Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Estimation Inventories of POPs from Rice Straw Combustion as an Agricultural Waste

Asma Khalid
ORCID logo ,
Ettore Guerriero
* ORCID logo ,
Marina Cerasa
,
Tariq Mahmood
,
Azeem Khalid
,
Enrico Paris
,
Mosca Silvia
,
Francesco Gallucci
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 30 October 2023 / Approved: 31 October 2023 / Online: 31 October 2023 (09:55:16 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Khalid, A.; Guerriero, E.; Cerasa, M.; Mahmood, T.; Khalid, A.; Paris, E.; Mosca, S.; Gallucci, F. Estimation Inventories of Persistent Organic Pollutants from Rice Straw Combustion as an Agricultural Waste. Fire 2023, 6, 459. Khalid, A.; Guerriero, E.; Cerasa, M.; Mahmood, T.; Khalid, A.; Paris, E.; Mosca, S.; Gallucci, F. Estimation Inventories of Persistent Organic Pollutants from Rice Straw Combustion as an Agricultural Waste. Fire 2023, 6, 459.

Abstract

Rice cultivation is the main agricultural activity in Asia, and it results in an enormous amount of agricultural waste, that are usually disposed-off by burning, causing serious environmental health and climate problems. Pakistan is the tenth largest producer in the world and the fourth exporter of rice in the world. To date, there are no studies targeting Pakistan’s profile monitoring its contribution in open burning emissions from rice straw waste. This study presents the characterization of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions from three samples of rice straw collected from the main rice cultivation regions of Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir) in relation to the role of metal-based agricultural additives. PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions were quantified using a fixed grid system biomass plant and measuring the macro-pollutants online and sampling the organic micro-pollutants and metals in isokinetic mode, followed by ISO and CEN standards methods. In addition, role of agrochemicals was monitored in terms of metal catalysis resulted in POPs emissions. This study provides the characterization of most relevant group of pollutants (metals, PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs) as a result of agricultural waste combustion. The rice straw samples from AJK showed high values of organochlorine micro-pollutants compared to the values followed by samples from Punjab and Sindh, i.e., respectively, ∑PCDD/F (2594>1493>856 pg/Nm3) and ∑PCB (41>38>30 pg/Nm3). Whereas the organic micro-pollutants ∑PAH, indicators of incomplete combustion (PICs), were recorded high in the samples from Sindh followed by Punjab and AJK. This study supports the idea that the phenomena that lead to the formation of PCDD/F and PCB are influenced not only by poor combustion but also by the presence of metal catalysts or precursors in the burned fuel.

Keywords

agricultural waste; atmospheric pollution; dioxins; emission inventory; metals; POPs; risk assessment; rice straw

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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