United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Industrial Environmental Research
Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711 ~
Research and Development
EPA-600/S9-81-029 Oct. 1981
Project Summary
Proceedings: Conference on
Wood Combustion
Environmental Assessment
(New Orleans, February 1981)
Franklin A. Ayer, Compiler
These proceedings are for the
"Wood Combustion Environmental
Assessment Conference," which was
held February 21-24. 1981. in New
Orleans. The objective of the confer-
ence was the dissemination of recent
research and development findings on
the subject of residential wood com-
bustion. The five sessions of the
conference dealt with: (1) an overview
of environmental assessment activi-
ties, (2) specific emissions and heating
efficiency assessments, (3) emissions
control techniques, (4) highlights of
the first three sessions, and (5) resi-
dential wood combustion issues and
their resolution.
In summary, the previously reported
high concentrations of polycyclic
organic matter (POMs) in residential
wood stove emissions were verified in
several papers. One paper even re-
ported high POM concentrations in
the indoor environment in homes with
operating wood combustors. High
ambient values were not attributed to
residential wood combustion but
many of the ambient impact studies
were just beginning. Emissions
control techniques which were con-
sidered for controlling organic emis-
sions included secondary combustion
and the introduction of a combustion
catalyst. These two control tech-
niques were already being marketed;
however, their reliability and struc-
tural stability were questioned by
several researchers. Future regulation
of wood stove emissions was con-
sidered unlikely due to problems of
enforcing a residential emission
standard.
This Project Summary was develop-
ed by EPA's Industrial Environmental
Research Laboratory, Research Tri-
angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
ings of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
This report is a summary of the
proceedings of the EPA Conference on
Wood Combustion Environmental
Assessment, held on February 21-24,
1981, in New Orleans. This conference
was held in cooperation with and at the
same time as the Wood Heating Alli-
ance International Trade Show and
Wood Heating Seminar The conference
brought together representatives of
industry, associations, stove and fire-
place manufacturers and suppliers,
government, researchers, scientists,
academia and journal writers, with the
purpose of disseminating new informa-
tion on wood combustion
The conference was opened by Carter
Keithley of the Wood Heating Alliance,
who welcomed the participants and
introduced Michael C Osborne,
General Chairman, USEPA, IERL-RTP.
Osborne also welcomed the partici-
pants and thanked the Wood Heating
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Alliance for including the conference on
the agenda of their International Trade
Show In addition, he informed them
that the objective of the conference was
to focus their attention on the recent
development of new information on
wood combustion An overview of wood
combustion and assessment, assess-
ments of residential wood heating effi-
ciency and emissions, emissions
control techniques for wood burning
appliances, environmental assessment
and control—highlights from earlier
sessions, and a panel discussion on
issues related to the residential com-
bustion of wood and how they may be
resolved, were covered
The chairman of Session 1, Overview
of Wood Combustion Environmental
Assessment, Henry Anderson, U.S.
Department of Energy, Washington, DC,
presented a paper entitled Residential
Wood Program Overview. In addition,
he presented a paper prepared by
Charles Bendersky, Pyros, Inc., entitled
Results of the DOE Think Shop on Resi-
dential Wood Combustion Other
speakers and their topics were. Over-
view of Emissions from Wood Combus-
tion by Kenneth J Lim, Acurex, Ambient
Air Assessment in a Rural New England
Village Where Wood is the Dominant
Fuel by James F Hornig, Dartmouth
College, and An Integrated Environ-
mental Assessment of Biomass Energy
Development in the Tennessee Valley
by Paul Schwengels, EPA/ORD
The chairman of Session 2, Assess-
ments of Residential Wood Heating
Efficiency and Emissions, Jerome P
Harper, Tennessee Valley Authority at
Chattanooga, TN, presented a paper
entitled Residential Wood Heating Effi-
ciency and Emissions—An Overview.
Other speakers and their topics were
Wood Combustion Emissions at
Elevated Altitudes by Thomas W
Hughes, Monsanto Research Corpora-
tion, The Effects of Woodburnmg on the
Indoor Residential Air Quality by
Joseph Zabransky, Jr., Geomet Tech-
nologies, Inc.; Performance of Domestic
Wood-Fired Appliances by A. C. S.
Hayden, Canadian Research Labora-
tories; An Assessment of the Efficiency
and Emissions of Ten Wood Fired
Furnaces by Robert J Brandon, Institute
of Man and Resources, and Results of
Laboratory Tests on Wood Stove Emis-
sions by Bill R. Hubble, Argonne
National Laboratory.
