Estimation of the Impact of Biomass Burning Emission on Climate

Dear Colleagues,

Atmospheric aerosols can absorb and scatter solar radiation and alter the radiative forcing of the atmosphere. They can be transported far away from the source regions, and thus their climatic and environmental effects are delocalized compared to the emission areas. Aerosol particles that are hydrophilic can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and have an indirect climatic impact by modifying cloud properties.

Biomass burning emits several gases such as CO₂, CO, NH₃, and aerosol constituents such as organic carbon (OC), black carbon (BC), sugar compounds, organic acids, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). On a global scale, biomass burning contributes more than 90% of atmospheric OC. Carbonaceous aerosols in fire smoke cause human respiratory diseases. A laboratory study suggests that secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can be produced at considerable rates in the biomass burning plumes via aging processes. Several field observations have also confirmed the SOA formation and its modification. Organic aerosols derived from biomass burning contain many oxygenated and polar compounds, and thus can act as cloud condensation nuclei that impact the microphysical properties of clouds.

There are several types of biomass burning, including open fires in forests, field burning of agricultural wastes, residential heating and cooking, and industrial biofuel burning. Forest fires frequently occur globally. Biomass burning for residential heating also plays an essential role in the generation of aerosol particles.  

Organic aerosols have been highlighted for the past decade because they are related to global and regional climate change and the chemical composition of the atmosphere and public health. The chemical composition, formation pathways, and atmospheric reactions, as well as the effects of organic aerosols derived from biomass burning, are poorly characterized due to their highly complex composition, with thousands of organic compounds present in the organic aerosol. The analysis of these highly complex mixtures at trace level concentrations is the main challenge in studying atmospheric aerosols. To better characterize the effects of biomass-burning-derived aerosols on climate and human health, an improved understanding of aerosol composition is needed.

We invite researchers to contribute original research articles dealing with all aspects of atmospheric aerosols derived from biomass burning. This Special Issue also accepts manuscripts from different disciplines, including the composition of atmospheric particles and their sources and atmospheric reactions, as well as their impact on the regional and global climate. We are also interested in review articles with possible future lines of investigation.

We look forward to your contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Dhananjay Kumar Deshmukh
Prof. Dr. Md Mozammel Haque
Guest Editors

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• continental aerosol
• marine aerosol
• biomass burning
• inorganic ion
• organic compound
• primary and secondary sources
• long-range atmospheric transport