Mitigation of Ulaanbaatar city's air pollution - from source aportionment to ultra-low emission lignite burning stoves

Abstract

The extraordinary air pollution in Ulaanbaatar (up to 4 200 μg m-3) was monitored using Nucleopore® filters and particle counters. Particle analysis confirmed low temperature coal combustion as the major air quality problem in poor districts. High time-resolution PM 2.5 data showed particles are emitted during the ignition of lignite fires. Over 50% of all PM comes from the ignition phase of stoves lighted in the morning and in the late afternoon after people arrive home from work. A laboratory (modelled on the SeTAR Centre Laboratory, University of Johannesburg) was established to quantify domestic stove emissions. Measured particulate matter was as much as 12 g m-3 of flue gases. Data analysis uses the SeTAR Centre Heterogeneous Testing Protocols and analytical methods. A combustor testing programme led rapidly to the development of an extremely clean-burning cooking and space heating stove that has been developed and brought to market within a single year. An acceptable 9 kW low-emission (up to 99% reduction of PM 2.5) and high efficiency (50% fuel savings) crossdraft cooking and space heating stove was developed and is being piloted for large scale production in Ulaanbaatar at this time