Large unexplained suite of chemically reactive compounds present in ambient air due to biomass fires

Impact of the 2022 New Mexico, US wildfires on air quality and health

The 2022 wildfires in New Mexico, United States, were unparalleled compared to past wildfires in the state in both their scale and intensity, resulting in poor air quality and a catastrophic loss of habitat and livelihood. Among all wildfires in New Mexico in 2022, six wildfires were selected for our study based on the size of the burn area and their proximity to populated areas. These fires accounted for approximately 90 % of the total burn area in New Mexico in 2022. We used a regional chemical transport model and data-fusion technique to quantify the contribution of these six wildfires (April 6 to August 22) on particulate matter (PM2.5: diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) and ozone (O3) concentrations, as well as the associated health impacts from short-term exposure. We estimated that these six wildfires emitted 152 thousand tons of PM2.5 and 287 thousand tons of volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere. We estimated that the average daily wildfire smoke PM2.5 across New Mexico was 0.3 μg/m3, though 1 h maximum exceeded 120 μg/m3 near Santa Fe. Average wildfire smoke maximum daily average 8-h O3 (MDA8-O3) contribution was 0.2 ppb during the study period over New Mexico. However, over the state 1 h maximum smoke O3 exceeded 60 ppb in some locations near Santa Fe. Estimated all-cause excess mortality attributable to short term exposure to wildfire PM2.5 and MDA8-O3 from these six wildfires were 18 (95 % Confidence Interval (CI), 15-21) and 4 (95 % CI: 3-6) deaths. Additionally, we estimate that wildfire PM2.5 was responsible for 171 (95 %: 124-217) excess cases of asthma emergency department visits. Our findings underscore the impact of wildfires on air quality and human health risks, which are anticipated to intensify with global warming, even as local anthropogenic emissions decline.

Bibliometric analysis of research hotspots and trends in the field of volatile organic compound (VOC) emission accounting

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been extensively studied because of their significant roles as precursors of atmospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosol pollution. The research aims to comprehend the current advancements in domestic and international VOC emission accounting. The study utilized the CiteSpace software to represent the pertinent material from Web of Science visually. The hot spots and future development trends of VOC emission calculation are analyzed from the perspectives of thesis subject words, cooperative relationships, co-citation relationships, journals, and core papers. According to the statistics, the approaches most often employed in VOC accounting between 2013 and 2023 are source analysis and emission factor method. Atmospheric environment is the journal with the most publications in the area. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Colorado System are prominent institutions in VOC emission accounting research, both domestically and internationally. The primary research focuses on the realm of VOC emission accounting clusters, which are "emission factor," "source analysis," "model," "air quality," and "health." A current trend in VOC emission accounting involves the construction of a VOC emission inventory using a novel model that combines emission factors and source analysis. This study reviews the progress made in calculating volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions over the past decade. It aims to provide researchers with a new perspective to promote the development of this field.

Emission of volatile organic compounds from residential biomass burning and their rapid chemical transformations

Biomass combustion releases a complex array of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that pose significant challenges to air quality and human health. Although biomass burning has been extensively studied at ecosystem levels, understanding the atmospheric transformation and impact on air quality of emissions in urban environments remains challenging due to complex sources and burning materials. In this study, we investigate the VOC emission rates and atmospheric chemical processing of predominantly wood burning emissions in a small urban centre in Greece. Ioannina is situated in a valley within the Dinaric Alps and experiences intense atmospheric pollution accumulation during winter due to its topography and high wood burning activity. During pollution event days, the ambient mixing ratios of key VOC species were found to be similar to those reported for major urban centres worldwide. Positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis revealed that biomass burning was the dominant emission source (>50 %), representing two thirds of OH reactivity, which indicates a highly reactive atmospheric mixture. Calculated OH reactivity ranges from 5 s-1 to an unprecedented 278 s-1, and averages at 93 ± 66 s-1 at 9 PM, indicating the presence of exceptionally reactive VOCs. The highly pronounced photochemical formation of organic acids coincided with the formation of ozone, highlighting the significance of secondary formation of pollutants in poorly ventilated urban areas. Our findings underscore the pressing need to transition from wood burning to environmentally friendly sources of energy in poorly ventilated urban areas, in order to improve air quality and safeguard public health.

