Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Determination of biomass burning emission factors: Methods and results

  • Part III. Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories And Mitigation Options: Methodological Issues
  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Biomass burning, in a broad sense, encompasses different burning practices, including open and confined burnings, and different types of vegetation. Emission factors of gaseous or particulate trace compounds are directly dependent both on the fuel type and the combustion process. Emission factors are generally calculated by stoichiometric considerations using the carbon mass balance method, applied either to combustion chamber experiments or to field experiments based on ground-level measurements or aircraft sampling in smoke plumes. There have been a number of experimental studies in the last 10 years to investigate wildfires in tropical, temperate, or boreal regions. This article presents an overview of measurement methods and experimental data on emission factors of reactive or radiatively active trace compounds, including trace gases and particles. It focuses on fires in tropical regions, that is, forest and savanna fires, agricultural burns, charcoal production, use of fuelwood, and charcoal combustion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andreae, M.O.: 1991, Biomass burning: Its history, use and distribution, and its impact on environmental quality and global climate, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Global Biomass Burning, MIT Press, 3–28.

  • Andreae, M.O., Chapuis, A., Cros, B., Fontan, J., Helas, G., Justice, C., Kaufman, Y.J., Minga, A., and Nganga, D.: 1992, Ozone and Aitken nuclei over equatorial Africa: airborne observations during DECAFE 88, Journal of Geophysical Research, 97, 6137–6148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andreae, M.O., Atlas, E., Cachier, H., Coffer III, W.R., Harris, G.W., Helas, G., Koppmann, R., Lacaux, J.P., and Ward, D.E.: 1995b, Trace gas and aerosol emissions from savanna fires, in Levine, J.S., (ed.), Biomass Burning and Global Change, MIT Press, submitted for publication.

  • Andreae, M.O., Andreae, T.W., Annegarn, H., Beer, F., Cachier, H., Helbert, W., Harris, G.W., Maenhaut, W., Salma, I., Swap, R., Wienhold, F.G., and Zenker, T.: 1995a, Airborne studies of aerosol emissions from savanna fires in southern Africa 2: Aerosol chemical composition, Journal of Geophysical Research, in press.

  • Andreae, M.O., Atlas, E., Harris, G.W., Helas, G., de Kock, A., Koppmann, R., Maenhaut, W., Manö, S., Pollock, W.H., Rudolph, J., Scharffe, D., Schebeske, G., and Welling, M.: 1995c, Methyl halide emissions from savanna fires in southern Africa, Journal of Geophysical Research, in press.

  • Ahuja, D.: 1994, Methane emissions from anthropogenic biomass burning, in International Anthropogenic Methane Emissions: Estimates for 1990, EPA Report 230-R-93-010, chapter 4.

  • Atlas, E., Pollock, W., and DeCock, A.: 1995, Organic compound emissions from biomass burning during the SAFARI experiment, Journal of Geophysical Research, in press.

  • Ayers, G.P., and Gillett, R.W.: 1988, Isoprene emissions from vegetation and hydrocarbon emissions from bushfires in tropical Australia, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, 7, 177–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonsang, B., Lambert, G., and Boissard, C.: 1991, Light hydrocarbon emissions from African savanna burnings, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Global Biomass Burning, MIT Press, 155–161.

  • Bonsang, B., Boissard, C., Le Cloarec, M.F., Rudolph, J., and Lacaux, J.P.: 1995, Methane, carbon monoxide and light nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions from African savanna burnings during the FOS/DECAFE experiment, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, in press.

  • Brocard D., Lacaux, C., Lacaux, J.P., Kouadio, G., Yoboué, V., Assa Achy, M., Ahoua, B., and Koffi, M.: 1995, Emissions from the combustion of biofuels in the African tropics, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Biomass Burning and Global Change, MIT Press, to be published.

  • Brown, S., Hall, C.A., Knabe, W., Raich, J., Trexler, M.C., and Woomer, P.: 1993, Tropical forests: Their past, present and future role in terrestrial carbon budget, Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 70, 71–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Cachier H., Ducret, J., Brémond, M., Yoboué, V., Lacaux, J.P., Gaudichet, A., and Baudet, J.: 1991, Biomass burning in a savanna region of the Ivory Coast, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Global Biomass Burning: Atmospheric, Climatic and Biospheric Implications, MIT Press, 174–180.

