Multi-pollutants emissions from the burning of major
agricultural residues in China and the related
health-economic effect assessment
Authors: Li Chunlin , Hu Yunjie , Zhang Fei , Chen Jianmin , Ma Zhen , Ye Xingnan , Yang Xin , Wang Lin , Tang Xingfu , Zhang Renhe , Mu Mu , Wang Guihua , Kan Haidong , Wang Xinming , Mellouki Abdelwahid 
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Abstract. Multi-pollutants in smoke particulate matter (SPM) were identified and quantified for biomass burning of five major agricultural residues such as wheat, rice, corn, cotton, and soybean straws in China by aerosol chamber system combining with various measurement techniques. The primary emission factors (EFs) for PM1.0 and PM2.5 are 3.04–12.64 and 3.25–15.16 g kg−1. Organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), char-EC, soot-EC, water-soluble inorganics (WSI), water-soluble organic acids (WSOA), water-soluble amine salts (WSA), trace mineral elements (THM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and phenols in smoke PM1.0 / PM2.5 are, 1.34–6.04 / 1.54–7.42, 0.58–2.08 / 0.61–2.18, 0.51–1.67 / 0.56–1.76, 0.05–0.41 / 0.05–0.42, 0.51–3.52 / 0.52–3.81, 0.13–0.64 / 0.14–0.77, (4.39–85.72 / 4.51–104.79) × 10−3, (11.8–51.1 / 14.0–131.6) × 10−3, (1.1–4.0 / 1.8–8.3) × 10−3, and (7.7–23.5 / 9.7–41.5) × 10−3 g kg−1, respectively. EC and soot-EC mainly exist in PM1.0, which are confirmed by morphology analysis. Heavy metal-bearing particles favor to reside in the range of smoke PM1.0–2.5. With respect to five scenarios of burning activities or straw field burning rates, the total emissions of SPM from agricultural open burning in China in 2012 were estimated for PM2.5, PM1.0, OC, EC, char-EC, soot-EC, WSI, WSOA, WSA, THM, PAHs, and phenols to be 0.74–1.24, 0.66–1.11, 0.32–0.53, 0.10–0.16, 0.08–0.14, 0.02–0.03, 0.18–0.30, 0.019–0.031, 4.23–7.19 × 10−3, 6.36–10.64 × 10−3, 0.35–0.59 × 10−3, and 2.02–3.40 × 10−3 Tg, respectively. The emissions were further temporal-spatially characterized using geographic information system (GIS) at different regions in summer and autumn post-harvest periods. It is found less than 25 % of the total emissions were released during summer harvest period that was mainly contributed by the North Plain and the Central of China, especially Henan, Shandong, and Anhui, leading the top three provinces of smoke particle emissions. Flux concentrations of primarily emitted smoke PM2.5 that were calculated using box-model method based on five versions of emission inventories all exceed the carcinogenic risk permissible exposure limits (PEL). The health impacts and health-related economic losses from the smoke PM2.5 short-term exposure were assessed. The results show that China suffered from 7836 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 3232, 12 362) premature mortality and 7 267 237 (95 % CI: 2 961 487, 1 130 784) chronic bronchitis in 2012, which led to 8822.4 (95 % CI: 3574.4, 13034.2) million US$, or 0.1 % of the total GDP losses. We suggest that percentage of open burnt crop straws at post-harvest period should be cut down by over 97 % to ensure risk aversion from carcinogenicity, especially the North Plain and the Northeast, where the emissions should decease at least by 94 % to meet the PEL. Under such emission control, over 92 % of the mortality and morbidity attributed to agricultural fire smoke PM2.5 can be avoided in China.