Accelerate Large-Scale Biomass Residue Utilization via Cofiring to Help China Achieve Its 2030 Carbon-Peaking Goals

Cofiring biomass with coal for power generation is an affordable and ready-to-deploy technology to help reduce carbon emissions and resolve residual biomass. Cofiring has not been widely applied in China primarily because of some practical limitations, i.e., biomass accessibility, technological and economic constraints, and lack of policy support. We identified the benefits of cofiring with consideration of these practical limitations based on Integrated Assessment Models. We found that China produces 1.82 Bts/year of biomass residues, 45% of which is waste. 48% of the unused biomass can be utilized without fiscal intervention and 70% can be utilized with the subsidized Feed-in-Tariffs for biopower and carbon trading. The average Marginal Abatement Cost of cofiring is twice that of China's current carbon price. Cofiring can help China create 153 billion yuan of farmers' income annually and reduce 5.3 Bts of Committed Cumulative Carbon Emissions (CCCEs, 2023-2030), contributing to the needed CCCE mitigations to China's overall sector and the power sector by 32 and 86%, respectively. About 201 GW of coal-fired fleets are not compliant with China's 2030 carbon-peaking goals, and 127 GW can be saved by implementing cofiring, representing 9.6% of the total fleets in 2030.

Frequency distribution of pollutant concentrations over Indian megacities impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown

The megacities experience poor air quality frequently due to stronger anthropogenic emissions. India had one of the longest lockdowns in 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19, leading to reductions in the emissions from anthropogenic activities. In this article, the frequency distributions of different pollutants have been analysed over two densely populated megacities: Delhi (28.70° N; 77.10° E) and Kolkata (22.57° N; 88.36° E). In Delhi, the percentage of days with PM_2.5 levels exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) between 25 March and 17 June dropped from 98% in 2019 to 61% in 2020. The lockdown phase 1 brought down the PM₁₀ (particulate matter having an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm) levels below the daily NAAQS limit over Delhi and Kolkata. However, PM₁₀ exceeded the limit of 100 μgm^-3 during phases 2-5 of lockdown over Delhi due to lower temperature, weaker winds, increased relative humidity and commencement of limited traffic movement. The PM_2.5 levels exhibit a regressive trend in the highest range from the year 2019 to 2020 in Delhi. The daily mean value for PM_2.5 concentrations dropped from 85-90 μgm^-3 to 40-45 μgm^-3 bin, whereas the PM₁₀ levels witnessed a reduction from 160-180 μgm^-3 to 100-120 μgm^-3 bin due to the lockdown. Kolkata also experienced a shift in the peak of PM₁₀ distribution from 80-100 μgm^-3 in 2019 to 20-40 μgm^-3 during the lockdown. The PM_2.5 levels in peak frequency distribution were recorded in the 35-40 μgm^-3 bin in 2019 which dropped to 15-20 μgm^-3 in 2020. In line with particulate matter, other primary gaseous pollutants (NO_x, CO, SO₂, NH₃) also showed decline. However, changes in O₃ showed mixed trends with enhancements in some of the phases and reductions in other phases. In contrast to daily mean O₃, 8-h maximum O₃ showed a reduction over Delhi during lockdown phases except for phase 3. Interestingly, the time of daily maximum was observed to be delayed by ~ 2 h over Delhi (from 1300 to 1500 h) and ~ 1 h over Kolkata (from 1300 to 1400 h) almost coinciding with the time of maximum temperature, highlighting the role of meteorology versus precursors. Emission reductions weakened the chemical sink of O₃ leading to enhancement (120%; 11 ppbv) in night-time O₃ over Delhi during phases 1-3.

Aerosol Mass Spectral Profiles from NAMaSTE Field-Sampled South Asian Combustion Sources

