The effect of wood species on fine particle and gaseous emissions from a modern wood stove

Abstract

Residential wood combustion (RWC) is a significant source of gaseous and particulate emissions causing adverse health and environmental effects. Several factors affect emissions, but the effects of the fuel wood species on emissions are currently not well understood. In this study, the Nordic wood species (named BirchA, BirchB, Spruce, SpruceDry, Pine and Alder) were combusted in a modern stove, and the emissions were studied. The lowest emissions were obtained from the combustion of BirchA and the highest from Spruce and Alder. The fine particle mass (PM2.5) was mainly composed of elemental carbon (50-70% of PM2.5), which is typical in modern appliances. The lowest PAH concentrations were measured from BirchA (total PAH 107 mu g/m3) and Pine (250 mu g/m3). In the ignition batch, the PAH concentration was about 4-fold (416 mu g/m3). The PAHs did not correlate with other organic compounds, and thus, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or organic carbon (OC) concentrations cannot be used as an indicator of PAH emissions. Two birch species from different origins with a similar chemical composition but different density produced partially different emission profiles. This study indicates that emission differences may be due more to the physical properties of the wood and the combustion conditions than to the wood species themselves.