Trace Elements and Carbon Contents in Particulate Emissions from Tropical Deciduous Forest Fires in Chiangmai, Thailand

In Chiangmai province, Thailand, forest fire is one of the types of biomass open burning to release pollutants to the atmosphere. In March 2007, the highest particulate matter concentration is approximately as 383 mu g/m(3) in the atmosphere reported by The Pollutant Control Department, Thailand. A high smog and dust covered in this area in long time period during dry season after forest fires occurrence. A pollutant released affects to human health, climate change and environment due to particulate matter. Carbonaceous aerosols as black carbon and organic carbon are a major component in particulate matter. According to BC can absorb all visible light radiation and influence to global warming, on the other hand of OC is the role of global cooling. The biomass fuel load from dry dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest were ignited by many cause, especially the rural people need to burn for gathering of forest non-timber product, etc. The composition of biomass fuel as litter, twig, grass and undergrowth are combusted during the annually dry season (January to April) due to the surface fire usually occurs in tropical deciduous forest. Biomass fuels 200g sampling was burn in aluminum platform for collecting a particulate matter released. Particulate matter collected on filter using pump at flow rate of 10 L/min since ignition started until complete burn down indicated by no further visible smoke emissions. The flaming phase dominant in dry dipterocarp forest and observed the particulate matter color was gray, the opposite of combustion phase dominant in mixed deciduous forest was smoldering and particulate matter color was yellow-brown. The total particulate matter from dry dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest was measured using gravimetric method approximately 23.28 and 11.09mg/m(3), respectively. Trace elements in particulate emission collected on filters were prepare a solution extraction based on compendium 10(-3) standard method before quantify chemical component using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. A major species of trace elements component in particulate matter collected from tropical deciduous forest fires consists of sodium, magnesium, chlorine, potassium, calcium and iron. Organic carbon concentration in particulate matter collected on quartz filters from dry dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest biomass burning was as-6.2% and 11.7%, respectively. According to black carbon concentration analysis was as 55.5% and 60.2% in particulate matter from dry dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest biomass burning, respectively.