Traditional Biomass Research Articles

Incentives for optimal management of age-structured fish populations

We characterize optimal fishery management in an age-structured, bio-economic model where two age groups are harvested with costly and imperfect selectivity. We show that a system of tradable fishing permits, each allowing to harvest a specific number of fish that differs with age group, implements optimal age-structured harvesting, while traditional biomass quotas fail to solve the problem of growth overfishing. With our system, gear restrictions (such as mesh-size prescriptions) become obsolete. We apply our model to the Eastern Baltic cod fishery and quantify the benefits of optimal age-structured management.

Energy Consumption of Rural Farming Households in Kwara State, Nigeria

The rural people in low-income countries do not have access to sustainable energy need. It is necessary to expand access to modern energy services substantially in order to meet the needs of the several billion people who experience severe energy poverty in terms of inadequate and unreliable access to energy services and reliance on traditional biomass. They need to do so in a way that is economically viable, sustainable, affordable and efficient. The study therefore seeks to understand the rural energy consumption of the farming households. The data used for the study were obtained through a four-stage sampling procedure which resulted in a sample size of 120 households. Logistic regression procedure was used to determine the energy consumption pattern and the factors affecting the use. The relationships between the type of energy (modern or traditional) consumed by the household and educational status, household size, age, total monthly income, total amount spent on food per month and distance travelled per week to obtain fuel were established. The regression result showed that age of the household heads and distance travelled to obtain fuel was significant in explaining the variation in the type of energy consumed. Observed energy consumption pattern revealed that most of the respondents consumed more of traditional than the modern energy types. The study suggests that in order to reduce stress and health hazards associated with the traditional energy source, modern energy consumption should be encouraged among the rural households in order that they might reduce the stress and hazards encountered in obtaining and using the traditional energy and also, to reduce the exploitation of forest resources for traditional fuel. Farmers should also be educated by agricultural extension agents on the importance of sustainable farming and the use of sustainable energy.

Biomass Utilization Post Rio +20

Biomass Utilization Post Rio +20

Long term building energy demand for India: Disaggregating end use energy services in an integrated assessment modeling framework

With increasing population, income, and urbanization, meeting the energy service demands for the building sector will be a huge challenge for Indian energy policy. Although there is broad consensus that the Indian building sector will grow and evolve over the coming century, there is little understanding of the potential nature of this evolution over the longer term. The present study uses a technologically detailed, service based building energy model nested in the long term, global, integrated assessment framework, GCAM, to produce scenarios of the evolution of the Indian buildings sector up through the end of the century. The results support the idea that as India evolves toward developed country per-capita income levels, its building sector will largely evolve to resemble those of the currently developed countries (heavy reliance on electricity both for increasing cooling loads and a range of emerging appliance and other plug loads), albeit with unique characteristics based on its climate conditions (cooling dominating heating and even more so with climate change), on fuel preferences that may linger from the present (for example, a preference for gas for cooking), and vestiges of its development path (including remnants of rural poor that use substantial quantities of traditional biomass).

An advanced biomass gasification technology with integrated catalytic hot gas cleaning: Part I. Technology and initial experimental results in a lab-scale facility

High tar contents and low carbon conversion levels are two major problems in traditional biomass gasification technologies. Based on our research results especially on the volatile–char interaction and catalytic tar reforming, an advanced biomass gasification technology integrated with catalytic hot gas cleaning has been developed to produce high quality clean fuel gas. A lab-scale pilot gasifier was constructed and employed to demonstrate this technology. The experimental results show that the technology could efficiently gasify biomass into a high-quality fuel gas at atmospheric pressure and temperatures below 1000°C. The tar content in the gasification product gas could be reduced to well below 100mgNm−3 by using char-based hot gas cleaning catalysts.

