Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82684
Title: Annual air pollution caused by the Hungry Ghost Festival
Authors: Khezri, Bahareh
Chan, Y. Y.
Tiong, L. Y. D.
Webster, Richard David
Keywords: air pollutant
human activities
Issue Date: 2015
Source: Khezri, B., Chan, Y. Y., Tiong, L. Y. D., & Webster, R. D. (2015). Annual air pollution caused by the Hungry Ghost Festival. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 17(9), 1578-1586.
Series/Report no.: Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts
Abstract: Burning of joss paper and incense is still a very common traditional custom in countries with a majority Chinese population. The Hungry Ghost Festival which is celebrated in the 7 month of the Chinese calendar is one of the events where joss paper and incense are burned as offerings. This study investigates the impact of the Ghost Month Festival (open burning event) on air quality by analysis of the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) and rainwater samples collected during this event, compared with data collected throughout the year, as well as bottom ash samples from burning the original joss paper and incense. The results showed that the change in the chemical composition of the rainwater and PM2.5 (PM ≤ 2.5 μm) atmospheric samples could be correlated directly with burning events during this festival, with many elements increasing between 18% and 60% during August and September compared to the yearly mean concentrations. The order of percentage increase in elemental composition (in rain water and PM2.5) during the Hungry Ghost Festival is as follows: Zn > Ca > K > Mg > Fe > Al > Na ∼ Mn ∼ Ti ∼ V > Cu > As > Ni > Co > Cd > Cr > Pb. The chemical composition of the original source materials (joss paper and incense for combustion) and their associated bottom ash were analysed to explain the impact of burning on air quality.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82684
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/40293
ISSN: 2050-7887
DOI: 10.1039/C5EM00312A
Schools: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences 
Research Centres: Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute 
Rights: © 2015 The Royal Society of Chemistry. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
Fulltext Permission: open
Fulltext Availability: With Fulltext
Appears in Collections:NEWRI Journal Articles
SPMS Journal Articles

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