Environmental Technology & Innovation 7 (2017) 169–181 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Environmental Technology & Innovation journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/eti Hazardous pollutants emissions and environmental impacts from fuelwood burned and synthetic fertilizers applied by tobacco growers in Pakistan Majid Hussain a,b,c , Riffat Naseem Malik b,* , Adam Taylor c,* , Maureen Puettmann d a Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan b Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Haripur, Hattar Road Haripur 22620, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan c Center for Renewable Carbon, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-4570, USA d Woodlife Environmental Consultants LLC, OR, USA highlights • Environmental impacts assessment was performed for tobacco cultivation in Pakistan. • Data were collected through rigorous questionnaire surveys from the tobacco growers. • GHG emissions from fuelwood burned in tobacco barns is estimated to be 176,564 tCO 2 e. • NPK had highest contribution to environmental impacts among fertilizers used by growers. • Pollution mitigation strategies should be considered in the tobacco farming in Pakistan. article info Article history: Received 16 September 2016 Available online 1 March 2017 Keywords: Fuelwood Tobacco Greenhouse gas emissions Environmental impacts Fertilizer Pakistan abstract This study aimed to estimate hazardous and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and associated environmental impacts from fuelwood burning and synthetic fertilizer application by tobacco growers in Pakistan during the cropping year of 2014–2015. Primary data regarding fuelwood and synthetic fertilizers consumption were collected through surveys and interviews with tobacco growers in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. Annual fuelwood consumption data (t dm/y) were converted into harvested biomass (m 3 ) using a general wood density value of 0.65 t dm/m 3 . For annual GHG estimations, methodology outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was applied. The results revealed that fuelwood consumption varies from region to region and amounted to 99,268 t dm and 152,721 m 3 during the cropping year 2014–2015. GHG emissions from fuelwood burned by tobacco curing barns are estimated as 160,245 tCO 2 , 705 tCH 4 , and 4.74 tN 2 O in 2014–15. Moreover, consolidated GHG emissions from fuelwood burning in tobacco curing barns in terms of tonne CO 2 -equivalent using global warming potential for 100-year time horizon is estimated to be 176,564 tCO 2 e during 2014–15. Similarly, annual nitrogenous fertilizers and urea consumption and consequent N 2 O and CO 2 emissions were 117,223 and 41,084 kg and 347 and 30 tCO 2 e emissions, respectively. Furthermore, consolidated GHG emissions from synthetic fertilizers consumption in tobacco growing regions are estimated to be 377 tCO 2 e in 2014–15. Fuelwood harvesting and synthetic fertilizers application by the under study * Corresponding authors. Fax: +92 51 90643017., +92 51 90643017. E-mail addresses: r_n_malik2000@yahoo.co.uk (R.N. Malik), mtylo29@utk.edu (A. Taylor). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2017.02.003 2352-1864/© 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.