Papers presented under Session 3,
Emissions Control Techniques for Wood
Burning Appliances, chaired by Wade H.
Ponder, USEPA, IERL-RTP, were Cata-
lytic Combustion in Residential Wood
Stoves by Robert V VanDewoestine,
Corning Glass Works; Results of
Research on Catalytic Combustion in
Wood Stoves by Jay W. Shelton,
Shelton Energy Research; Measure-
ments of Chemical Changes Due to
Catalysts of Woodstove Effluent by
Dennis R. Jaasma, VPI; The Effects of
Woodstove Design on Condensable
Paniculate Emissions, In-Home Deliv-
ery Efficiency and Creosote Formation
Rate by Stockton G. Barnett, State
University of New York at Pittsburgh,
and Control of Emissions from Residen-
tial Wood Burning by Combustion
Modification by John M. Allen, Battelle-
Columbus Laboratories
Session 4, Environmental Assess-
ment and Control—Highlights of Earlier
Sessions, was chaired by Robert E. Hall,
USEPA, IERL-RTP Session 1 Highlights
were presented by Henry Anderson,
DOE, Washington, DC; Session 2 High-
lights by Jerome P Harper, TVA; and
Session 3 Highlights by Wade H.
Ponder, USEPA, IERL-RTP.
The Panel—Issues Related to the
Residential Combustion of Wood and
How They May be Resolved—was
chaired by Michael C. Osborne, USEPA,
IERL-RTP. Panel presentations and
speakers were- Combustion of Wood/
Environmental Restrictions in Sweden
by Jan Nilsson, The National Swedish
Environment Protection Board; Institu-
tional and Regulatory Approaches to
Control Residential Wood Burning
Emissions by William T Greene,
Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality; Residential Wood Combustion
Issues for the Tennessee Valley by
Charles E. Bohac, TVA; Wood Energy—
The North Carolina Effort by Phyllis
Brooks Wainwright, N.C. Department of
Natural Resources and Community
Development; Preliminary Analysis of
the Ambient Impacts of Residential
Woodburnmg in Waterbury, Vermont,
by Cedric R. Sanborn, Vermont Depart-
ment of Water Resources and Environ-
mental Engineering; and Pollution and
Fire Places in California by Peter H.
Kosel, California Air Resources Board.
The forum was highlighted by the
frank exchange of information between
participants of varied backgrounds,
interests, and associations. The inter-
change initiated the communication
between stove and fireplace manu-
facturers, wholesalers, retailers,
academia, researchers, and govern-
ment agencies. In addition, thecoopera-
tion and support provided by the Wood
Heating Alliance was excellent.
Abstracts of the speakers' remarks
follow:
Henry Anderson,
Space Heating Appliances, DOE,
Washington
The DOE Office of Buildings and
Community Systems, Technology and
Consumers Products Branch, convened
a "Think Shop" to address the
technology needs in the area of residen-
tial wood combustion emissions The
meeting was held at Battelle-Columbus
Laboratories on March 27-28, 1980,
and was attended by a group of program
managers from DOE, EPA, TVA, and the
Canadian Government, and a group of
the leading researchers active in the
field The results were recommenda-
tions of needed activities to be under-
taken in the areas of air quality,
combustion technology, equipment
development, and emissions measure-
ments. It was recommended that to be
effective, these activities must be initi-
ated immediately and be completed in
FY 85. The needs of the program require
the cooperation of the managementand
scientific expertise of the DOE, EPA, and
TVA, the pooling of available financial
resources, and the participation of a
number of qualified research organiza-
tions. The report provides statements of
needs, definitions of specific tasks, and
estimates of the resources and man-
power for accomplishment. This report
was prepared by Pyros, Inc., as a source
document for DOE study and for use in
program development and does not
reflect firm actions planned for or by
DOE or other federal organizations.
Kenneth J. Lim,
Acurex Corporation
An assessment is made of emissions
and their control from wood-fired
boilers, home stoves, and fireplaces.
The major pollutants are particulates,
organics, and CO; NOxare also emitted.
The important parameters affecting
emissions are furnace design, excess
air level, and burning rate. For boilers,
optimal emission control and efficiency
are achieved with 50 to 200% excess
air, with overfire air maximized for
stokers Data on other techniques and
operational impacts are minimal. On a
normalized basis, residential wood-
burning units tend to produce higher
emissions than do boilers. Data on
wood-fired stoves indicate that certain
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designs (e.g., crossdraft) emit less par-
ticulate matter The limited data suggest
that low burning rates are conducive to
POM formation, a pollutant of major
concern. As the combustion conditions
for fireplaces are even more difficult to
quantify and control, emission trends
for those devices are even less estab-
lished However, POM emissions
appear to be less from fireplaces than
from stoves.
