Collaborative Research: Nitrogen Partitioning and Evolution of Particulate Organic Nitrogen in Peat Fire Emissions

Nevada System Of Higher Education, Desert Research Institute, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

This project is a collaborative effort by Desert Research Institute and Michigan Technological University to provide insight into the emissions of nitrogen-containing compounds from the combustion of peat soils. Preliminary estimation suggests that nitrogen emissions from fires in peatlands can potentially rival that of fossil fuel combustion. An accurate assessment of the global nitrogen cycling requires a detailed understanding of the various nitrogen-containing compounds emitted during peat fires and the factors affecting their partitioning into the gas and particle phases and the changes that they undergo in the atmosphere with age. The main hypothesis of the proposed work is that an important fraction of peat fuel nitrogen (N) is contained in particulate organic nitrogen (PON), and that this fraction changes during photochemical processing in the atmosphere. The objectives of the research are: 1) to evaluate the partitioning of peat soil N into gas and particle-phase components as a function of peat fuel type and combustion efficiency, with a particular focus on quantifying the PON fraction; and 2) to assess how the oxidation (aging) of smoke by hydroxyl (OH) radicals alters the abundance and chemical properties of the PON. The proposed work is expected to advance the understanding of the importance of peat fires for global N cycling and atmospheric chemistry. The research results will be distributed to US natural resource managers through a webinar, which may inform their decision-making on peatland restoration and preservation. A high school science teacher involved in this research will help develop material for engaging students in hands-on activities related to biomass burning, fire ecology, and atmospheric chemistry implications of these fires.