Changes from traditional solid fuels to clean household energies - Opportunities in emission reduction of primary PM2.5 from residential cookstoves in China

Household biomass and coal use is an important source of PM2.5 emission in China due to low efficient burnings and large consumptions. Primary PM2.5 emissions for different fuels are compared based on a compilation of data from emission measurements of Chinese cookstoves in literature. The burning of pellets had low PM2.5 emissions at 0.42 and 0.18 g MJ(d)(-1) for straw and wood pellets, respectively. There would be an emission reduction of about 80% compared to ordinary raw biomass fuel burning for cooking. The average emissions of PM2.5 per useful energy delivered were 0.10 and 0.28 g MJ(d)(-1) anthracite briquette and chunk, but as high as 1.2 and 3.2 g MJ(d)(-1) for bituminous briquette and chunk, respectively. Coals burned in the form of briquette may lower PM2.5 emission by 60% compared to the burning of raw chunk. The adoption of improved high efficiency cookstoves would have a comparable reduction in primary emissions compared to a fuel switch. Gas should be promoted for cooking as primary PM2.5 emissions are 1,2 orders of magnitude lower compared to those for solid fuels. More emission measurements and fuel consumption survey are needed to fill data gap and to support interventions of advanced fuel-stove combinations. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.