Fine particulate matter source apportionment following a large woodstove changeout program in Libby, Montana

Before a community-wide woodstove changeout program, a chemical mass balance (CMB) source apportionment study was conducted in Libby, MT, during the winter of 2003-2004 to identify the sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) within the valley. Results from this study showed that residential woodstoves were the major source, contributing approximately 80% of the ambient PM2.5 throughout the winter months. In an effort to lower the ambient PM2.5, a large woodstove changeout program was conducted in Libby from 2005 to 2007 in which nearly 1200 old woodstoves were changed out with cleaner burning models. During the winter of 2007-2008, a follow-up CMB source apportionment study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the changeout. Results from this study showed that average winter PM2.5 mass was reduced by 20%, and woodsmoke-related PM2.5 (as identified by the CMB model) was reduced by 28% when compared with the pre-changeout winter of 2003-2004. These results suggest that a woodstove changeout can be an effective tool in reducing ambient levels of PM2.5 in woodstove-impacted communities.