Carbonaceous Aerosol Emissions From Residential Heating in India: Field Measurements of Emission Factors and Optical Properties

Abstract Residential activities are major contributors to global carbonaceous aerosol emissions, particularly in densely populated and low‐middle‐income countries such as India. Assessing the climatic impacts of these aerosols requires a detailed understanding of their optical properties and atmospheric abundance. Despite a strong understanding of cooking activities, residential water and space heating emissions in India remain highly uncertain. Using the field measurements, this study quantifies emission factors (EFs) and optical properties of emissions from water and space heating in India. The measured PM 2.5 , elemental carbon (EC), and organic carbon (OC) EFs for heating range between 2.2–20.7, 0.4–2.2, and 0.8–5.5 g kg −1 , respectively, are ∼2 fold higher than those for cooking. PM 2.5 EFs from firewood (20.7 ± 8.5 g kg −1 ) are larger than those during the crop residue (7.1 ± 5.7 g kg −1 ) and dung cake (17.4 ± 9.8 g kg −1 ) burning for water heating. These emissions exhibit significant absorption, corroborated by low values of single‐scattering albedo at 532 nm ranging from 0.17 to 0.96. A large absorption Angström exponent of 1.34–2.57 suggests the presence of brown carbon. The study estimates emissions of 1,239 (±264), 309 (±88), and 88 (±30) Gg yr −1 for PM 2.5 , OC, and EC, respectively, from residential heating activities in India. Spatially, emission patterns from heating differ from those for cooking, with high emissions in northern hilly regions, the Indo‐Gangetic plains, and western and southern India. The derived EFs, optical properties, and high‐resolution emissions enhance the understanding of aerosol climate impacts, offering insights for regional mitigation strategies for air pollution.