  • Cachier, H.: 1992, Biomass burning sources, in Encyclopedia of the Earth System Science, 1, Academic Press.

  • Cachier H., Liousse, C., Buat-Menard, P., and Gaudichet, A.: 1995, Particulate content of savanna fire emissions, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, in press.

  • Clain, M.P.: 1995, Etude de la composante atmosphérique de l'aérosol organique, Ph.D. thesis, Université de Savoie, Chambery, France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cofer III, W.R., Levine, J.S., Riggan, J., Sebacher, D.I., Winstead, E.L., Shaw, Jr., E.F., Brass, J.A., and Ambrosia, V.G.: 1988, Trace gas emissions from a mid-latitude prescribed chaparral fire, Journal of Geophysical Research, 93, 1653–1658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cofer III, W.R., Levine, J.S., Winstead, E.L., and Stocks, B.J.: 1990, Gaseous emission from Canadian boreal forest fire, Atmosphere and Environment, 24, 1653–1659.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cofer III, W.R., Levine, J.S., Winstead, E.L., Cahoon, D.R., Sebacher, D.I., Pinto J.P., and Stocks, B.J.: 1995, Source compositions of trace gases released during African savanna fires, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Biomass Burning and Global Change, MIT Press.

  • Cros, B., Delmas, R., Nganga, D., Clairac, B., and Fontan, J.: 1988, Seasonal trends of ozone in equatorial Africa: experimental evidence of photochemical formation, Journal of Geophysical Research 93 8355–8366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen, P.J., Heidt, L.E., Krasneck, J.P., Pollock, W.H., and Seiler, W.: 1979, Biomass burning as a source of atmospheric trace gases CO, H2, N2O, NO, CH3Cl, and COS, Nature 282 253–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen, P.J., Delany, A.C., Greenberg, J., Haagenson, P., Heidt, L., Lueb, R., Pollock, W., Seiler, W., Wartburg, A., and Zimmerman, P.: 1985, Tropospheric chemical composition measurements in Brazil during the dry season, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 2 233–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen, P.J., and Andreae, M.O.: 1990, Biomass burning in the tropics: Impact on atmospheric chemistry and biogeochemical cycles, Science 250 1669–1678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen, P.J., and Goldammer, J.G. (eds.): 1995, Fire in the Environment: The Ecological, Atmospheric, and Climatic Importance of Vegetation Fires, John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

  • Delmas, R.: 1982, On the emission of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in the atmosphere during savanna fires in intertropical savanna zones, Geophysical Research Letters 9 761–764.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delmas, R.A., Marenco, A., Tathy, J.P., Cros, B., and Baudet, J.G.R.: 1991a, Sources and sinks of methane in African savanna. Methane emission from biomass burning, Journal of Geophysical Research 96 7287–7299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delmas, R.A., Loudjani, Ph., Podaire, A., and Menaut, J.C.: 1991b, Biomass burning in Africa: an assessment of annually burned biomass, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Global Biomass Burning, MIT Press, 126–132.

  • Delmas R.A.: 1994, An overview of present knowledge on methane emission from biomass burning, Fertilizer Research 37 181–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delmas R.A., Lacaux, J.P., Menaut, J.C., Abbadie, L., Le Roux, X., Helas, G., and Lobert, G.: 1995, Nitrogen compound emission from biomass burning in tropical African savanna, FOS/DECAFE 91 Experiment (Lamto, Ivory Coast), Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, in press.

  • Dixon, R.K., Brown, S., Houghton, R.A., Solomon, A.M., Trexler, M.C., and Wisniewski, J.: 1994, Carbon pool and flux of global forest system, Science 263 185–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ezcurra, A., de Zarate, O., Lacaux, J.P., and Dinh, P.V.: 1995, Emission factors of cereal waste burning, 2nd Conference on Global Biomass Burning, Williamsburg, VA, March.