James F. Hornig,
Dartmouth College
During the 1979-80 heating season,
50 standard hi-vol filter samples of
ambient air were taken in a small town
and m semi-rural areas in New Hamp-
shire where wood is the dominant
heating fuel In addition to total sus-
pended particulate (TSP) values,
concentrations of 15 polycyclic organic
materials (POM), 12 of which are
priority pollutants, were determined
using HPLC with UV and fluorescence
detection, and by GC/MS techniques.
Concentrations of benz(a)pyrene were
found to be in the range 0.5-0 8 ng/m3
The measurements are compared to
recently published POM values from
diverse sources. This comparison
includes discussion of troublesome
methodological problems which poten-
tially compromise ambient air POM
analyses.
Paul F. Schwengels,
Office of Research and Development,
EPA-Washington
In recent years, rising prices and
availability problems associated with
other fuels have generated a great deal
of interest in biomass (particularly
wood) as an energy source At the same
time, concerns have been raised about
the possibility of negative effects on the
environment and on public health and
safety which might result from exten-
sive use of this energy source. This
paper describes a study currently in
progress which attempts to pull together
the available information on the poten-
tial for biomass utilization in the
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
region and the possible environmental
and health hazards associated with this
development The study also evaluates
a range of public policy options which
might be implemented at various levels
of government to promote environ-
mentally sound development of
biomass energy resources. The paper
describes the study approach used and
presents preliminary findings. Expected
results at the completion of the study
are also identified
Thomas W. Hughes,
Monsanto Research Corporation
Combustion of wood in fireplaces and
in wood-burning stoves is growing in
popularity as the cost for other fuels
increases. The growing use of wood
combustion for aesthetic and primary
and secondary home heating has
attracted widespread environmental
concern due to the significantly
increased particulate, CO, and poly-
cyclic organic material (POM) emissions
over other residential fuel types. A
recent study conducted for the EPA
indicated that residential wood com-
bustion is the largest stationary source
of POM emissions. Recently, high levels
of particulates and POMs have been
found in the mountainous resort areas.
Local EPA officials were concerned that
wood stoves operated at high elevations
had significantly higher pollutant emis-
sions than stoves operated at low
elevations. The EPA conducted a study
quantifying high elevation emissions,
this paper presents the results of the
study
Joseph Zabransky, Jr.,
Geomet Technologies, Inc.
Data from suburban residences in the
Boston metropolitan area reveal a
potential adverse impact on indoor air
quality from woodburning in wood-
stoves and fireplaces. Ambient
pollutant concentrations at each
residence were compared to corre-
sponding pollutant levels indoors at
three locations (kitchen, bedroom, and
activity room). Individual gaseous
pollutant samples were averaged hourly
while 24-hour integrated samples of
particulate matter were obtained Ten
gaseous pollutants were sampled along
with total suspended particulates (TSP)
Chemical analyses further determined
10 components of TSP including trace
metals, benzo-a-pyrene (BaP), respir-
able suspended particulates (RSP), and
water soluble sulfates and nitrates.
Monitoring lasted two weeks at each
residence and was conducted under
occupied real-life conditions.
Observed, elevated indoor concentra-
tions of TSP, RSP, and BaP are attri-
buted to woodburning. Data indicate
that average indoor TSP concentrations
during woodburning periods were about
three times corresponding levels during
nonwoodburnmg periods The primary
24-hour national ambient air quality
standard (NAAQS) for TSP was ex-
ceeded once indoors during fireplace
use, and the secondary, 24-hour TSP
NAAQS was also exceeded indoors by
RSP concentrations. Indoor BaP con-
centrations during woodstove use
averaged five times more than during
nonwoodburnmg periods At this stage,
results are only indicative, but the
potential impact from elevated indoor
concentrations of TSP, RSP, and BaP,
attributed to woodburning, may have
long-term health implications.
A. C. S. Hayden,
Conservation and Renewable Energy,
The Canadian Combustion Research
Laboratory
The Canadian Combustion Research
Laboratory has developed an indirect or
stack loss method to measure the per-
formance of domestic wood-fired space
heaters, giving detailed information on
operating characteristics and emissions
Flue gas composition, including COz,
CO, 02, HC, and NOx, as well as temper-
atures and wood-burning rate, are
monitored continuously over the burn-
ing cycle on a data logging system and
stored on magnetic tape for computer
retrieval and analysis. This allows an
accurate reconstruction of the burning
cycle and complete detail on appliance
performance over that cycle.
