2013 -2018

DECOMBIO

Deconvolution of the contribution of Biomass Combustion to PM10

Within this project, the source apportionment with the Aethalometer AE33 is performed to determine the contribution of wood burning and traffic to ambient Black Carbon and carbonaceous matter concentrations. This will serve as validation of the air-quality improvement scheme in the Alpine valley. Aerosol d.o.o. was involved in the project as a subcontractor.

The Arve Valley, like many Alpine valleys, is regularly subject to atmospheric pollution phenomena which in winter translate into frequent exceedances of European standards for PM10. Its steep topography, the particular meteorological conditions and the concentration of human activities at the bottom of the valley favor the accumulation of pollutants, especially in winter. In this context, the impacts of these high concentrations are on the one hand health and on the other hand, concern an economic side, because it is partly this situation which leads the Rhône-Alpes Region to be among the regions which place the France in litigation with Europe for non-compliance with regulations on ambient air quality. The societal consequences are also important, as evidenced by the numerous demonstrations and citizen mobilization for several years in the Valley.

This has therefore led to the implementation of a program aimed at reducing PM10 emissions linked to the use of biomass as an energy source, which is part of the actions of the Atmosphere Protection Plan. (PPA) of the Arve. A very large-scale operation has been established via the Air Wood Fund project aimed at encouraging the renewal of the least efficient wood heating devices throughout the PPA area. Between April 2013, the start of the operation, and November 2016, almost 20% of non-performing devices were replaced .

At present, the assessment of the Fond Air Bois operation by Chemistry-Transport models, the preferred tools for studies of the impact on atmospheric concentrations, is uncertain. On the one hand, estimates of emissions related to residential wood heating are among the most uncertain estimates (PCIT Guide, 2012). And on the other hand, low level inversions, a specific phenomenon of local meteorology, are very poorly represented by the models (Paci et al, 2016).

The DECOMBIO program was set up to help assess the impacts of this heating system renovation policy on air quality based on field measurements.

The objectives of the project are:

the implementation of a monitoring device for a combustion tracer (Black Carbon) by on-line measurements by Aethalometer throughout the duration of the project and at different points representative of the territory of the valley of the Arve,
the validation of methodologies for measuring and attributing the contributions of sources of pollutants from biomass combustion based on continuous on-line measurements, by off-line measurements carried out during additional campaigns associated with methodologies for determining the source-receiver model type sources,
the linking of possible changes in the concentrations observed with the progress of the replacement of wood-burning devices, based on data obtained during the 4 years of field campaigns for the project. This should provide assistance in the evaluation of public action, while taking into account the first-order difusion factor represented by meteorology, linked to winter temperature inversions.