Unit mass resolution mass spectral profiles of nonrefractory submicron aerosol were retrieved from undersampled atmospheric emission sources common to South Asia using a "mini" aerosol mass spectrometer. Emission sources including wood- and dung-fueled cookstoves, agricultural residue burning, garbage burning, engine exhaust, and coal-fired brick kilns were sampled during the 2015 Nepal Ambient Monitoring and Source Testing Experiment (NAMaSTE) campaign. High-resolution peak fitting estimates of the mass spectra were used to characterize ions found within each source profile and help identify mass spectral signatures unique to aerosol emissions from the investigated source types. The first aerosol mass spectral profiles of dung burning, charcoal burning, garbage burning, and brick kilns are provided in this work. The online aerosol mass spectra show that organics were generally the dominant component of the nonrefractory aerosol. However, inorganic aerosol components including ammonium and chloride were significant in dung- and charcoal-fired cookstove emissions and sulfate compounds were major components of the coal-fired brick kiln emissions. Organic mass spectra from both the charcoal burning and zigzag brick kiln were dominated by nitrogen-containing ions thought to be from the electron ionization of amines and amides contained in the emissions. The mixed garbage burning emissions profiles were dominated by plastic combustion with very low fractions of organic markers associated with biomass burning. The plastic burning emissions were associated with enhanced organic signal at mass-to-charge (m/z) 104 and m/z 166, which could be useful fragment ion indicators for garbage burning in ambient aerosol profiles. Finally, a framework for the identification of emission sources using the unit mass resolution organic mass fractions at m/z 55 (f ₅₅), m/z 57 (f ₅₇), and m/z 60 (f ₆₀) is proposed in this work. Plotting the ratio of f ₅₅ to f ₅₇ versus f ₆₀ is found to be effective for the identification of emissions by the fuel type and even useful in separating emissions of similar source types. Although the sample size was limited, these results give further context to the aerosol and gas-phase emission factors presented in other NAMaSTE works and provide a critical reference for future aerosol composition measurements in South Asia.

Interpreting the COVID effect on atmospheric constituents over the Indian region during the lockdown: chemistry, meteorology, and seasonality

Most of the published articles which document changes in atmospheric compositions during the various lockdown and unlock phases of COVID-19 pandemic have made a direct comparison to a reference point (which may be 1 year apart) for attribution of the COVID-mediated lockdown impact on atmospheric composition. In the present study, we offer a better attribution of the lockdown impacts by also considering the effect of meteorology and seasonality. We decrease the temporal distance between the impacted and reference points by considering the difference of adjacent periods first and then comparing the impacted point to the mean of several reference points in the previous years. Additionally, we conduct a multi-station analysis to get a holistic effect of the different climatic and emission regimes. In several places in eastern and coastal India, the seasonally induced changes already pointed to a decrease in PM concentrations based on the previous year data; hence, the actual decrease due to lockdown would be much less than that observed just on the basis of difference of concentrations between subsequent periods. In contrast, northern Indian stations would normally show an increase in PM concentration at the time of the year when lockdown was effected; hence, actual lockdown-induced change would be in surplus of the observed change. The impact of wind-borne transport of pollutants to the study sites dominates over the dilution effects. Box model simulations point to a VOC-sensitive composition.

Season-wise analyses of VOCs, hydroxyl radicals and ozone formation chemistry over north-west India reveal isoprene and acetaldehyde as the most potent ozone precursors throughout the year

The north-west Indo-Gangetic Plain is the agricultural cereal-basket of India owing to its prolific wheat and rice production. Surface ozone pollution is of growing concern over it, yet no detailed year-round in-situ measurements of its most reactive precursors, particularly the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are available from this region. Here, using the first year-long continuous measurements of 23 major VOCs, ozone, NO_x, CO and their atmospheric oxidation products from a regionally representative site in north-west India, we evaluated speciated OH reactivities (OHR), ozone formation potential (OFP) and ozone production regimes (OPR) across all seasons. The average seasonal OHR ranged from 14 s^-1 (winter) to 21.5 s^-1 (summer). We provide the first estimate of OH radical mixing ratios varying between 0.06 and 0.37 ppt in different seasons for the peak daytime hours in this region. Recycling via HO₂+NO was the most important pathway contributing to >85% of the OH production throughout the year. Contrary to satellite derived proxies and chemical transport models which predict NO_x sensitive OPR, we show it to be strongly sensitive to both VOCs and NO_x (>90% days in a year). Remarkably for densely populated regions, isoprene and acetaldehyde collectively accounted for ~30-50% of the total OFP in all seasons. Biogenic emissions of isoprene (reaching 12.9 mg/m²/h) and high acetaldehyde from anthropogenic and photochemical sources were observed for all seasons. Monitoring and control of isoprene and acetaldehyde are therefore urgently required for efforts focused on mitigating surface ozone pollution in this demographically important region of the world.