Measurement and modeling of indoor air pollution in rural households with multiple stove interventions in Yunnan, China

In the developing world, indoor air pollution (IAP) created from solid fuel used in traditional biomass cook stoves is a leading contributor of poor respiratory health, global burden of disease, and greenhouse pollutant emissions. In the present study, we piloted an experimental cross-sectional monitoring and evaluation design with 30 households in rural Lijiang and Deqin counties in northwest Yunnan province, China. This approach offers the ability to examine the effectiveness of improved cook stove (ICS) programs with a much smaller sample size than the typical population based pre- and post-intervention study that requires a large sample representative of the population. Continuous PM2.5 was measured with the UCB (currently known as UCB-PATS) and the TSI DustTrak and continuous CO was measured with the HOBO CO logger. Using the traditional method of cooking and heating, mean 24-h PM2.5 and CO concentrations in the kitchen were measured in the range of 0.15–0.71 mg m−3 for PM2.5 and 3.0–11 ppm for CO. These concentrations were compared to using a combination of improved stoves in the kitchen where PM2.5 and CO concentrations were measured in the range of 0.08–0.18 mg m−3 for PM2.5 and 0.7–5.5 ppm for CO. These concentrations yielded statistically significant reduction in IAP when replacing the traditional fireplace or traditional stove with an improved stove combination. Finally, we show a strong correlation between CO and PM2.5 (R2 = 0.72–0.76). The combination of this experimental design along with the monitoring and evaluation protocol presented here may provide a robust framework to rapidly assess the effectiveness of ICS interventions in progress.

Effect of reductions in biomass fuel exposure on symptoms of sleep apnea in children living in the peruvian andes: A preliminary field study

Multiple studies have evaluated the prevalence of sleep apnea in pediatric populations. Although environmental exposures to cigarette smoke (ECS) increase the risk of habitual snoring, no studies have thus far examined the potential contribution of indoor pollution in children. To determine the frequency of symptoms associated with sleep apnea in children exposed to traditional wood-burning stoves to open fire, and assess whether symptoms subside following implementation of improved less environmentally contaminating stoves. Residents of the communities of Chucllapampa, Sayhuapata, and Alparcuna in Cangallo province, department of Ayacucho, Peru were surveyed on two occasions within 12 months before and after the installation of an improved Inkawasi wood stove. The frequency of symptoms associated with sleep apnea was assessed in all children <15 years of age using a previously validated questionnaire. Parents of 59 children (62.7% males; mean age 7.76 ± 4.2 years) were interviewed representing >97% of the children in those small villages. The most common symptoms included nighttime awakenings, habitual snoring, repetitive movements during sleep, nasal congestion, and sore throat. After implementation of improved stoves in the homes, snoring (52.5% vs. 18.2%, P < 0.0001) nasal congestion (33.9% vs. 1.8%, P < 0.0001), behavioral hyperactivity (28.8% vs. 3.8%, P < 0.002), nighttime awakenings (42.4% vs. 1.7%, P < 0.0001), sore throat (38.2% vs. 5.5% P < 0.0001), breathing through the mouth during the day (33.9% vs. 1.8%, P < 0.001), daytime sleepiness (21.1% vs. 1.8%, P < 0.003), and falling asleep at school (14.6% vs. 0%, P < 0.03) were all significantly improved. Children exposed to traditional biomass fuel stoves had a higher frequency of symptoms related to sleep apnea, which decrease with improvements in biomass pollution.

Economic and environmental costs of rural household energy consumption structures in Sameakki Meanchey district, Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia

Clean energy development in rural areas in Cambodia plays an important role in developing the economics of the poor. This study was conducted to explore rural household energy consumption in Sammeakki Meanchey district in Kampong Chhnang Province and its impact on the economy and environment using a quantitative model. The results show that most households consume a variety of non-conventional energy sources, including traditional biomass (fuelwood, plant waste and etc.), kerosene and even LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Biomass is used for cooking and boiling water, while rechargeable batteries are exclusively used for lighting and running home devices. The monthly economic cost under the current structure with electricity at $US33.23 is higher than the structure without electricity at $US19.11. However, the monthly environmental cost of the structure with electricity is lower than the structure without electricity which the environmental cost is the highest. Monthly cash payment for energy structure with fossil fuel dominating is placed in the middle. Clear differences in the total cost, environmental cost, and economic cost for households are found among the four substitutable structures. Both the environmental and economic costs are lower when biogas is used, so this structure should be promoted throughout the rural areas in Cambodia.

