Wood burning pollution in southern Chile: PM2.5 source apportionment using CMB and molecular markers. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Villalobos, Ana M.; Barraza, Francisco; Jorquera, Héctor; Schauer, James J.
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 225(2017)
• Page Start: 514
• Page End: 523
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: Source apportionment -- Wood burning -- CMB-MM -- Southern Chile -- Fuel poverty -- Sustainable urban development; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.02.069
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Temuco is a mid-size city representative of severe wood smoke pollution in southern Chile; i.e., ambient 24-h PM2.5 concentrations have exceeded 150 μg/m 3 in the winter season and the top concentration reached 372 μg/m 3 in 2010. Annual mean concentrations have decreased but are still above 30 μg/m 3 . For the very first time, a molecular marker source apportionment of ambient organic carbon (OC) and PM2.5 was conducted in Temuco. Primary resolved sources for PM2.5 were wood smoke (37.5%), coal combustion (4.4%), diesel vehicles (3.3%), dust (2.2%) and vegetative detritus (0.7%). Secondary inorganic PM2.5 (sulfates, nitrates and ammonium) contributed 4.8% and unresolved organic aerosols (generated from volatile emissions from incomplete wood combustion), including secondary organic aerosols, contributed 47.1%. Adding the contributions of unresolved organic aerosols to those from primary wood smoke implies that wood burning is responsible for 84.6% of the ambient PM2.5 in Temuco. This predominance of wood smoke is ultimately due to widespread poverty and a lack of efficient household heating methods. The government has been implementing emission abatement policies but achieving compliance with ambient air quality standards for PM2.5 in southern Chile remains a challenge. Graphical abstract: Highlights: First CMB-MM application in southern Chile, a severely polluted region. Wood burning is the largest single contributor to organic carbon and PM2.5. Wood burning pollution is a result of socio-economic and cultural constraints. Current government policies need to be scaled up to achieve better air quality. Abstract : We have shown that residential wood burning is the dominant source in southern Chilean cities, contributing more than 80% of ambient PM2.5, so efforts to abate pollution therein should focus on that source.