United States
            Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air
and Radiation
EPA-452/F-93-012
August 1993
            Air
&EPA  Environmental
            Fact Sheet
            LEAF AND YARD TRIMMING MANAGEMENT:
            COMPOSTING VERSUS RESIDENTIAL BURNING - ADDENDUM
            This addendum supplements EPA publication number EPA-452/F-93-OW with additional
            information regarding air pollutant emissions and potential health effects from the burning
            of leaves and yard trimmings. Table 1 provides emission factors for paniculate matter,
            carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons for a number of leaf species.  Table 2 provides
            a list of leaf burning pollutants and their associated biological effect criteria, as well as the
            populations most affected by these pollutants.  Table 3 presents leaf incineration emissions
            of a number ofpolycydic aromatic hydrocarbons.

                   Table  1. Emission Factors for Leaf Burning 1>2
Leaf Species
Black Ash
Modesto Ash
White Ash
Catalpa
Horse Chestnut
Cottonwood
American Elm
Eucalyptus
Sweet Gum
Black Locust
Magnolia
Silver Maple
American Sycamore
California Sycamore
Tulip
Red Oak
Sugar Maple
Unspecified
Paniculate a-b
Ib/ton (kg/Mg)
36 (18)
32 (16)
43 (21.5)
17 (8.5)
54 (27)
38 (19)
26 (13)
36 (18)
33 (16.5)
70 (35)
13 (6.5)
66 (33)
15 (7.5)
10 (5)
20 (10)
92 (46)
53 (26.5)
38 (19)
Carbon Monoxide *
Ib/ton (kg/Mg)
127 (63.5)
163 (81.5)
113 (57)
89 (44.5)
147 (73.5)
90 (45)
119 (59.5)
90 (45)
140 (70)
130 (65)
55 (27.5)
102 (51)
115 (57.5)
104 (52)
77 (38.5)
137 (68.5)
108 (54)
112 (56)
Hydrocarbons *>c
Ib/ton (kg/Mg)
41 (20.5)
25 (12.5)
21 (10.5)
15 (7.5)
39 (19.5)
32 (16)
29 (14.5)
26 (13)
27 (13.5)
62 (31)
10 (5)
25 (12.5)
8 (4)
5 (2.5)
16 (8)
34 (17)
27 (13.5)
26 (13)
"These factors are an arithmetic average of the results obtained by burning high- and low-moisture content conical piles ignited
either at the top or around the periphery of the bottom. The windrow arrangement was only tested on modesto ash. catalpa,
amencan elm, sweet gum, silver maple, and tulip, and the results are included in the averages for these species.
"The majority of particulates are submicron in size.
cTests indicate hydrocarbons consist, on the average, of 42% olefins, 32% methane, 8% acetylene, and 13% other saturates

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REFERENCES
1. Compilation of Air Pollution
Emission Factors - Volume 1:
Stationary Point and Area
Sources. Fourth Edition and
Supplements, AP-42.
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina.
September 1985 through
September 1991.
2. Air Quality, Health and
Economic Impacts of Leaf
Burning. Air Program
Development Section, Air and
Quality Division, Iowa Depart-
ment of Environmental Quality,
Des Moines, Iowa. June 1982.
Table 2. Biological Effect Cntena and the Human Populations Sensitive
to Various Pollutants Associated with Leaf Burning 2
Identified Pollutants
Biological Effect Criteria
Sensitive Populations 0
Particulates
Pulmonary function
Asthmatics; persons with cardiopulmonary and/or
cardiovascular disease induding coronary ischemia
(coronary artery disease); persons with bronchitis.
emphysema, and/or atelectasis; and young
children (0-6 years)
Carbon Monoxide
Carboxyhemoglobin
Smokers; persons with cardiopulmonary
and/or cardiovascular disease; asthmatic children;
pregnant women; and infants
Aliphatic Hydrocarbons
Aldehydes
Pulmonary function
Peroxidation of phospholipids in
alveolar surfactant
Persons with cardiopulmonary and/or
cardiovascular disease
aThe general population may also experience adverse health effects; however, this table attempts to emphasize those
particular groups who will be hypersensitive to each pollutant.
Table 3. Polycyclic Hydrocarbon Emissions
from Incineration of Leaves 2
Polycyclic Hydrocarbons
Composite Emissions B
(nanogram. per gram of leave. burned)
Mean
Range
Anthracene/Phenanthrene
Methyl anthracenes
Fluoranthene
Pyrene
Methylpyrene/Fluoranthene
Benzo(c)phenanthrene
Chrysene/Benz(a)anthracene
Methyl chrysenes
Benzo fluoranthenes
Benzo(a)pyrene 1
Benzo(e)pyrene J
Perylene
3-Methylcholanthrene
ldeno(1 ,2,3,-cd)pyrene
Benzo(g,h,i)perylene
Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene
Dibenzo(c,g)carbazole
Dibenzo(a,i and a,h)pyrenes
Coronene
4970
3967
2108
1562
1152
112
523
253
377
193
110
0
245
51
0
0
0
0
3480-7300
3000-5200
1400-3000
1000-2200
360-1100
0-280
210-780
0-750
0-780
120-280
0-290
-
0-760
0-115
-
-
-
-
aM emission composite of mean ield and range of values of s x replicates of three teat
species (red oak, sugar maple, and sycamore)
2

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