Contribution of Residential Wood Combustion to Local Airshed Pollutant Concentrations

摘要

For a variety of economic, political, and supply-related reasons, a resurgence in the use of residential wood combustion (RWC) for primary and secondary heating is currently occurring in the United States. While there are a number of positive aspects to this trend, the displacement of oil, gas, and electricity as residential heat sources will result in locally increased peak and annual-average air concentrations of certain pollutants. Carbon monoxide (CO), polycyclic organic materials, (POM), respirable particulates, and other hazardous materials are emitted via RWC directly into the local environment at rates greatly exceeding those associated with residential use of oil or gas. Models were developed to estimate both worst-case and seasonal-average air concentrations of key RWC emissions for representative US locations. Model results are compared to available measurements of ambient and RWC-specific concentrations. Acute episodal predictions are found to exceed US Environmental Protection Agency 24-h standards for particulates, and to approach the eight-hour CO standards. By indexing to benzo(a)pyrene, POM concentration estimates are cautiously related to potentially increased population health effects, specifically pulmonary carcinomas. The need for additional data collection and assessment work is emphasized. (ERA citation 06:027633)