Physical, chemical and optical properties of PM and gaseous emissions from cooking with biomass fuel in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

The current study was designed to capture real-world cooking process-wise emissions generated by the combustion of mixed biomass fuel in traditional mud cookstoves in rural kitchens of the north Indian state of Uttar-Pradesh during regular meal preparations. Combustion characteristics, including modified combustion efficiency, thermal efficiency and burn rate, were examined to understand their relationship with emissions. Variations were observed in emission factors (EFs) of PM, trace gases, namely CO, CO, NO and SO for different cooking processes.