  • Fishman J., Watson, C.E., Larsen, J.C., and Logan, J.A.: 1990, Distribution of tropospheric ozone determined from satellite data, Journal of Geophysical Research 95 3599–3617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fishman J., Fakhruzzaman, K., Cros, B., and Nganga, D.: 1991, Identification of widespread pollution in the Southern Hemisphere deduced from satellite analyses, Science 252 1693–1696.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudichet, A., Echalar, F., Chatenet, B., Quisefit, J.P., Malingre, G., Cachier, H., Buat-Menard, P., Artaxo, P., and Maenhaut, W.: 1995, Trace elements in tropical African savanna biomass burning aerosols, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, in press.

  • Greenberg, J.P., Zimmerman, P.R., Heidt, L., and Pollock, W.: 1984, Hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions from biomass burning in Brazil, Journal of Geophysical Research 89 1350–1354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, D.W.T., Mankin, W.G., Coffey, M.T., Ward, D.E., and Riebau, A.: 1991, FTIR remote sensing of biomass burning emissions of CO2, CO, CH4, NO, NO2, NH3, and N2O, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Global Biomass Burning, MIT Press, 230–239.

  • Goldammer, J.G. (ed.): 1990, Fire in the Tropical Biota, Springer-Verlag.

  • Hao, W.M., Liu, M.H., and Crutzen, P.J.: 1990, Estimates of annual and regional releases of CO2 and other trace gases to the atmosphere from fires in the tropics, based on the FAO statistics for the period 1975–1980, in Goldammer, J.G. (ed.), Fire in the Tropical Biota, Springer-Verlag.

  • Hao, W.M., and Ward, D.E: 1993, Methane production from global biomass burning, Journal of Geophysical Research 98 20,657–20,661.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, G.W., Zenker, T., Wienhold, F.G., Welling, M., Parchatka, U., and Andreae, M.O.: 1995, Airborne measurements of trace gas emission ratios from southern African veld fires, Journal of Geophysical Research, in press.

  • Harris, G.W., Zenker, T., Wienhold, F.G., Welling, M., and Parchatka, U.: 1993, Airborne measurements of trace gas emission ratios from southern African veld fires, EOS 74 104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hegg, D.A., Radke, L.F., Hobb, P.V., Rasmussen, R.A., and Riggan, P.J.: 1990, Emissions of some trace gases from biomass fires, Journal of Geophysical Research 95 5669–5675.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helas, G., Andreae, M.O., Schafer, L., Goldammer, J., Scharffe, D., Lobert, J., Ajavon, A., Brou, A., Lacaux, J.P., and Delmas, R.: 1995, Atmospheric chemical aspects of biomass burning/Results from savanna fires in Cote d'Ivoire, January 1991, DECAFE 91/FOS, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, in press.

  • Hurst, D.F., Griffith, D.W.T., Carras, J.N., Williams, D.J., and Fraser, P.J.: 1994a, Measurements of trace gases emitted by Australian savanna fires during the 1990 dry season, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 18 33–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurst, D.F., Griffith, D.W.T., and Cook, G.D.: 1994b, Trace gas emissions from biomass burning in tropical Australian savannas, Journal of Geophysical Research 99 16,441–16,456

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, Y.J., Setzer, A., Ward, D., Tanre, D., Holben, B.N., Menzel, P., Pereira, M.C., and Rasmussen, R.A.: 1992, Biomass burning airborne and spaceborne experiment in the Amazonas (BASE-A), Journal of Geophysical Research 97 14,581–14,599.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchhoff, V.W.J.H., Setzer, A.W., and Pereira, M.C.: 1989, Biomass burning in Amazonia: Seasonal effects on atmospheric O3 and CO, Geophysical Research Letters 16 469–472.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppmann, R., Khedim, A., Rudolph, J., Helas, G., Welling, M., and Mano, S.: 1995, Airborne measurements of nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions from savanna fires in southern Africa, Journal of Geophysical Research, in press.

  • Kuhlbusch, T.A., Lobert, J.M., Crutzen, P.J., and Warneck, P.: 1991, Molecular nitrogen emissions from denitrification during biomass burning, Nature 351 135–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacaux, J.P., Cachier, H., and Delmas, R.: 1993, Biomass burning in Africa: An overview of the impact on the atmospheric chemistry, in Crutzen P.J., and Goldammer, J.G. (eds.), Fire in the Environment: The Ecological, Atmospheric, and Climatic Importance of Vegetation Fires, John Wiley and Sons Ltd., 160–191.

