Oral

IAMAS

M01 - Atmospheric Chemistry in the Anthropocene: From the Urban to Global Scales

Smoke in the City: Contrasting Impacts of Prescribed Burns and Residential Wood Heating on Urban Air Quality

Urban air quality is increasingly impacted by smoke from both wildfires and prescribed burns, while indoor wood heating remains prevalent globally, with significant implications for human health and the environment. We investigate the contrasting impacts of two major smoke sources in urban environments: prescribed hazard reduction burns and residential wood heating. The research combines field measurements from two distinct studies. The first study, conducted in Western Sydney, Australia, analyzed the chemical composition and atmospheric behavior of smoke plumes from prescribed burns and domestic wood heating. The second study, conducted in Ioannina, Greece, investigated the emission rates and atmospheric processing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from predominantly wood-burning emissions in a small urban valley. The Western Sydney study revealed that while hazard reduction burns resulted in higher peak pollution levels, domestic wood heaters contributed more significantly to overall air pollution due to their higher frequency and longer duration. The Ioannina study highlighted the intense accumulation of wood-burning emissions in the urban valley, leading to high concentrations of VOCs and the rapid formation of secondary pollutants, including organic acids. These findings underscore the significant impact of both prescribed burns and residential wood heating on urban air quality, particularly in topographically complex regions. We conclude that mitigating smoke pollution in urban areas requires a multi-faceted approach, including strategic management of prescribed burns and public awareness campaigns to reduce residential wood burning.