Editing Pyre (section)

===Environmental impact in Southern Asia===

[[Image:Buddhist monks procession in front of a pyre.jpg|thumb|Buddhist monks procession in front of a pyre in [[Laos]]]]
Chakrabarty RK, et al. examined the environmental effects of Southern Asia's funeral pyres in their study, "Funeral pyres in South Asia: Brown carbon aerosol emissions and climate impacts". The heating of the atmosphere from carbonaceous aerosols resulting from human activities is a significant contributor to [[climate change in South Asia]]. In this region, fossil fuel use and residential biofuels have been documented to be the primary emitter of light-absorbing [[black carbon]] aerosols. The study determined the emitted organic carbon contributed 40% to smoke absorption of visible [[solar radiation]], about 92 Gg annually.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Chakrabarty|first1=Rajan K.|last2=Pervez|first2=Shamsh|last3=Chow|first3=Judith C.|last4=Watson|first4=John G.|last5=Dewangan|first5=Shippi|last6=Robles|first6=Jerome|last7=Tian|first7=Guoxun|date=2014-01-14|title=Funeral Pyres in South Asia: Brown Carbon Aerosol Emissions and Climate Impacts|journal=Environmental Science & Technology Letters|volume=1|issue=1|pages=44–48|doi=10.1021/ez4000669|bibcode=2014EnSTL...1...44C }}</ref>

A second study examined the carbonaceous fractions associated with indoor PM2.5/PM10 during Asian cultural and ritual burning practices. (Dewangan, et al.) This study concluded drastically higher levels of biomass burning markers within [[burial]] rituals performed indoors compared to levels collected for residential indoors and ambient outdoors, with levels reaching three- to eightfold higher levels of [[carbonaceous]] aerosols. These high chemical levels were also found to correlate to higher aerosol fraction levels during winter months in both Muslim Holy Shrines and marriage places. The study concluded PM concentrations were significantly higher in indoor-ritual locations and suggested further studies and actions be taken to investigate risk and health assessment and calls for regulatory agencies to propose new guidelines for indoor cultural/ritual locations.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dewangan|first1=Shippi|last2=Pervez|first2=Shamsh|last3=Chakrabarty|first3=Rajan|last4=Watson|first4=John G.|last5=Chow|first5=Judith C.|last6=Pervez|first6=Yasmeen|last7=Tiwari|first7=Suresh|last8=Rai|first8=Joyce|date=2016-09-01|title=Study of carbonaceous fractions associated with indoor PM2.5/PM10 during Asian cultural and ritual burning practices|journal=Building and Environment|volume=106|pages=229–236|doi=10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.06.006}}</ref>