  • Lacaux J.P., Brocard, D., Lacaux, C., Delmas, R., Ahoua, B., Yoboué, V., and Koffi, M.: 1994, Traditional charcoal making: An important source of atmospheric pollution in the African tropics, Journal of Atmospheric Research 35 71–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacaux, J.P., Brustet, J.M., Delmas, R., Menaut, J.C., Abbadie, L., Bonsang, B., Cachier, H., Baudet, J., Andreae, M.O., and Helas, G.: 1995, Biomass burning in the tropical savannas of Ivory Coast: An overview of the field experiment Fire of Savannas (FOS/DECAFE 91), Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, in press.

  • Le Canut, P., Andreae, M.O., Harris, G.W., Wienhold, F.G., and Zenker, T.: 1995, Airborne studies of aerosol emissions from savanna fires in southern Africa: Results from the laser-optical particle counter, Journal of Geophysical Research, submitted for publication.

  • Levine, J.S. (ed.): 1991, Global Biomass Burning: Atmospheric, Climatic and Biospheric Implications, MIT Press.

  • Levine J.S., Cofer III, W.R., Winstead, E.L., Rhinehart, P., Cahoon, D.R., Sebacher, D.I., Sebacher, S., and Stocks, B.B.J.: 1991, Biomass burning: Combustion emissions, satellite imagery and biogenic emissions, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Global Biomass Burning, MIT Press, 264–271.

  • Lobert, J.M., Scharffe, D.H., Hao, W.M., Kuhlbusch, T.A., Seuwen, R., Warneck, P., and Crutzen, P.J.: 1991, Experimental evaluation of biomass burning emissions: nitrogen carbon containing compounds, in Levine, J.S. (ed.), Global Biomass Burning, MIT Press, 289–304.

  • Maenhaut, W., Salma, I., Cafmeyer, J., Annegarn, H.J., and Andreae, M.O.: 1995, Regional atmospheric aerosol and sources in the eastern Transvaal, South Africa, and impact of biomass burning, Journal of Geophysical Research, in press.

  • Marenco, A., Medale, J., and Prieur, S.: 1990, Study of tropospheric ozone in the tropical belt (Africa-America) from STRATOZ and TROPOZ campaigns, Atmosphere and Environment 24A 2823–2834.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marenco, A., Prieur, S., Nedelec, P., Macaigne, M., and Volz, G.: 1992, Large scale study of CO and CH4 in the background troposphere from meridional airborne campaigns TROPOZ II and SRTATOZ III, SVII EGS General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, B.C., Mihalopoulos, N., and Putaud, J.P.: 1994, Rice straw burning in southeast Asia as a source of CO and COS to the atmosphere, Journal of Geophysical Research 99 16,435–16,439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiler, W., and Crutzen, P.J.: 1980, Estimates of gross and net fluxes of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere from biomass burning. Climate Change 2 204–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K.R.: 1991, Biomass cookstoves in global perspectives: energy, health and global warming, in The Earth as System Central project main report 3, EWC/ESMAP/UNDP, evaluation of improved cookstove programs, World Bank, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veldt, C.: 1992, GEIA note on residential biomass burning, IGAC.

  • Ward, D.E., Susott, R.A., Kauffman, J.B., Rabbitt, R.E., Cummings, D.L., Dias, B., Holben, B.N., Kaufman, Y.J., Rasmussen, R.A., and Setzer, A.W.: 1992, Smoke and fire characteristics for cerrado and deforestation burns in Brazil: BASE-B experiment, Journal of Geophysical Research 97 14,601–14,619.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, D.E., and Radke, L.F.: 1993, Emission measurements from vegetation fires: A comparative evaluation of methods and results, in Crutzen, P.J., and Goldammer, J.G. (eds.), Fire in the Environment: The Ecological, Atmospheric, and Climatic Importance of Vegetation Fires, John Wiley and Sons Ltd., 53–76.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Aérologie (URA CNRS 354), Université Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex, France

    R. Delmas, J. P. Lacaux & D. Brocard

Authors
  1. R. Delmas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. P. Lacaux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Brocard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Delmas, R., Lacaux, J.P. & Brocard, D. Determination of biomass burning emission factors: Methods and results. Environ Monit Assess 38, 181–204 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00546762

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00546762

Keywords

Search

Navigation