Influence of Open Fires on Air Quality Over Chitwan, Nepal
Abstract
The air quality of Nepal has been significantly affected by the emissions within Nepal and transport of pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), together with the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and Department of Environment (DoEnv) has recently established Chitwan Air Quality Observatory (CAQO), at the northern edge of Chitwan National Park in Sauraha, Chitwan in December 2015. We are continuously measuring surface concentrations of Black carbon (BC), particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5 & PM1), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) along with metrological pentameters at the observatory. The CAQO is the first of a series of state-of-the-art observatories being established in Nepal with an aim to improve the understanding of local, regional pollution episodes across the IGP as well as natural fires within the park on the air quality and human settlements to the north. In this study, we present here preliminary results of the first six months observations from December 2015 to May 2016. The average concentrations of primary pollutants were found to be 10.1 µg m-3, 0.62 ppm, 86.7 µg m-3, 149.9 µg m-3,443.1 ppm, 2.10 ppm for BC, CO, PM2.5, PM10, CO2 and CH4 respectively during the study period. Based on MODIS fire counts, the periods impacted by fire emissions were identified and the induced changes in surface concentrations of these primary pollutants were estimated. The concentrations of the pollutants (19.83 µg m-3, 1.44 ppm, 159.8 µg m-3, 242.33 µg m-3, 461.18 ppm, 2.23 ppm for BC, CO, PM2.5, PM10, CO2 and CH4 respectively) observed during the fire impacted periods were significantly higher compared to those on the normal days. The detailed description of Chitwan observatory and the influence of local fires vs. regional fires on air quality using in-situ observations, satellite data products and model results will be discussed during the conference in detail.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.A41A0022M
- Keywords:
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- 0305 Aerosols and particles;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0345 Pollution: urban and regional;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 3360 Remote sensing;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES