Smoke Chemistry and Chemical Composition

Chemical Composition of Smoke

Wood Smoke — Nancy Habbas/EyeEm/Getty Images

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Updated on May 03, 2018

Smoke is something that we will deal with all throughout our lives, in everyday situations as well as in emergencies. But not all smoke is the same -- in fact, the smoke will vary depending upon what is being burned. So then what, exactly, is smoke made of?

Smoke consists of gasses and airborne particles produced as a result of combustion or burning. The specific chemicals depend on the fuel used to produce the fire. Here is a look as some of the principal chemicals produced from wood smoke. Keep in mind, there are thousands of chemicals in smoke so the chemical composition of smoke is extremely complex.

Chemicals in Smoke

In addition to the chemicals listed in the table, wood smoke also contains a large amount of unreacted air, carbon dioxide, and water. It contains a variable amount of mold spores. VOCs are volatile organic compounds. Aldehydes found in wood smoke include formaldehyde, acrolein, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, acetaldehyde, and furfural. Alkyl benzenes found in wood smoke include toluene. Oxygenated monoaromatics include guaiacol, phenol, syringol and catechol. Numerous PAHs or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found in smoke. Many trace elements are released.

Reference: 1993 EPA Report, A Summary of the Emissions Characterization and Noncancer Respiratory Effects of Wood Smoke, EPA-453/R-93-036

Chemical Composition of Wood Smoke

Chemical	g/kg Wood
carbon monoxide	80-370
methane	14-25
VOCs* (C2-C7)	7-27
aldehydes	0.6-5.4
substituted furans	0.15-1.7
benzene	0.6-4.0
alkyl benzenes	1-6
acetic acid	1.8-2.4
formic acid	0.06-0.08
nitrogen oxides	0.2-0.9
sulfur dioxide	0.16-0.24
methyl chloride	0.01-0.04
napthalene	0.24-1.6
substituted napthalenes	0.3-2.1
oxygenated monoaromatics	1-7
total particle mass	7-30
particulate organic carbon	2-20
oxygenated PAHs	0.15-1
Individual PAHs	10^-5-10^-2
chlorinated dioxins	1x10^-5-4x10^-5
normal alkanes (C24-C30)	1x10^-3-6x10^-3
sodium	3x10^-3-2.8x10^-2
magnesium	2x10^-4-3x10^-3
aluminum	1x10^-4-2.4x10^-2
silicon	3x10^-4-3.1x10^-2
sulfur	1x10^-3-2.9x10^-2
chlorine	7x10^-4-2.1x10^-2
potassium	3x10^-3-8.6x10^-2
calcium	9x10^-4-1.8x10^-2
titanium	4x10^-5-3x10^-3
vanadium	2x10^-5-4x10^-3
chromium	2x10^-5-3x10^-3
manganese	7x10^-5-4x10^-3
iron	3x10^-4-5x10^-3
nickel	1x10^-6-1x10^-3
copper	2x10^-4-9x10^-4
zinc	7x10^-4-8x10^-3
bromine	7x10^-5-9x10^-4
lead	1x10^-4-3x10^-3

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Smoke Chemistry and Chemical Composition." ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/smoke-chemistry-607309. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, September 7). Smoke Chemistry and Chemical Composition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/smoke-chemistry-607309 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Smoke Chemistry and Chemical Composition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/smoke-chemistry-607309 (accessed June 3, 2023).