Chemical Engineering Communications, Vol.151, 41-52, 1996
Development of source profiles of agricultural waste combustion and road dust in the Meliao area in Taiwan
Particles from several types of sources in central Taiwan were sampled and analyzed to obtain representative source profiles for use in receptor modeling. The sources studied include held soil, paved road dust, unpaved road dust, coastal sand, river sand, and aerosols generated by burning of agricultural wastes. The agricultural wastes studied include rice straw, corn stalk, and sugarcane leaves. All the samples were analyzed for 20 elements by an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The mass percentages of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) in particle samples were determined by an elemental analyzer. For particles obtained from resupension of soils and dusts, the mass percentage of the fine fraction is in the range of 40 to 61%. The abundant elements in the coarse fraction are Si, Al, Fe, K, and Ca. In the coarse fraction, only paved road dust contains OC. The abundant species in the fine fraction are OC, Si, Fe, Al, K, and Ca. Particles generated by combustion of agricultural wastes are mainly in the fine fraction, with the mass percentage ranging from 87 to 98%. The abundant species in the fine fraction are identical for all three types of agricultural wastes, but different in the coarse fraction.