Light absorption properties of brown carbon from biomass burning emissions.

A laboratory-scale experiment was conducted to determine the light absorption properties of brown carbon (BrC) produced from the incomplete combustion of 14 different biomasses. Particulate matters (PM) emitted from biomass burning were collected on the quartz fiber filters with a low volume sampler. BrC from filter samples was extracted with two different solvents (methanol and water), and absorption characteristics of BrC were determined using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer.