SAFARI 2000 Gas Emissions from Biofuel Use and Production, September 2000

Wood and charcoal provide approximately 90% and 10% of domestic energy in tropical Africa, respectively. As part of the Southern Africa Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000), the University of Montana participated in both ground-based and airborne campaigns during the southern African dry season of 2000 to measure trace gas emissions from biofuel production and use and savanna fires, respectively.In September of 2000, ground-based, open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) was used to quantify 18 of the most abundant trace gases emitted by wood and charcoal cooking fires and an earthen, charcoal-making kiln in Zambia.

These are the first, in-situ measurements of an extensive suite of trace gases emitted by tropical biofuel burning.This data set provides biofuel burning emission ratios and emission factors from field measurements for the following trace gases (in order of abundance): carbon dioxide (CO2); carbon monoxide (CO); methane (CH4); acetic acid (CH3COOH); methanol (CH3OH); formaldehyde (HCHO); ethene (C2H4); ammonia (NH3); acetylene (C2H2); nitric oxide (NO); ethane (C2H6); phenol (C6H5OH); propene (C3H6); formic acid (HCOOH); nitrogen dioxide (NO2), hydroxyacetaldehyde (HOCH2COH); and furan (C4H4O).