Emissions of Toxic Substances from Biomass Burning: A Review of Methods and Technical Influencing Factors

Abstract

In the perspective of energy sustainability, biomass is the widely used renewable domestic energy with low cost and easy availability. Increasing studies have reported the health impacts of toxic substances from biomass burning emissions. To make proper use of biomass as residential solid energy, the evaluation of its health risks and environmental impacts is of necessity. Empirical studies on the characteristics of toxic emissions from biomass burning would provide scientific data and drive the development of advanced technologies. This review focuses on the emission of four toxic substances, including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), elemental carbon (EC), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from biomass burning, which have received increasing attention in recent studies worldwide. We focus on the developments in empirical studies, methods of measurements, and technical factors. The influences of key technical factors on biomass burning emissions are combustion technology and the type of biomass. The methods of sampling and testing are summarized and associated with various corresponding parameters, as there are no standard sampling methods for the biomass burning sector. Integration of the findings from previous studies indicated that modern combustion technologies result in a 2–4 times reduction, compared with traditional stoves. Types of biomass burning are dominant contributors to certain toxic substances, which may help with the invention or implementation of targeted control technologies. The implications of previous studies would provide scientific evidence to push the improvements of control technologies and establish appropriate strategies to improve the prevention of health hazards.

Characterization of Wildland Firefighters’ Exposure to Coarse, Fine, and Ultrafine Particles; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; and Metal(loid)s, and Estimation of Associated Health Risks

“…The presence of different metals in the fumes of biomass combustions, including forest fires, was previously reported by other authors [ 40 , 42 , 48 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 ]. So far, limited information is available on the metal content of PM 2.5 released during prescribed fires ( Supplementary Table S6 ); no data are available for coarse and ultrafine PM.…”

The Determination of Combustion for Different Pellets Based on Ostwald Diagrams in a Domestic Stove under Experimental Conditions

“…Thus, as recommended in the literature, sampling of these kind of pollutants (CO, CO 2 , NO x , etc.) was carried out using gaseous analyzers placed in the chimney after combustion took place [41]. The orientation of the sampling tube was perpendicular of the gas flow, and the utilized inlet sampling procedure was based on a flange which can be opened during the sampling procedure.…”

Vertical Profiles of Aerosols Induced by Dust, Smoke, and Fireworks in the Cold Region of Northeast China

“…During the last two decades, northeast China has faced fluctuating levels of air pollution from natural emissions, intense anthropogenic activities, and cross-regional transport of aerosols from nearby regions [12][13][14][15]. Studies have focused on proposing control measures to reduce the intensity of anthropogenic activities, including energy combustion, illegal emissions, and biomass burning, as well as leveraging favourable meteorological conditions to mitigate the formation of intense haze over megacities in northeast China [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”