Publicação
Modelling air quality impacts of open burning agricultural residues
| Resumo: | The burning of agricultural waste is a common practice that affects air quality in various regions around the world. Despite its low cost and ease of execution, it releases large amounts of air pollutants such as suspended particles, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides. These emissions degrade air quality and pose risks to human health and the environment. Although less frequent than in Asia or the Americas, the burning of agricultural waste occurs in Mediterranean regions, especially in eastern Spain. A notable case is the La Albufera Natural Park in Valencia, where rice straw burning is common during the post-harvest season. Though regulated by Decree 91/2023, this practice has raised concerns among the population due to its negative effects. In this scope, the main objective of this study is to assess the regional-level impact on air quality from the controlled burning of rice straw in La Albufera of Valencia, focusing on pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, NO₂, and O₃. To this end, three emission datasets were developed using different methodological approaches. The first, using a Top-Down approach, was created with the APIFLAME software and satellite observations. The second, following a BottomUp approach, was built from local records of the ATMOBE project. The third dataset included other anthropogenic emissions, based on EMEP data, which were spatially and temporally disaggregated. Subsequently, the CHIMERE chemical transport model was applied to simulate the dispersion and transformation of the pollutants. The results were validated with measurements from thirty monitoring stations of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, along with an additional station from the ATMOBE project located in Silla, ensuring broad geographic coverage. The results show an increase of more than 70 and 75 µg/m³ in the average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, in the La Albufera Natural Park area during the peak burning period. In contrast, NO₂ contributions are lower, while O₃ remains relatively stable, although with localised peaks above 35 µg/m³ near the burning sites. From a regulatory standpoint, four exceedances of the daily PM10 limits and one of O₃, as defined by Directive 2008/50/EC for the protection of human health, were simulated. It can be concluded that the burning of agricultural waste in La Albufera of Valencia negatively impacts local air quality, particularly in terms of particulate matter. However, other anthropogenic sources remain as the main contributors to gaseous pollutants. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of improving the characterisation of emissions with greater spatial and temporal detail, implementing models that can simulate high spatial variability, and designing effective environmental management strategies to minimise the health and environmental impacts of this practice. |
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| Autores principais: | Pérez Morán, Marcos Eduardo |
| Assunto: | Burning of agricultural waste Emissions Air quality CHIMERE model |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Aveiro |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RIA - Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro |
| Resumo: | The burning of agricultural waste is a common practice that affects air quality in various regions around the world. Despite its low cost and ease of execution, it releases large amounts of air pollutants such as suspended particles, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides. These emissions degrade air quality and pose risks to human health and the environment. Although less frequent than in Asia or the Americas, the burning of agricultural waste occurs in Mediterranean regions, especially in eastern Spain. A notable case is the La Albufera Natural Park in Valencia, where rice straw burning is common during the post-harvest season. Though regulated by Decree 91/2023, this practice has raised concerns among the population due to its negative effects. In this scope, the main objective of this study is to assess the regional-level impact on air quality from the controlled burning of rice straw in La Albufera of Valencia, focusing on pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, NO₂, and O₃. To this end, three emission datasets were developed using different methodological approaches. The first, using a Top-Down approach, was created with the APIFLAME software and satellite observations. The second, following a BottomUp approach, was built from local records of the ATMOBE project. The third dataset included other anthropogenic emissions, based on EMEP data, which were spatially and temporally disaggregated. Subsequently, the CHIMERE chemical transport model was applied to simulate the dispersion and transformation of the pollutants. The results were validated with measurements from thirty monitoring stations of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, along with an additional station from the ATMOBE project located in Silla, ensuring broad geographic coverage. The results show an increase of more than 70 and 75 µg/m³ in the average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, in the La Albufera Natural Park area during the peak burning period. In contrast, NO₂ contributions are lower, while O₃ remains relatively stable, although with localised peaks above 35 µg/m³ near the burning sites. From a regulatory standpoint, four exceedances of the daily PM10 limits and one of O₃, as defined by Directive 2008/50/EC for the protection of human health, were simulated. It can be concluded that the burning of agricultural waste in La Albufera of Valencia negatively impacts local air quality, particularly in terms of particulate matter. However, other anthropogenic sources remain as the main contributors to gaseous pollutants. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of improving the characterisation of emissions with greater spatial and temporal detail, implementing models that can simulate high spatial variability, and designing effective environmental management strategies to minimise the health and environmental impacts of this practice. |
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