Effect of Ozone, Clothing, Temperature, and Humidity on the Total OH Reactivity Emitted from Humans

People influence indoor air chemistry through their chemical emissions via breath and skin. Previous studies showed that direct measurement of total OH reactivity of human emissions matched that calculated from parallel measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from breath, skin, and the whole body. In this study, we determined, with direct measurements from two independent groups of four adult volunteers, the effect of indoor temperature and humidity, clothing coverage (amount of exposed skin), and indoor ozone concentration on the total OH reactivity of gaseous human emissions. The results show that the measured concentrations of VOCs and ammonia adequately account for the measured total OH reactivity. The total OH reactivity of human emissions was primarily affected by ozone reactions with organic skin-oil constituents and increased with exposed skin surface, higher temperature, and higher humidity. Humans emitted a comparable total mixing ratio of VOCs and ammonia at elevated temperature-low humidity and elevated temperature-high humidity, with relatively low diversity in chemical classes. In contrast, the total OH reactivity increased with higher temperature and higher humidity, with a larger diversity in chemical classes compared to the total mixing ratio. Ozone present, carbonyl compounds were the dominant reactive compounds in all of the reported conditions.

Gridded 1 km × 1 km emission inventory for paddy stubble burning emissions over north-west India constrained by measured emission factors of 77 VOCs and district-wise crop yield data

Every year in the post-monsoon season, ~1.7 billion tons of paddy stubble is burnt openly in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) producing persistent smog and air quality deterioration that affects the entire IGP. Information concerning the identity, amounts and spatial distribution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which drive ozone and aerosol formation is still largely unknown as existing global emission inventories have poor VOC speciation and rely on limited satellite overpasses for mapping burnt areas. Here, emission factors (EFs) of 77 VOCs were measured from paddy fire smoke and combined with 1 km × 1 km stubble burning activity constrained by annual crop production yields and detected fires to compile a new gridded emission inventory for 2017. Our results reveal a large source of acetaldehyde (37.5 ± 9.6 Ggy-1), 2-furaldehyde (37.1 ± 12.5 Ggy-1), acetone (34.7 ± 13.6 Ggy-1), benzene (9.9 ± 2.8 Ggy-1) and isocyanic acid (0.4 ± 0.2 Ggy-1) that are not accounted for by existing emission inventories (GFED, GFAS, FINv2.1). During October-November, these emissions (346 ± 65 Ggy-1 NMVOC; 38 ± 8 Ggy-1 NOx; 16 ± 4 Ggy-1 NH3; 129 ± 9 Ggy-1 PM2.5; 22,125 ± 3674 Ggy-1 GHG CO2 equivalents) are more than 20 times larger than corresponding emissions from traffic and municipal waste burning over north-west India. Mitigation of this source alone can therefore yield massive air-quality climate co-benefits for more than 500 million people.

Parameterized atmospheric oxidation capacity and speciated OH reactivity over a suburban site in the North China Plain: A comparative study between summer and winter

The atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) and photochemical reactivity are of increasing concern owing to their roles in photochemical pollution. The AOC and OH reactivity were evaluated based on simultaneous measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), trace gases and photolysis frequency during summer and winter campaigns at a suburban site in Xianghe. The AOC exhibited well-defined seasonal and diurnal patterns, with higher intensities during the summertime and daytime than during the wintertime and nighttime, respectively. The major reductants contributing to the AOC during the summertime were CO (41%) and alkenes (41%), whereas CO (40%) and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) (30%) dominated the AOC during the wintertime. The dominant oxidant contributor to the AOC during the daytime was OH (≥93%), while the contributions of O₃ and NO₃ (≥75%) to the AOC increased during the nighttime. High values during the wintertime and an increase at night were features of the speciated OH reactivity. Inorganic compounds (NO_x and CO) dominated the speciated OH reactivity (76% and 85% during the summer and winter campaigns, respectively). Among VOCs, the dominant contributors were alkenes (12%) and OVOCs (7%) during the summer and winter campaigns, respectively. The ratio of NO_x- and VOC-attributed OH reactivity indicated that O₃ formation occurred under a VOC-limited regime during the summertime and that aromatics had the largest potential to form O_3. Isoprene and m/p-xylene were the most important contributors to the AOC, OH reactivity and O₃-forming among VOCs during the summertime, biogenic sources and secondary formation and industrial production were the main sources of these species. During the wintertime, hexanal and ethylene were the key VOC species contributing to the AOC and OH reactivity, and solvent usage and traffic-related emissions were the main contributing sources. We recommend that priority measures for the control of VOC species and sources should be taken when suitable. CAPSULE: This study focused on the similarities and differences in the AOC and speciated OH reactivity during summer and winter campaigns.

