Biomass Burning Emissions and Air Quality Effects

Biomass burning, encompassing wildfires, prescribed fires and the combustion of agricultural residue and domestic fuels, is a major global source of trace gases and particulate matter. Fire-induced emissions include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrogen oxides, non-methane organic gases and a complex mixture of aerosols such as black carbon and organic carbon. These pollutants impair air quality at local to hemispheric scales, exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular health problems and influence atmospheric chemistry by altering ozone formation and the oxidative capacity of the troposphere. Particulate emissions contribute to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) burdens, reducing visibility and affecting cloud microphysics. Seasonal and regional variability in fire activity, driven by climate variability, land-use practices and fuel availability, shapes the timing and intensity of atmospheric impacts. Advances in satellite observation, emission modelling and in situ measurements have enhanced the quantification of fire emissions and their atmospheric transformation. Improved emission inventories underpin air-quality forecasting, guide public health advisories and inform policies on land management, fire suppression and open-burning regulations. The interplay between primary emissions and secondary pollutant formation underscores the need for integrated approaches that couple emission data with chemical transport models to assess air-quality outcomes and climate forcing from biomass burning.

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Biomass Burning Emissions and Air Quality Effects publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in biomass burning emissions and air quality effects across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Emission factor: The mass of a given pollutant released per unit mass of biomass consumed, used to estimate emissions from different fuel types.

Non-methane organic gas (NMOG): Volatile organic compounds emitted from combustion that exclude methane, many of which participate in ozone and secondary aerosol formation.

Particulate matter (PM2.5): Fine aerosol particles with aerodynamic diameter under 2.5 µm, capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and affecting health and visibility.

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA): Aerosol formed through atmospheric reactions of volatile organic compounds, contributing significantly to fine particulate loading downwind of fires.

References

1. Impact of gaseous smoke pollutants from modelled fires on air and soil quality. Carbon Research (2025).
2. Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning – an updated assessment. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2019).
3. Global fire emissions estimates during 1997–2016. Earth System Science Data (2017).