Measurement of emissions from air pollution sources. 3. C-1-C-29 organic compounds from fireplace combustion of wood

Organic compound emission rates for Volatile organic compounds (VOC), gas-p hase semivolatile organic compounds, and particle-phase organic compounds a re measured from residential fireplace combustion of wood. Firewood from a conifer tree (pine) and from two deciduous trees (oak and eucalyptus) is bu rned to determine organic compound emissions profiles for each wood type in cluding the distribution of the alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, polycyclic aro matic hydrocarbons (PAH), phenol and substituted phenols, guaiacol and subs tituted guaiacols, syringol and substituted syringols, carbonyls, alkanoic acids, resin acids, and levoglucosan. Levoglucosan is the major constituent in the fine particulate emissions from all three wood types, contributing 18-30% of the fine particulate organic compound emissions. Guaiacol (2-meth oxyphenol), and guaiacols with additional substituents at position 4 on the molecule, and resin acids are emitted in significant quantities from pine wood combustion. Syringol (2,6-dimethoxyphenol) and syringols with addition al substituents at position 4 on the molecule are emitted in targe amounts from oak and eucalyptus firewood combustion, but these compounds are not de tected in the emissions from pine wood combustion. Syringol and most of the substituted syringols are found to be semivolatile compounds that are pres ent in both the gas and particle phases, but two substituted syringols that have not been previously quantified in wood smoke emissions, propionylsyri ngol and butyrylsyringol, are found exclusively in the particle phase and c an be used to help trace hardwood smoke particles in the atmosphere. Benzen e, ethene, and acetylene are often used as tracers for motor vehicle exhaus t in the urban atmosphere. The contribution of wood smoke to the ambient co ncentrations of benzene, ethene, and acetylene could lead to an overestimat e of the contribution of motor vehicle tailpipe exhaust to atmospheric VOC concentrations.