Elena Hartner, Nadine Gawlitta, Thomas Gröger, Jürgen Orasche, Hendryk Czech, Genna-Leigh Geldenhuys, Gert Jakobi, Petri Tiitta, Pasi Yli-Pirilä, Miika Kortelainen, Olli Sippula, Patricia Forbes, Ralf Zimmermann
Agricultural fires are a major source of biomass-burning organic aerosols (BBOAs) with impacts on health, the environment, and climate. In this study, globally relevant BBOA emissions from the combustion of sugar cane in both field and laboratory experiments were analyzed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The derived chemical fingerprints of fresh emissions were evaluated using targeted and nontargeted evaluation approaches. The open-field sugar cane burning experiments revealed the high chemical complexity of combustion emissions, including compounds derived from the pyrolysis of (hemi)cellulose, lignin, and further biomass, such as pyridine and oxime derivatives, methoxyphenols, and methoxybenzenes, as well as triterpenoids...
March 21, 2024: ACS Earth & Space Chemistry