Changes in Aerosol Optical Depth and PM2.5 Concentrations due to Trash Burning

Open combustion of domestic waste is a potentially significant source of pollutants in developing countries; however, it is not currently included in many emissions inventories. Globally, open waste burning emits 9.2 Tg yr^-1 of organic aerosol and 0.6 Tg yr^-1 of black carbon (Wiedinmeyer et al., 2014). The proximity to largely populated urban areas has created concerns for both local air quality and climate. We incorporate the Wiedinmeyer et al. (2014) open waste burning inventory into GEOS-Chem-TOMAS, a chemical transport model with online aerosol microphysics, and estimate the direct radiative effect (DRE), cloud-albedo indirect effect (AIE), and excess mortality rates. Due to uncertainties regarding mixing state and brown carbon, we estimate the globally averaged DRE to range from -0.008 to +0.006 W m^-2. We estimate a globally averaged AIE of -0.002 W m^-2; however, in the source regions of South-East Asia, Western Africa, and Central America the AIE ranges from -0.2 to -0.3 W m^-2. We show that including this inventory improves model comparison to AERONET aerosol optical depth and SPARTAN PM_2.5 measurements, and we discuss our estimated excess death due to regional PM_2.5 from trash burning.

Wiedinmyer, C., Yokelson, R. J. and Gullett, B. K.: Global emissions of trace gases, particulate matter, and hazardous air pollutants from open burning of domestic waste., Environ. Sci. Technol., 48(16), 9523–30, doi:10.1021/es502250z, 2014.