Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of biomass ash from different power plants in the Upper Rhine Region.

Bottom and fly ash samples from six biomass power plants with different power scales and various flue gas treatment strategies were collected and analyzed in regard to their mineralogical composition, and their bulk major and trace element contents, all of which are of concern for regulations on biomass ash for further utilization. Furthermore, individual ash particles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy to characterize their physicochemical microstructures. Thermal behavior of wood-pellet ash, i.

Use of biomass ash from different sources and processes in cement.

Substitution of cement clinker with suitable excess materials from other processes is an effective way to reduce CO emissions of cement production. Moreover, specific properties of the resulting mortar or concrete can be designed with different clinker replacement materials and their mixing ratios. In this study, bottom and fly ashes from six biomass power plants with different power scales and various flue-gas treatment strategies were admixed to mortars, whose properties (influence of water requirement and final compressive strength) were then assessed in the laboratory by following industrial standard procedures.

Characterization and biological effects of ambient air PM from a rural, an industrial and an urban site in Sulaimani City, Iraq.

High urban atmospheric pollution is caused by economic and industrial growth, especially in developing countries. The objective of this study was to assess possible relationships between effects on human alveolar epithelial cells of source-related dust types collected at Sulaimani City (Iraq), and to determine their mineralogical and chemical composition. A passive sampler was used to collect dust particles at a rural, an industrial and an urban sampling site during July and August 2014.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic responses of human lung cells to combustion smoke particles of Miscanthus straw, softwood and beech wood chips.

Inhalation of particulate matter (PM) from residential biomass combustion is epidemiologically associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. This study investigates PM emissions from combustion of commercial Miscanthus straw (MS), softwood chips (SWC) and beech wood chips (BWC) in a domestic-scale boiler (40 kW). The PM emitted during combustion of the MS, SWC and BWC were characterized by ICP-MS/OES, XRD, SEM, TEM, and DLS.

Stress fibers, autophagy and necrosis by persistent exposure to PM2.5 from biomass combustion.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can adversely affect human health. Emissions from residential energy sources have the largest impact on premature mortality globally, but their pathological and molecular implications on cellular physiology are still elusive.