Market Research
Biofuel burning: how much it pollutes the air we breathe
Content
Biofuels are one of the most common and widely used renewable energy sources. It is a product of photosynthesis that stands out from other energy sources by accumulating solar energy. While it may seem at first glance that biofuel combustion is not harmful to man and the environment, recent research reveals new facts, the press release says.
According to Linas Kliučininkas, Head of the Department of Environmental Technology at the Faculty of Chemical Technology of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), nitrogen oxides, carbon compounds, volatile organic compounds and aerosol particles are released into the environment during the combustion of biofuels. These can be solid or condensate in the form of droplets. In turn, the liquid droplets formed can absorb gaseous pollutants and solid particles.
“In recent years, solid biofuels have become popular in heat energy. It is widely used not only for heating in households, district heating systems, but also for various technological processes in industry, services and agriculture. Emissions from biofuel combustion can be associated with inefficient use of old heating systems and old boilers. The majority of Lithuanian households have technically obsolete heating boilers that cause pollution due to poorly organized combustion process. In addition, the calculations by Stanford University Professor Mark Z Jacobson prove that global pollution caused by biomass burning has a much greater impact on climate change and human health than it has been thought so far, ”said L Kliučininkas.