CAREER: Quantifying the Emission and Health Impacts of Aerosols Generated from Southeast U.S. Wetland Biomass Burning

About This Grant

Wildland fires create risks to public health, the environment, and the economy. The Southeast U.S. wetlands have a high frequency of fires due to excessive growth of biomass. The emissions from these fires and their impacts are not fully understood. This project will use advanced tools and controlled laboratory experiments to study wetland biomass burning emissions and their environmental impacts. The project will examine the physical and chemical properties of aerosols generated from combustion. Toxicity measurements will further elucidate the health effects of wetland biomass burning aerosols. The results from the project will improve the ability to manage wetland fires and predict their influence on air quality, environment, and human health. The results will also include new educational activities and museum demonstrations to help students and society better understand and manage wildland fires. Wildland fires, encompassing prescribed fires and wildfires, are essential to many ecosystems that shape landscapes, control pests, and promote biodiversity. Biomass burning during wildland fires contributes significantly to aerosols in the global atmosphere as a leading source of black carbon and primary organic aerosol emissions. However, substantial uncertainties persist regarding the amounts and properties of the primary and secondary biomass burning aerosols since there is a scarcity of experiments with well controlled burning and photochemical aging conditions. Moreover, most biomass burning research has focused on woody biomass or biomass representative of West U.S., with limited attention to biomass representative of Southeast U.S. wetland systems, despite their high fire frequency and fire magnitude. The knowledge gaps caused by this lack of data hinder the ability to accurately predict the impact of Southeast U.S. wetland biomass burning on air quality and public health. To address these issues, this CAREER project will examine the physiochemical and toxicological properties of wetland BB aerosols. The drop-tube furnace, recognized for its precise control over flow and temperature during solid fuel combustion, will be used. The measurement of secondary aerosols under varying burning and photochemical aging conditions can be used to reconcile differences between laboratory and field observations. Further investigations on aerosol hygroscopic growth and in vitro toxicity will shed light on respiratory deposition and potential health effects of wetland biomass burning aerosols. The results of the project can provide guidance for prescribed burns and firefighting strategies, helping minimize health risks associated with fire management. Given the proximity of our primary biomass sampling location, Everglades National Park, to the populated Miami Dade County, the characteristics of biomass burning aerosols can be used to evaluate the risks and impacts of fires at similar wildland and urban interfaces. The proposed project integrates research and education, where the research will be showcased and will be integrated into new academic activities and outreach programs. The academic activities, including developing new course contents and advising graduate and undergraduate students, will enrich the learning experiences of students in environmental engineering and related disciplines. The outreach programs enabled through the partnership with a local science museum will further benefit academic and regional communities in addressing issues associated with wildland fires. 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.