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Two types of furnaces (a mid-size furnace denoted as Furnace 1 and a small-size one denoted as Furnace 2) commonly used for burning joss paper, located in two temples in southern Taiwan, were selected for this study. With similar burning devices (semi-open systems), both furnaces can be used to burn joss paper with the aid of natural air supply through the inlets of furnace. In order to characterize peak emission of PCDD/Fs (usually on festival days) in the selected temples, the sampling campaigns were conducted during the festival period in September 2008. It was found that the mean total I-TEQ contents in the original (unburned) joss paper from Furnaces 1 and 2 were 1.41 and 4.51 ng I-TEQ/kg, respectively. The mean total I-TEQ content in the residue of burned joss paper from Furnace 1 (7.97 ng I-TEQ/kg) was approximately 15-fold that of Furnace 2 (0.490 ng I-TEQ/kg). OCDD was the most abundant congener in the joss paper and in the residues from burned joss paper. Moreover, the emission factor of total PCDD/Fs I-TEQ content of Furnace 1 (0.176 ng I-TEQ/g-feedstock) was one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of Furnace 2 (0.0203 I-TEQ/g-feedstock). This phenomenon is probably associated with the high chlorine content in the unburned joss paper of Furnace 1, and high exhaust temperature from burning joss paper in Furnace 1 (271°C) was possibly within a range that might highly promote de novo formation of PCDD/Fs. It is necessary for the investigated furnaces to install air pollution control devices in order to reduce the PCDD/F emission from joss paper burning.

Republication or reproduction of this report or its storage and/or dissemination by electronic means is permitted without the need for formal IUPAC permission on condition that an acknowledgmentThe results show that TSP (total suspended particulate) and PM-10 (particles with aerodynamic diameter 10 µm) concentrations frequently exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standard and that ambient aerosol concentrations constitute a serious air pollution problem. PM-2.5 concentrations are also high and account for 60 % of the PM-10 mass. Organic carbon and sulfate are the most abundant components of PM-2.5, while crustal elements represent a minor portion. Nitrate concentrations are almost the same as sulfate in summertime, which implies that NOx control is very important in lowering fine particle concentrations and in improving air visibility. The chemical mass balance (CMB) method was applied in Beijing to identify the sources of PM-2.5. The main sources include fugitive dust, coal burning/industrial processes, traffic emissions, and secondary aerosol produced by atmospheric chemical conversion.

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