Biomass emission factor comparison

Table 2.45 Comparison between emission factors for biomass burning, in g kg . ...

In a later study investigating biomass emissions from controlled laboratory fires it was again concluded that PTR-MS measurements underestimated the concentration of HCN, and in this study by roughly a factor of 5 in comparison to values determined by FTIR spectroscopy [17]. From the collected field data, it was found that the HCHO ratios between PTR-MS and FTIR measurements varied significantly with ambient atmospheric humidity, ranging from 0.2 at the lowest humidity to 0.05 at the highest humidity. It was concluded that the addition of water from the hollow cathode discharge ion source into the drift tube needs to be taken into account in addition to the humidity of the inlet air if HCN and HCHO concentrations are to be accurately determined. 

Vegetative emission source factors also depend on biomass factors to convert surface area estimates to biomass estimates. The leaf biomass factors used in this inventory (Table II) are those suggested by Zimmerman (31). A comparison of leaf biomass factors reported in the literature provides a simple illustration of the variability associated with the conversion factors used in this inventory. Monk et al. (321 reported a biomass factor of 8400 kg - ha 1 for trees with 14 cm diameter trunks in an oak hickory forest. Biomass factors of 5700 kg ha 1 (301 and 5800 kg - ha 1 (331 have been estimated for mixed deciduous forests. Amts et al. Q4) reported a range of biomass factors between 4400 kg ha 1 and 6340 kg ha 1 for a loblolly pine forest. The variability in these biomass estimates is less than 25%. 

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