High Concentrations of Atmospheric Isocyanic Acid (HNCO) Produced from Secondary Sources in China

Isocyanic acid (HNCO) is a potentially toxic atmospheric pollutant, whose atmospheric concentrations are hypothesized to be linked to adverse health effects. An earlier model study estimated that concentrations of isocyanic acid in China are highest around the world. However, measurements of isocyanic acid in ambient air have not been available in China. Two field campaigns were conducted to measure isocyanic acid in ambient air using a high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (ToF-CIMS) in two different environments in China. The ranges of mixing ratios of isocyanic acid are from below the detection limit (18 pptv) to 2.8 ppbv (5 min average) with the average value of 0.46 ppbv at an urban site of Guangzhou in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in fall and from 0.02 to 2.2 ppbv with the average value of 0.37 ppbv at a rural site in the North China Plain (NCP) during wintertime, respectively. These concentrations are significantly higher than previous measurements in North America. The diurnal variations of isocyanic acid are very similar to secondary pollutants (e.g., ozone, formic acid, and nitric acid) in PRD, indicating that isocyanic acid is mainly produced by secondary formation. Both primary emissions and secondary formation account for isocyanic acid in the NCP. The lifetime of isocyanic acid in a lower atmosphere was estimated to be less than 1 day due to the high apparent loss rate caused by deposition at night in PRD. Based on the steady state analysis of isocyanic acid during the daytime, we show that amides are unlikely enough to explain the formation of isocyanic acid in Guangzhou, calling for additional precursors for isocyanic acid. Our measurements of isocyanic acid in two environments of China provide important constraints on the concentrations, sources, and sinks of this pollutant in the atmosphere.

Wildfire and prescribed burning impacts on air quality in the United States

Air quality impacts from wildfires have been dramatic in recent years, with millions of people exposed to elevated and sometimes hazardous fine particulate matter (PM _2.5 ) concentrations for extended periods. Fires emit particulate matter (PM) and gaseous compounds that can negatively impact human health and reduce visibility. While the overall trend in U.S. air quality has been improving for decades, largely due to implementation of the Clean Air Act, seasonal wildfires threaten to undo this in some regions of the United States. Our understanding of the health effects of smoke is growing with regard to respiratory and cardiovascular consequences and mortality. The costs of these health outcomes can exceed the billions already spent on wildfire suppression. In this critical review, we examine each of the processes that influence wildland fires and the effects of fires, including the natural role of wildland fire, forest management, ignitions, emissions, transport, chemistry, and human health impacts. We highlight key data gaps and examine the complexity and scope and scale of fire occurrence, estimated emissions, and resulting effects on regional air quality across the United States. The goal is to clarify which areas are well understood and which need more study. We conclude with a set of recommendations for future research.

IMPLICATIONS

In the recent decade the area of wildfires in the United States has increased dramatically and the resulting smoke has exposed millions of people to unhealthy air quality. In this critical review we examine the key factors and impacts from fires including natural role of wildland fire, forest management, ignitions, emissions, transport, chemistry and human health.

How Much Does Large-Scale Crop Residue Burning Affect the Air Quality in Delhi?

Elevated PM_2.5 concentrations frequently cause severe air pollution events in Delhi. Till recently, the effect of crop residue burning on the air quality in Delhi has not been fully quantified and the approaches to control the impact of fire emissions have not been effective. In this study, for the first time, we quantified the statewise contribution of post-monsoon crop residue burning in the northwestern states of India to surface PM_2.5 concentrations in Delhi using several sensitivity experiments with the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) and FINNv1.5 fire emission inventory. Results were evaluated with ground-based observations in Delhi (21 stations), Punjab, and Haryana (14 stations). On average, ∼20% of PM_2.5 concentration in Delhi during the post-monsoon season (October-November) was found to be contributed by nonlocal fire emissions. However, on typical air pollution events, fire emissions contributed as high as 50-75% (80-120 μg/m³) to PM_2.5 in Delhi, highlighting the importance of both external transport and local emissions to PM_2.5 pollution in Delhi.

