Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in Thailand
In the middle of 2019, Thailand introduced an urgent measure to solve the haze and fine particles problem caused by preharvest sugarcane. The measure is to eradicate the burning of sugarcane before harvesting within the next four years. This study focuses on estimation of future reduced air emission...
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doaj-62c660902463497a94acae2cfcf890722020-11-25T03:08:39ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332020-04-011136636610.3390/atmos11040366Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in ThailandAgapol Junpen0Jirataya Pansuk1Savitri Garivait2The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10140, ThailandFaculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Phutthamonthon Nakhon Pathom 73170, ThailandThe Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10140, ThailandIn the middle of 2019, Thailand introduced an urgent measure to solve the haze and fine particles problem caused by preharvest sugarcane. The measure is to eradicate the burning of sugarcane before harvesting within the next four years. This study focuses on estimation of future reduced air emissions from the implementation of this measure. The study results showed that without the implementation of the measure in the production season 2022/23, the amount of burned sugarcane will be as high as 102.4 ± 1.0 Mt/yr, resulting in the release of small particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) emissions into the atmosphere at 30.6 ± 8.6 kt/yr, which is about a 21% increase in emissions from the 2018/19 season. However, with the government’s enforcement of the measure to reduce burned sugarcane, the amount of air emissions will immediately be reduced in the first year. In order to effectively implement the sugarcane burning reduction measure, in which the harvesting methods will change from cutting burned sugarcane to cutting fresh sugarcane with human labor and with machinery, the government must provide financial support, to farmers, of approximately 3.3 USD per ton of fresh sugarcane for the use of human labor and 2.9 USD per ton of fresh sugarcane for the use of machinery. The costs of investment to reduce PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions can be calculated in the range of 9.7−11.0 million USD per kiloton of PM<sub>2.5</sub>.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/11/4/366agricultural burningair pollutionPM<sub>2.5</sub>environmental policyemission reduction |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Agapol Junpen Jirataya Pansuk Savitri Garivait |
spellingShingle |
Agapol Junpen Jirataya Pansuk Savitri Garivait Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in Thailand Atmosphere agricultural burning air pollution PM<sub>2.5</sub> environmental policy emission reduction |
author_facet |
Agapol Junpen Jirataya Pansuk Savitri Garivait |
author_sort |
Agapol Junpen |
title |
Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in Thailand |
title_short |
Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in Thailand |
title_full |
Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in Thailand |
title_fullStr |
Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in Thailand |
title_full_unstemmed |
Estimation of Reduced Air Emissions as a Result of the Implementation of the Measure to Reduce Burned Sugarcane in Thailand |
title_sort |
estimation of reduced air emissions as a result of the implementation of the measure to reduce burned sugarcane in thailand |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Atmosphere |
issn |
2073-4433 |
publishDate |
2020-04-01 |
description |
In the middle of 2019, Thailand introduced an urgent measure to solve the haze and fine particles problem caused by preharvest sugarcane. The measure is to eradicate the burning of sugarcane before harvesting within the next four years. This study focuses on estimation of future reduced air emissions from the implementation of this measure. The study results showed that without the implementation of the measure in the production season 2022/23, the amount of burned sugarcane will be as high as 102.4 ± 1.0 Mt/yr, resulting in the release of small particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) emissions into the atmosphere at 30.6 ± 8.6 kt/yr, which is about a 21% increase in emissions from the 2018/19 season. However, with the government’s enforcement of the measure to reduce burned sugarcane, the amount of air emissions will immediately be reduced in the first year. In order to effectively implement the sugarcane burning reduction measure, in which the harvesting methods will change from cutting burned sugarcane to cutting fresh sugarcane with human labor and with machinery, the government must provide financial support, to farmers, of approximately 3.3 USD per ton of fresh sugarcane for the use of human labor and 2.9 USD per ton of fresh sugarcane for the use of machinery. The costs of investment to reduce PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions can be calculated in the range of 9.7−11.0 million USD per kiloton of PM<sub>2.5</sub>. |
topic |
agricultural burning air pollution PM<sub>2.5</sub> environmental policy emission reduction |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/11/4/366 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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