Results of experiments on a series of
appliance types are presented These
show that a fireplace or non-airtight
space heater is extremely inefficient in
utilizing the potential energy in the
wood, while a well-designed and well-
constructed controlled combustion unit
can have efficiencies comparable to a
fossil-fuel-fired appliance
Robert J. Brandon,
Wood and Solar Energy Programs,
Institute of Man and Resources
Significant use of wood for residential
space heating will require development
of improved combustion systems that
approach the operational attractiveness
of oil- or gas-fired equipment. Seven
innovative wood-fired residential
central heating systems, together with
three conventional wood furnaces,
were installed and operated in single-
family homes over the 1979-80 heating
season in a demonstration funded by
the Canada-P.E I Agreement on
Renewable Energy Development. Four
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of the systems use chip wood fuel; one
uses pellet wood fuel; and two involve
water thermal storage During the heat-
ing season, thermal performance
evaluation and emission testing were
carried out on all 10 units
A high volume sampling technique
was used to collect flue gas at the
chimney exit enabling particulates and
condensable organics to be trapped in a
glass fibre filter. Average emission
factors ranged from a low of 0.72 g/kg
for the wood pellet stoker to a high of
38 6 g/kg for a wood chip stoker.
Sampling for CO, NO*, and SCKwasalso
carried out. A creosote probe was used
to determine the tendency of each unit
to form creosote in the chimney. At the
end of the heating season an examina-
tion was madeofthetypeandamountof
flue deposits produced by each unit.
Thermal efficiencies of the systems
were tested for comparison using an
input/output method. The wood-fired
units showed a high standby heat loss
which is difficult to apportion correctly
to either a direct loss or an indirect
house heating gain.
Bill R. Hubble,
Argonne National Laboratory
This report discusses results from the
Argonne environmental testing
program for airtight wood-burning
stoves. These experiments were per-
formed with stove configurations and in
a manner consistent with typical resi-
dential operation of wood stoves
Emission data are reported for particu-
late and CO in the stove stack gas as
functions of stove operating variables
and calculated estimates of stove effi-
ciency. These data are also comparable
with creosote production rates obtained
during these experiments and are
reported as preliminary estimates of
stove emission factors.
Robert V. VanDewoestine,
Special Process Research,
Corning Glass Works
Laboratory tests with a modified wood
stove showed that condensable emis-
sions could be reduced 79-95% by using
a monolithic honeycomb catalytic con-
verter to initiate secondary combustion.
The experiments defined the cell size
and combustor volume necessary for
various levels of effectiveness. Field
tests have confirmed the laboratory data
and have indicated the stove changes
necessary for practical operation.
Jay W. Shelton
Shelton Energy Research
Two aspects of catalytic combustion
in wood stoves have thus far been
investigated in our ongoing research-
potential safety issues and the thermal
performance of a catalytic stove.
Safety issues investigated include the
very high temperatures that can be
achieved and the possibility of plugging
(with creosote, ash, and soot) Although
significant, neither problem appears to
be insurmountable.
A nonproduction stove was tested
with and without its catalyst to deter-
mine the effectiveness of the catalyst.
The measurements were performed in a
calorimeter room and included direct
measurement of the flue gas velocity
The determined perimeters included the
three energy efficiencies—overall,
combustion, and heat transfer. The
results were not available when this
abstract was written.
Dennis R. Jaasma,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University
Pollutant emissions from wood stoves
are responsible for chimney fires and
may also have a serious effect on
human health. Since wood stove stack
emissions contain negligible amounts
of SO*, NO*, and ash, all of the pollutants
of concern are combustibles and can be
eliminated by oxidation to COz and Hga.
Use of a catalyst to encourage the oxida-
tion process is an attractive idea from
both energy conservation and air pollu-
tion standpoints. Potential problems
with use of a catalyst to reduce emis-
sions to acceptable levels include
fouling before operating temperature is
reached, production of secondary prod-
ucts such as ammonia or hydrogen
cyanide during fuel-rich operation, and
a draft requirement in excess of that
required by conventional chimneys. The
recent commercial debut of a stove con-
taining a monolithic catalyst indicates
that start-up and natural draft operation
can be achieved, but details of the
chemical nature of the effluent are not
yet available. Experiments to character-
ize the chemical and physical transfor-
mations of woodstove effluent as it
passes over anoble metal catalyst are
underway at the VPI Solid Fuels
Research Laboratory. Preliminary
results are presented and discussed
Stockton G. Barnett,
State University of New York at
Pittsburgh
In the past three years, six generic
types of woodstoves have been evalu-
ated. These include a thin-walled con-
vective box heater, double-door0.25-in.
plate unbaffled step stove, baffled box
stove, crossdraft stove (two brands),
true downdraft stove, and a new proto-
type stove. All tests were made at typical
burning rates for the northeast (2 to
about 7 Ib/hr) using air-dried native
hardwoods.