Optimization of a Method for the Detection of Biomass-Burning Relevant VOCs in Urban Areas Using Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Forest fire smoke influence in urban areas is relatively easy to detect at high concentrations but more challenging to detect at low concentrations. In this study, we present a simplified method that can reliably quantify smoke tracers in an urban environment at relatively low cost and complexity. For this purpose, we used dual-bed thermal desorption tubes with an auto-sampler to collect continuous samples of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We present the validation and evaluation of this approach using thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) to detect VOCs at ppt to ppb concentrations. To evaluate the method, we tested stability during storage, interferences (e.g., water and O3), and reproducibility for reactive and short-lived VOCs such as acetonitrile (a specific chemical tracer for biomass burning), acetone, n-pentane, isopentane, benzene, toluene, furan, acrolein, 2-butanone, 2,3-butanedione, methacrolein, 2,5- dimethylfuran, and furfural. The results demonstrate that these VOCs can be quantified reproducibly with a total uncertainty of ≤30% between the collection and analysis, and with storage times of up to 15 days. Calibration experiments performed over a dynamic range of 10–150 ng loaded on to each thermal desorption tube at different relative humidity showed excellent linearity (r2 ≥ 0.90). We utilized this method during the summer 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Experiment–Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) intensive experiment at the Boise ground site. The results of this field study demonstrate the method’s applicability for ambient VOC speciation to identify forest fire smoke in urban areas.

Volatile organic compound measurements point to fog-induced biomass burning feedback to air quality in the megacity of Delhi

We report the first ambient measurements of thirteen VOCs for investigations of emissions and air quality during fog and non-fog wintertime conditions at a tower site (28.57° N, 77.11° E, 220 m amsl) in the megacity of Delhi. Measurements of acetonitrile (biomass burning (BB) tracer), isoprene (biogenic emission tracer in daytime), toluene (a traffic exhaust tracer) and benzene (emitted from BB and traffic), together with soluble and reactive oxygenated VOCs such as methanol, acetone and acetaldehyde were performed during the winters of 2015-16 and 2016-17, using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. Remarkably, ambient VOC composition changes during fog were not governed by solubility. Acetaldehyde, toluene, sum of C8-aromatics (e.g. xylenes), sum of C9-aromatics (e.g. trimethyl benzenes) decreased by ≥30% (>95% confidence interval), whereas acetonitrile and benzene showed significant increases by 20% (>70% confidence interval), even after accounting for boundary layer dilution. During fog, the lower temperatures appeared to induce an emissions feedback from enhanced open BB within Delhi for warming, releasing both gaseous and aerosol pollutants with consequences for fog chemistry, sustenance and intensity. The potential feedback is important to consider for improving current emission parametrizations in models used for predicting air quality and fog in such atmospheric environments.

Constraining Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds Over the Indian Subcontinent Using Space-Based Formaldehyde Measurements

India is an air pollution mortality hot spot, but regional emissions are poorly understood. We present a high-resolution nested chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) simulation for the Indian subcontinent and use it to interpret formaldehyde (HCHO) observations from two satellite sensors (OMI and GOME-2A) in terms of constraints on regional volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. We find modeled biogenic VOC emissions to be overestimated by ~30-60% for most locations and seasons, and derive a best estimate biogenic flux of 16 Tg C/year subcontinent-wide for year 2009. Terrestrial vegetation provides approximately half the total VOC flux in our base-case inversions (full uncertainty range: 44-65%). This differs from prior understanding, in which biogenic emissions represent >70% of the total. Our derived anthropogenic VOC emissions increase slightly (13-16% in the base case, for a subcontinent total of 15 Tg C/year in 2009) over RETRO year 2000 values, with some larger regional discrepancies. The optimized anthropogenic emissions agree well with the more recent CEDS inventory, both subcontinent-wide (within 2%) and regionally. An exception is the Indo-Gangetic Plain, where we find an underestimate for both RETRO and CEDS. Anthropogenic emissions thus constitute 37-50% of the annual regional VOC source in our base-case inversions and exceed biogenic emissions over the Indo-Gangetic Plain, West India, and South India, and over the entire subcontinent during winter and post-monsoon. Fires are a minor fraction (<7%) of the total regional VOC source in the prior and optimized model. However, evidence suggests that VOC emissions in the fire inventory used here (GFEDv4) are too low over the Indian subcontinent.

