[1] Wood smoke in the atmosphere often accounts for 20–30% of the ambient fineparticle concentrations. In communities where wood is burned for home heating, wood smoke can at times contribute the majority of the atmospheric fine-particle burden. Chemical mass balance receptor models that use organic compounds as tracers can be used to determine the contributions of different emission sources, i...

Residential combustion has been identified as one of the main sources of particulate matter (PM); fine particles are important because of their adverse effects on human health and the environment. In this thesis, fine particle emissions originating from residential pellet combustion were characterized in different operational situations and using different raw materials as pellet fuel. Moreover...

This study was aimed to determine combustion characteristics and decay resistance of Spruce [Picea orientalis (L.)], Fir (Abies nordmanniana), Alder [Alnus glutinosa (L.)], and Iroko (Milicia excelsa) woods impregnated with ammonium tetrafluoro borate (1 to 3%) and the mixture of cement and borax (6% to 9%). The combustion test method was performed in three stages: flame stage, without flame st...

Spring harvested corn stover was used for direct combustion in a 146 kW dual chamber boiler designed for wood logs. Stover had a very low moisture content (6.83 ± 0.17%), a gross calorific value (GCV) of 18.57 MJ/kg of dry matter (±0.32 MJ/kg DM) and an ash content of 5.88% (±1.15%). Small stover bales (8.83 ± 0.90 kg) were placed manually in the upper combustion chamber at a rate of 10.5 to 12...

Few studies have examined particulate matter (PM) exposure from self-reported use of wood stoves and other indoor combustion sources in urban settings in developed countries. We measured concentrations of indoor PM < 2.5 microns (PM2.5) for one week with the MicroPEM™ nephelometer in 36 households in the greater Oslo, Norway metropolitan area. We examined indoor PM2.5 levels in relation to use ...

In the present work, the ash transformation and deposition behavior during wheat straw and wood waste combustion were investigated by combustion experiments in an entrained flow reactor. The influence of sewage sludge addition on ash chemistry and deposition tendency was also studied. During combustion wheat straw, fine fly ash particles smaller than 2.5 μm are mainly formed due to vaporization...

OBJECTIVES This study quantified the particle size effect on the performance of elastomeric half-mask respirators, which are widely used by firefighters and first responders exposed to combustion aerosols. METHODS One type of elastomeric half-mask respirator equipped with two P-100 filters was donned on a breathing manikin while challenged with three combustion aerosols (originated by burning...

Residential wood burning is a major source of poorly characterized, deleterious particulate matter, whose composition and toxicity may vary with wood type, burning condition and photochemical age. The causative link between ambient wood particle constituents and observed adverse health effects is currently lacking. Here we investigate the relationship between chemical properties of primary and ...

To assess potential emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from residential combustion of biofuels, experiments were performed in which various types of pellets and firewood were combusted in four types of stoves and boilers, with both full and reduced rates of air supply. Inter...

Biomass is the oldest form of energy used by human beings, mainly in the form of wood. It is a renewable source of energy and has many advantages from an ecological point of view. The direct combustion of biomass generates concern among environmentalists, as it is incomplete and inconsistent and may produce organic particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other organic gases. Biomass gasificatio...