Environmental impact assessment of corn straw utilization in China

The emissions from and potential environmental effects of open field burning of corn straw in China in 2011 were investigated to provide policymakers with the information needed in preventing and minimizing the environmental burden resulting from open field burning. Results show that direct CO2, NOx, SO2, and PM emitted from corn straw open burning accounts for 0.12%, 0.73%, 7.15 × 10−3%, and 2.16% of national CO2, NOx, SO2, and dust emissions in 2011, respectively. Air pollutants and their potential environmental burden were mainly generated from eastern China, which has relatively high income and rural population densities. From an environmental perspective, composting technology, as opposed to technologies of returning to field, feed, biogas, and electricity generation, is the most efficient use of straw as resources because of its ability to substitute artificially synthesized fertilizers.