, such as silica, aluminum, iron, etc., came from the ambient air. A few traces of lead were found in these analyses, but the source of the lead was unknown. Elemental and organic carbons were also detected. The rate of total carbon emission depended on heater and fuel types. The ion chromatography analysis revealed high emission rates of sulfate, and the results agreed with the elemental study. In addition to the SO4=, a high ammonium emission rate was detected. Compared to the SO4= and NH4+, the nitrate emission rate was relatively low. Considering all of the data, it appears that the carbon, SO4=, and NH4+ from the fuels contributed to the pollutant in the tent. © 2001 American Association for Aerosol Research.