Multi-tracer approach to characterize domestic wood burning in Athens (Greece) during wintertime

Abstract During the last years the atmosphere of the Great AthensArea (GAA) and other Greek cities is burdened from extended residential biomass burningfor heating purposes. In this work, a series of near real-time and off-line biomass burningtracers are analyzed during intense wood burningevents in Athens. The measurements were conducted at an urban background site located in the center of Athens, and in the heart of wood burningactivities (winter 2013–2014). The measured tracers include high resolution measurements of non- sea saltpotassium (nss-K + ), wood burning black carbon(BC wb ), the m/z 60 fragment associated with levoglucosanand monosaccharideanhydrides ( levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan) determined on selected filter samples. The suitability of these tracers was evaluated when the prevailing meteorological conditions with low dispersion and deposition mechanisms (low wind speed, absence of precipitation) were associated with high biomass burningemissions at nighttime. During the severe smog periods, the levels of K + , BC wb , m/z 60 and levoglucosanwere up to 2.2 μg m −3 , 12.5 μg m −3 , 3.4 μg m −3 and 8.6 μg m −3 , respectively, higher by a factor of at least two, relatively to the non smog periods due to biomass burning. Correlations between biomass burningtracers as well as between monosaccharideanhydrides provided information about the type of material and wood being burned.