Optical Properties of Carbonaceous Particles Emitted from Biomass Burning

Department

Atmospheric Science Undergraduate Program, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2023

Abstract

Biomass-burning (BB) is the process of burning organic matter such as forests, grasslands, and agricultural waste for land clearance, agriculture, and waste disposal. BB is a major source of atmospheric aerosols, i.e., tiny particles suspended in the air. BB aerosols impact climate by scattering and absorbing sunlight, which can affect the Earth's energy balance. The aerosol mass extinction cross-section (MEC) is a measure of the effectiveness of these aerosols in reducing the amount of light that reaches the Earth's surface. It is expressed in units of area per aerosol mass. We conducted a study using the NC A&T indoor smog chamber and burn facility to understand the impact of biomass burning aerosols emitted from burning African biomass fuels. Eleven different biomass fuels including hardwoods, savanna grass, and cow-dung, were combusted under controlled conditions. The resulting organic-rich emissions were exposed to humid (relative humidity, RH, above 40%) and dry (RH

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