Sources of isocyanic acid (HNCO) indoors: a focus on cigarette smoke

The sources and sinks of isocyanic acid (HNCO), a toxic gas, in indoor environments are largely uncharacterized. In particular, cigarette smoke has been identified as a significant source. In this study, controlled smoking of tobacco cigarettes was investigated in both an environmental chamber and a residence in Toronto, Canada using an acetate-CIMS. The HNCO emission ratio from side-stream cigarette smoke was determined to be 2.7 (±1.1) × 10-3 ppb HNCO/ppb CO. Side-stream smoke from a single cigarette introduced a large pulse of HNCO to the indoor environment, increasing the HNCO mixing ratio by up to a factor of ten from background conditions of 0.15 ppb. Although there was no evidence for photochemical production of HNCO from cigarette smoke in the residence, it was observed in the environmental chamber via oxidation by the hydroxyl radical (1.1 × 107 molecules per cm3), approximately doubling the HNCO mixing ratio after 30 minutes of oxidation. Oxidation of cigarette smoke by O3 (15 ppb = 4.0 × 1017 molecules per cm3) and photo-reaction with indoor fluorescent lights did not produce HNCO. By studying the temporal profiles of both HNCO and CO after smoking, it is inferred that gas-to-surface partitioning of HNCO acts as an indoor loss pathway. Even in the absence of smoking, the indoor HNCO mixing ratios in the Toronto residence were elevated compared to concurrent outdoor measurements by approximately a factor of two.

Isocyanic acid (HNCO) and its fate in the atmosphere: a review

Isocyanic acid (HNCO) has recently been identified in ambient air at potentially concerning concentrations for human health. Since its first atmospheric detection, significant progress has been made in understanding its sources and sinks. The chemistry of HNCO is governed by its partitioning between the gas and liquid phases, its weak acidity, its high solubility at pH above 5, and its electrophilic chemical behaviour. The online measurement of HNCO in ambient air is possible due to recent advances in mass spectrometry techniques, including chemical ionization mass spectrometry for the detection of weak acids. To date, HNCO has been measured in North America, Europe and South Asia as well as outdoors and indoors, with mixing ratios up to 10s of ppbv. The sources of HNCO include: (1) fossil fuel combustion such as coal, gasoline and diesel, (2) biomass burning such as wildfires and crop residue burning, (3) secondary photochemical production from amines and amides, (4) cigarette smoke, and (5) combustion of materials in the built environment. Then, three losses processes can occur: (1) gas phase photochemistry, (2) heterogenous uptake and hydrolysis, and (3) dry deposition. HNCO lifetimes with respect to photolysis and OH radical oxidation are on the order of months to decades. Consequently, the removal of HNCO from the atmosphere is thought to occur predominantly by dry deposition and by heterogeneous uptake followed by hydrolysis to NH3 and CO2. A back of the envelope calculation reveals that HNCO is an insignificant global source of NH3, contributing only around 1%, but could be important for local environments. Furthermore, HNCO can react due to its electrophilic behaviour with various nucleophilic functionalities, including those present in the human body through a reaction called protein carbamoylation. This protein modification can lead to toxicity, and thus exposure to high concentrations of HNCO can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as cataracts. In this critical review, we outline our current understanding of the atmospheric fate of HNCO and its potential impacts on outdoor and indoor air quality. We also call attention to the need for toxicology studies linking HNCO exposure to health effects.

Gridded Emissions of CO, NO x, SO2, CO2, NH3, HCl, CH4, PM2.5, PM10, BC, and NMVOC from Open Municipal Waste Burning in India

Accurate emission inventories serve as critical inputs for air quality and climate models but are poorly constrained over India. We present a new municipal open waste burning emission inventory from India (OWBEII), at a resolution of 0.1° × 0.1°. Out of the 216 (201-232) Tg y^-1 of waste produced in the year 2015, 68 (45-105) Tg y^-1 was burned in the open. To determine emissions from waste burning, emission factors of 59 non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), CH₄, CO₂, CO, and NO _x were measured from garbage fires in rural and urban sites in India. The NMVOC emissions from open waste burning of 1.4-2 Tg y^-1 increase India's total anthropogenic NMVOC budget by 8-12%, while BC emissions (40-110 Ggy^-1) increase the total anthropogenic BC emissions by 8-12%. Open waste burning in India emits 3-7 Tg y^-1 of CO and 58-130 Tg y^-1 of CO₂. Emissions increase the total anthropogenic CO and CO₂ in the MIX-Asia inventory by 4-11% and 2-6%, respectively. Open waste burning may affect atmospheric OH reactivity and ozone formation rates downwind of urban centers through the emission of other highly reactive compounds such as acetaldehyde (20-320 Gg y^-1), propene (50-170 Gg y^-1), and ethene (50-190 Gg y^-1) and is s source of carcinogenic benzene (30-280 Gg y^-1).