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peer-reviewed research article

Agricultural burning monitored for air pollutants in Imperial County; exposure reduction recommendations developed

authors

Martha Harnly, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Richmond
Kinnery Naik-Patel, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Richmond
Stephen Wall, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Richmond
Penelope J. E. Quintana, San Diego State University
Diamon Pon, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Richmond
Jeff Wagner, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Richmond

publication information

California Agriculture 66(3):85-90. DOI: 10.3733/ca.v066n03p85. July-September 2012.

NALT Keywords

agricultural management, atmospheric sciences, chemical substances, fire science and management

abstract

Air pollutants, notably particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), are emitted during agricultural burning. We studied a winter period in Imperial County when predominantly bermuda-grass stubble was burned. At four locations, PM2.5 levels were 23% higher from 4 p.m. on burn days to 8 a.m. the following morning than on days when there were no burns. On days when a burn was within 2 miles of a monitoring site, concentrations were 7 to 8 micrograms per cubic meter higher than on days when burns were farther away; measured levels lowered air quality, which potentially approached moderate. In monitoring five specific burns, we found that the levels of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 micrometers (PM10) were highly elevated and potentially hazardous directly downwind of one field. In addition, PM2.5 was composed primarily of carbon, and levels of naphthalene, a respiratory carcinogen, were elevated compared with upwind samples. In interviews, most community leaders, residents and farmers thought health educational efforts were needed. As a result, we developed fact sheets and have made recommendations for further actions to reduce people's exposure to smoke from agricultural burning.

author affiliations

M. Harnly is Research Scientist Supervisor, Environmental Health Investigations Branch (EHIB), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Richmond; K. Naik-Patel is Epidemiology Fellow, Environmental Health Investigations Branch (EHIB), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Richmond; S. Wall is Chief, Outdoor Air Quality Section, Environmental Health Laboratory, CDPH, Richmond; P.J.E. Quintana is Associate Professor of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University; D. Pon is a Research Scientist at the Environmental Health Laboratory, CDPH, Richmond; J. Wagner is a Research Scientist at the Environmental Health Laboratory, CDPH, Richmond.

author notes

We gratefully acknowledge Michael Carey, Esther Bejarano and BianKa Singh for carefully following field sampling protocols; Svetlana Smorodinsky for technical assistance; and Tivo Rojas-Cheatham, Paula Kriner and Deborah Garcia for assistance with educational efforts. We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of community residents. This work was partially funded by the U.S./Mexico Border Environmental Cooperation Commission.

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