Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tracers Of Wood Smoke, M. A. K. Khalil, R. A. Rasmussen

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Smoke from wood burning is a significant source of air pollution in many parts of the world. When several sources simultaneously cause air pollution, it is often difficult to determine how much comes from wood burning. Woodsmoke has unique chemical characteristics that can be used as indicators, including elemental composition, particularly potassium and chlorine, the ratios of organic and elemental carbon, and gases such as methyl chloride. This paper deals with formulating and applying the chemical mass balance approach incorporating both gas- and aerosol-phase tracers to a study carried out at Olympia-Lacey in Washington. In this study, three types of …