NO2 emissions from agricultural burning in São Paulo, Brazil

Environ Sci Technol. 2004 Sep 1;38(17):4557-61. doi: 10.1021/es0496219.

Abstract

We report here on the application of a compact ultraviolet spectrometer to measurement of NO2 emissions from sugar cane field burns in São Paulo, Brazil. The time-resolved NO2 emission from a 10 ha plot peaked at about 240 g (NO2) s(-1), and amounted to a total yield of approximately 50 kg of N, or about 0.5 g (N) m(-2). Emission of N as NOx (i.e., NO + NO2) was estimated at 2.5 g (N) m(-2), equivalent to 30% of applied fertilizer nitrogen. The corresponding annual emission of NOx nitrogen from São Paulo State sugar cane burning was >45 Gg N. In contrast to mechanized harvesting, which does not require prior burning of the crop, manual harvesting with burning acts to recycle nitrogen into surface soils and ecosystems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agriculture* / methods
  • Agriculture* / statistics & numerical data
  • Air Pollutants / analysis*
  • Brazil
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods
  • Environmental Monitoring / statistics & numerical data
  • Incineration / methods
  • Nitrogen Dioxide / analysis*
  • Saccharum
  • Smoke / analysis
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Smoke
  • Nitrogen Dioxide