Condensable particulate emissions
were sampled using a moderately high
volume sampler to concentrate flue gas
particles on filter paper. Abundant
ambient air was bled into the sample
tube to ensure that flue gas condensa-
tion was complete The flow rates of
both stack and sampler were monitored.
The filter residue was weighed, this
weight was related to the wood's burn-
ing rate, and the emission factor (partic-
ulates per kilogram of wood burned)
was calculated.
Results indicate that high tempera-
ture burning produces much lower
emission factors than does smolder
burning. However, this temperature-
dependent emission pattern varies for
different stove types.
Interior stove design is also correlated
with emissions. Stoves without baffles,
with inclined and horizontal baffles,
appear to produce essentially the same
emission levels. Crossdraft stoves
reduce emissions to about one-half to
one-third of the above levels.
Creosote accumulation rates were
measured by both removing a stovepipe
section and removing cutout pipe
sections and weighing them every 4
days. Creosote weights per unit area
were then related to average burning
rate and stove type. Generally there was
a positive correlation between creosote
accumulation rates and particulate
emissions.
Woodstove efficiency was measured
in two homes in the cold climate of
northernmost New York where annual
degree days average 8000. One home
has 5 ft of exposed flue pipe and the
other has only 1 ft. A small fan circu-
lates room air in both homes.
Each home's heating load per degree
day was measured by metering electric
heat loads for 15 to 20 days without the
woodstove in operation. Additional
measured variables include: average
indoor temperature, average outdoor
-------
temperature, solar gam, wind velocity,
and human energy gains and losses.
Woodstove efficiency was deter-
mined by comparing the daily weight of
wood burned (adjusted for moisture
content) with the home's net daily heat
loss over continuous periods which
averaged about 20 days per stove.
The results indicate that there is little
difference in delivered efficiency
between most of the various stove
designs, in spite of the wide variety of
types which are represented. The one
exception, the thin-walled convective
box heater, is about 10% less efficient.
However, a control device developed
by the author to produce very even
burns provides a significant efficiency
improvement of 5 to 10% above either
manual or standard thermostatic con-
trol of these stoves.
John M. Allen,
Fuels and Combustion Section,
Battelle-Columbus Laboratories
Air pollution emissions from residen-
tial wood-burning appliances are
affected by many variables, including
stove design, operator techniques, and
fuel properties. Several of these vari-
ables have been investigated in the
laboratory to identify relationships
between the independent combustion
variables and the stove emissions.
The two most significant emissions
are CO and organic species, the latter
including both hydrocarbons and some
partially oxidized materials. These
organic materials are also the source of
creosote when they condense in the
flue and are collected on the cooler
surfaces before being emitted to the
atmosphere. They also include some
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which
have been found to be carcinogenic. The
two principal mechanisms of pollution
formation are incomplete combustion in
the active burning region usually asso-
ciated with a restricted air supply, and
wood pyrolysis without burning of the
pyrolysis products. Several factors can
prevent or restrict the burning of these
combustible species, including low
temperatures, limited oxygen supply,
poor mixing, and lack of ignition source.
Several approaches are identified to
reduce the emissions from residential
woodstoves, including mode of burning
provided by the stove design, operator
techniques in using the stove, and
characteristics of the fuel being burned.
Some problems in applying some of the
corrective actions are noted, and prom-
ising techniques are recommended for
development.
Highlights of Sessions 1, 2, and 3
were presented by the Session
Chairmen in Session 4-
Session 1, Overview of Wood
Combustion Environmental Assess-
ment by Henry Anderson.
Session 2, Assessments of Residen-
tial Wood Heating Efficiency and Emis-
sions by Jerome P. Harper.
Session 3, Overview and Challenges
for the Future by Wade H. Ponder
Panel discussion (Session 5)
speakers' abstracts follow:
William T. Greene,
Portland Air Quality Maintenance Area,
Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality
After an introduction on the severity
of pollution impacts from residential
wood heating in Oregon, different
potential institutional and regulatory
approaches to control pollution from
this emission source were discussed.
