Impacts of controlling biomass burning emissions on wintertime carbonaceous aerosol in Europe

We use a 3-D regional chemical transport model, with the latest advancements in the organic aerosol (OA) treatment, and an updated emission inventory for wood combustion to study the organic aerosol change in response to the replacement of current residential wood combustion technologies with pellet stoves. Simulations show a large decrease of fine organic aerosol (more than 60%) in urban and suburban areas during winter and decreases of 30–50% in elemental carbon levels in large parts of Europe. There is also a considerable decrease (around 40%) of oxidized OA, mostly in rural and remote regions. Total PM2.5 mass is predicted to decrease by 15–40% on average during the winter in continental Europe. Accurate representation of the intermediate volatility precursors of organic aerosol in the emission inventory is crucial in assessing the efficiency of such abatement strategies.