Collaborative Research: The Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from the Oxidation of Furan-compounds to Understand the Atmospheric Impacts of Biomass Burning Smoke

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This project is investigating emissions from biomass combustion and the implications of these emissions on air quality and climate. Laboratory studies will be conducted to quantify the emissions of furan compounds (i.e., those containing a 4-carbon, 1-oxygen aromatic ring) from biomass burning and to determine the fate of these compounds in the atmosphere. The results of this project can be incorporated into the modeling of the impacts of biomass burning chemistry on local, regional, and global scales. The specific objectives of this project are to:n(1) Identify the organic compounds produced by the OH and NO3 oxidation of furan compounds and quantify their contribution to the SOA yield; (2) Determine how this oxidation chemistry, and the O3 and SOA produced, varies with NMOC/NOx ratio, temperature, and RH; (3) Use the above results to develop a detailed mechanism for the oxidation of these furan compounds in biomass burning plumes; and (4) Quantify how this new mechanism alters the predicted impacts of biomass burning on atmospheric O3 and PM2.5. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.