Georgia Rural Air Quality: Effect of Agricultural and Forestry Burning

Abstract

General rural and urban air quality levels, periods of open burning, and prevailing weather conditions are reported for Georgia in 1971. Rural and urban levels of suspended particulate matter and benzene soluble extract are compared. 24 hour particulate concentrations averaged 35 µg/m² for the rural environment and 73 µg/m³ for the urban environment, with benzene solubles making up 6.4% of the rural and 4.3% of the urban total. Benzene soluble concentration is correlated with acres of open burning; suspended particulate concentration is not. Open burning (1 million acres In Georgia during 1971) produces significant quantities of suspended particulates. The effect these particulates have on general air quality is not well defined. If open burning is viewed as an area-wide, regular occurrence, one may infer from the limited data that such burning is causing no greater air pollution problem in Georgia than the sum of other activities at other times.