Impact of black carbon on environment and its mitigation through energy efficient technologies
Student name: Ms Arundhati Yadava
Guide: Dr Priyanka Kaushal
Year of completion: 2018
Host Organisation: Development Alternatives, New Delhi
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Soumen Maity
Abstract: Of all the causative factors that contribute to global warming, black carbon (BC) is known to
absorb incoming radiation one million times more than CO2 per unit mass. It is a positive
climate forcer and an air pollutant. It causes atmospheric heating, enhanced glacial retreat,
affects precipitation patterns and damages local vegetation. The atmospheric lifetime of BC is
about a week or two which makes its impact regional. In India, the major sources of BC emission
are transport, biomass burning and brick kilns. Brick kilns are the second largest consumer of
coal in the country, and contribute immensely to BC emissions. Hence, this project aims to study
BC emissions from brick kilns in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). A sample survey of brick kilns
was undertaken in Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to find out the average coal consumption
and brick production of different types of continuous kilns- Fixed Chimney Bull’s Trench Kiln
(FCBTK), Zigzag Kiln and Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK). The BC, PM2.5, CO and CO2
emissions were evaluated using bottom-up approach. While FCBTK is an energy inefficient
technology, zigzag and VSBK are energy efficient technologies which was also shown from the
field survey. The study reveals that VSBKs, though are having many installations, were not in
operation as the quality of bricks produced was not marketable and the owners suffered losses.
The zigzag kilns were found to be working well. The study estimates that about 50,000 tonnes of
BC are emitted in the IGP annually, while the CO2 emission comes to about 47 million tonnes per
annum. The emissions are found to be the lowest for VSBKs, but due to gaps in technology
transfer, VSBKs is yet to gain acceptance. Alternate building materials have also been included
in this study. Due to non-availability of ample soil for brick production and pollution concerns,
alternate mitigation technologies like fly-ash bricks and Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC)
blocks serve as a clean option. The study would help policy makers towards formulation of better
strategies for technology transfer and implementation to combat climate change impact due to
brick making sector.
Keywords: Black carbon, PM2.5, Brick kilns, Indo-Gangetic Plain, Energy efficiency