Approaches include testing and certifi-
cation programs under government or
trade association sponsorship,
weatherization programs to reduce
heating needs, educational programs,
governmental efficiency/emissions/
safety inspection programs as in West
Germany, and government or trade
association research programs to
develop improved emission control
techniques. The importance of develop-
ing a simpler, yet repeatable, emissions
measurement method is emphasized.
Charles E. Bohac,
Environmental Research and
Development Staff, TVA
Impacts on air quality standards,
industrial development, human health
and safety, and forest resources are the
major issues relating to residential
wood combustion in the Tennessee
Valley.
Although regional paniculate levels
might not be significantly elevated and
regional sulfur emissions could poten-
tially be reduced because of increased
wood combustion, residential heating
emissions can comprise a high percent-
age of winter paniculate emissions for
urban areas. Additionally, the chemical
content of these emissions can be
represented so as to be alarming-
dozens of carcinogenic and toxic chem-
icals contained in small particles that
penetrate deep into the lungs. There-
fore, the local air quality impacts are of
primary concern.
Preliminary estimates indicate that
although there is ample wood available
to support even the highest estimates of
residential wood heating, the combina-
tion of all potential demands when
considered in the context of accessibil-
ity, topography, landowner preference,
and the general market-price competi-
tion will create many local areas where
demand will exceed supply.
Other issues addressed include ac-
celerated erosion, nutrient loss,
increased sediment load to receiving
waters, increased flash flood potential,
safety hazards to wood harvesters, and
fire hazards from improper heater in-
stallation and operation.
Alternative means of resolving these
issues which are available to local,
state, and Federal agencies are also
discussed.
Phyllis Brooks Wainwright,
Division of Environmental Mangement,
N.C. Department of Natural
Resources and Community Develop-
ment
The State of North Carolina is com-
mitted to wood as an alternative energy
source and at the same time recognizes
its responsibility to the environment.
Because of conflicting polycyclic
organic material (POM) emission data
available, the State of North Carolina
has undertaken a sampling study for
POM emissions from wood-fired
boilers. The North Carolina wood energy
project and the POM samplingstudyare
discussed.
Cedric R. Sanborn,
Agency of Environmental
Conservation, Department of
Water Resources and Environmental
Engineering
During the winter of 1979-80, the Air
Pollution Control Program of the State
of Vermont conducted an ambient air
monitoring program in Waterbury, VT,
to study the effects of residential wood-
burning on the particulate level within
the Village. The ambient monitoring
program consisted of 10 high-volume
samplers at 5 sites, 2 meteorological
stations, and an ambient particulate
monitor (APM) for outputtmg hourly
total and respirable particulate levels.
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The monitors were placed to measure
microscale impact in residential areas
that had high concentrations of wood-
burners.
The average 24-hour TSP levels
ranged from 26 to 81 //g/m3 at the
residential sampler sites. Several
excursions of the 150/ug/m3 National
Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)
were recorded at two of the sites.
Based on modeling techniques, it is
estimated that as much as 35% of the
measured TSP could be due to wood
smoke. The modeling was based on the
ARM emissions which were based on
wood use forms filled out by 30 wood-
burning residents in Waterbury over a
12-week period. Additional filter anal-
ysis is being conducted to confirm or
deny these estimates of ambient
impacts.
In addition to working on the residen-
tial aspects of wood-burning, the State
of Vermont has also conducted a study
of emissions from industrial wood-fired
boilers. Currently work is progressing
under a DOE grant to improve the
combustion efficiency of several types
of residential wood-stoves.
F. A. Ayer, compiler, is with Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park,
NC 277O9,
Michael C. Osborne is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Proceedings: Conference on Wood Combustion
Environmental Assessment (New Orleans, February 1981)," (Order No.
PB 81-248 155; Cost: $24.50, subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protect/on Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Peter H. Kosel,
Air Resources Board
An examination of air pollution test
results and the demography of wood-
burning in California indicates that
although wood-burning is less impor-
tant than some other urban pollution
sources, it may be a major contributor to
pollution in some residential areas. To
reduce emissions from wood-burning
equipment, it is better to apply design
specifications to new equipment than to
impose emission limits on existing
equipment. The potential for marketing
retrofit devices and hints for more
efficient and less polluting wood-
burning are discussed.
. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I98I/559-092/3325
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
Postage and
Fees Paid
Environmental
Protection
Agency
EPA 335
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
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