Measuring Smoke Emissions on DOD Installations: 2. Southeastern Pine Forests

The DoD SERDP-funded a study  to use advanced instrumental techniques to study in detail the particulate and vapor-phase chemical composition of smoke from prescribed fires on DoD bases in the southeastern U.S.  A combination of laboratory experiments coupled with ground and aircraft-based sampling of gaseous and particulate emissions was used.  Using IR spectroscopy and other methods, we developed emission factors for dozens of chemical species for several common southeastern fuel types.  Advances in infrared spectroscopy, a broadband method well suited to biomass burn studies were made.  Several new chemical species such as nitrous acid, glycolaldehyde, α-/β-pinene and D-limonene were measured in the field.  Good progress measuring O₃ and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation was made.  The first measurements of initial black carbon (BC) and BC coating rates with non-filter-based techniques for a suite of prescribed fires were made.  BC from biomass burning gets coated much faster (< 1 h) than BC from other sources such as diesel trucks which has climate assessment implications.  This presentation will present highlights of this completed, complex, multi-partner project which has produced numerous results to date.