Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-16-2026

Department

Department of Physics; Department of Chemistry

Abstract

Open burning of solid waste is projected to contribute up to 29% of global anthropogenic PM2.5 emissions, yet its role in secondary aerosol formation remains largely absent from current assessments. Using 21-T Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, we show that fresh trash burning organic aerosol (tbOA) in the Indo-Gangetic plain, specifically West Bengal, India, during wintertime is dominated by more volatile, low-oxygenation CHO species (66% of the formulae), including markers of plastic and biomass combustion. The downwind ambient aerosol in haze was dominated by less volatile, highly oxygenated organonitrates and organosulfates (>85% of the formulae), consistent with substantial atmospheric transformation. Single-particle measurements show that freshly emitted tbOA is internally mixed with inorganic salts, implying enhanced hygroscopicity and aqueous-phase processing as a mechanistic driver of this transformation. Our molecular-level observations suggest a potential link between open trash burning and organonitrate- and organosulfate-rich secondary aerosol in the regional winter boundary layer. Our results motivate targeted chamber experiments and regional modeling studies to better quantify the contributions and chemical evolution of trash burning emissions in air quality assessments.

Publisher's Statement

© 2026 Battelle Memorial Institute and The Author(s). Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Geophysical Union. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JD046895

Publication Title

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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