Emissions estimates of PAH from biomass fuels used in rural sector of Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of special interest due to their carcinogenicity, and ubiquitous presence in the environment. Emissions of PAH vary with use of biomass fuels. In this study, the experimentally determined emission factors and emission estimates of PAH emitted from biomass fuels (dung cake, fuelwood and crop residue) from rural household of six states (Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Bihar) over the IGP, India, are presented. The gaseous phase and particulate phase PAHs emissions are simultaneously determined from various biomass fuels. The average emission factors of total PAHs from dung cakes, fuelwood and crop residue over the IGP, India are estimated as 59.5 ± 19.9 mg kg−1, 52.5 ± 19.6 mg kg−1 and 40.9 ± 15.2 mg kg−1 respectively. The emission factor of particulate phase PAHs (56.5 mg kg−1, 45.3 mg kg−1 and 35.8 mg kg−1) was found higher as compared to gaseous phase PAHs (3.1 mg kg−1, 7.2 mg kg−1 and 5.1 mg kg−1) from dung cakes, fuel-wood and crop residue, respectively. Anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene and chrysene are predominant PAHs in all biomass fuels. The emission estimates of PAH over IGP are determined as 2.95 ± 0.98 Gg yr−1, 3.13 ± 1.08 Gg yr−1 and 0.66 ± 0.26 Gg yr−1 from dung cakes, fuelwood and crop residue, respectively.

► Determination of EF of PAHs from biomass fuels in the laboratory.
► Simultaneous determination of gaseous and particulate phase PAHs.
► State-wise EF of total PAHs from residential fuels over IGP, India.
► Budget estimates of PAHs from residential fuels over six states in IGP, India.