Size distribution and chemical characteristics of particles from crop residue open burning in North China

Crop residue open burning is an important emission source of ambient particles in China.This study analyzed the particle emission characteristics of crop residue open burning through combustion experiments with a novel open combustion simulation device using three typical crop straws in north China(corn,wheat,and rice).Particle samples size ranging from 0.006–9.890μm were collected by an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor plus,a high size-resolution instrument capable of dividing particles into 14 size stages.The size distributions of organic carbon(OC),elemental carbon(EC),water-soluble ions,and elements were analyzed,and source chemical profiles were constructed for PM0.1,PM1,PM2.5,and PM10.The number concentration of particles was concentrated in the Aiken nuclei mode(0.006–0.054μm),accounting for 75%of the total number,whereas the mass concentration was concentrated in the accumulation mode(0.054–0.949μm),accounting for 85.43%of the mass loading.OC,EC,Cl−,and K(include total K and water-soluble K)were the major chemical components of the particles,whose mass percentage distributions differed from those of other components.These fivemain components exhibited a bell-shaped size distribution in the 0.006–9.890μm range,whereas the other components exhibited a U-shaped distribution.Among the chemical profiles for PM0.1–PM10,OC was the most important component at 10–30%,followed by EC at 2%–8%.The proportions of K^(+),Cl^(−),and K varied substantially in different experimental groups,ranging from 0–15%,and K+and Cl−were significantly correlated(r=0.878,α=0.000).