Carbonaceous Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Human Exposure from Indoor Biomass Burning Practices

Using both stationary air samplers and personal air samplers, concentrations of total suspended particulates, particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm, elemental carbon, and organic carbon were measured in the kitchen, bedroom, and outdoors of a rural, nonsmoking household in northern China. The household used a traditional biomass cookstove in winter and summer and a more modern liquified petroleum gas cookstove on the first day in the summer. Most of the particulate matter concentrations both indoors and outdoors exceeded the national air quality standards of China (0.15 mg/m3 for indoor particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less; 0.30 mg/m3 for ambient air total suspended particulate). In the kitchen in the winter, the daily mean concentration of particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm was 16 times larger than the national indoor air quality standard for particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less. On average, 53% of the total suspended particulate concentration was due to particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm. While all of the residents of the household were exposed to high concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm, the housewife had the highest exposure. High daily variation in concentrations was due primarily to differences in fuel burning rates. Significant differences between kitchen/outdoor and bedroom/outdoor concentration ratios and between winter and summer indoor/outdoor concentration ratios suggested that bedroom particulate matter concentrations were due to emissions from the kitchen in winter and the outdoors in the summer. The average winter and summer elemental carbon/organic carbon concentration ratios were 0.20±0.14 (n=24) and 0.32±0.16 (n=18), respectively. In the bedroom and outdoors, the elemental carbon and organic carbon concentrations were correlated linearly with each other and with the concentration of particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm. When only liquefied petroleum gas was used in the summer, the kitchen concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm and organic carbon were similar to or higher than the concentrations measured when the biomass burning stove was used.

Study on Heating System of Solar Energy Combined with Bioenergy

In order to employ the solar energy and bioenergy efficiently and economically, a new model of heating system is established for theoretically studying the exergy and energy utilization of solar energy and bioenergy on the basis of the Integrated Cascaded Utilization of Chemical and Physical Energy Principle. The results indicate, the low temperature floor radiation heating way is better than the traditional radiator heating way, and compared with traditional direct burning biomass heating, the energy and exergy utilization efficiency of the new system are more than 89% and 20% respectively, and the capital recovery period is less than 3 years.

Optimal Harvesting of an Age-Structured Schooling Fishery

Biologists have criticized traditional biomass models in fishery economics for being oversimplified. Biological stock assessment models are more sophisticated with regard to biological content, but rarely account for economic objectives. This study includes a full age-structured population model for studying schooling fisheries and extends the delayed difference approach used in earlier studies. We take the total harvest as the choice variable, resulting in a simple analytical structure. The model produces optimal steady states that may be higher or lower compared to the delayed-difference formulation. The model is applied to the Baltic sprat fishery. Both ecological and harvesting cost data support specifying Baltic sprat as a schooling fishery. Given nonlinear harvesting costs, the optimal solution is a path toward a steady state with smooth annual harvest and population age structure. Sensitivity analysis shows that the optimal solution is highly dependent on the population level of the sprat’s main predator Baltic cod. A linear cost function and an interest rate below 9% imply pulse fishing instead of smooth continuous harvesting. Given nonlinear harvesting cost, the optimal steady state yield is rather insensitive to changes in the interest rate. However, under a high cod scenario, interest rates of 10% or higher implies that no optimal steady state exists.

Evaluating the relative strength of product-specific factors in fuel switching and stove choice decisions in Ethiopia. A discrete choice model of household preferences for clean cooking alternatives

Switching from conventional stoves to modern clean, safe, and efficient stoves will improve health and social welfare for the 2.7billion people worldwide that lack reliable access to modern energy services. In this paper, we critically review some key theoretical dimensions of household consumer behaviour in switching from traditional biomass cooking stoves to modern efficient stoves and fuels. We then describe the results of empirical research investigating the determinants of stove choice, focusing on the relative strength of product-specific factors across three wealth groups. A stated preference survey and discrete choice model were developed to understand household decision-making associated with cooking stove choice in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study found that, with the exception of price and usage cost factors for the high wealth group, the product-specific factors that were investigated significantly affect stove and fuel choices. The relative strength of factors was assessed in terms of Marginal Willingness to Pay and provides some evidence that consumer preference for higher quality fuels and stoves tends to increase with increasing wealth.

Conversion of traditional biomass into modern bioenergy systems: A review in context to improve the energy situation in Nepal

Abstract Nepal is an energy starving country where approximately 87% of the total energy share is met through traditional biomass resource especially by fuelwood. However, use of traditional biomass fuel is confronted with series of issues and challenges such as low efficiency, labor intensive, degradation of environment and emission of health hazardous gases. In an effort to improve the energy situation as well as to improve the indoor environment, Nepal's government has initiated the adoption and implementation of efficient biomass technologies in Nepal. Improved health and sanitation, reduced fuelwood consumption, improved social and physical facilities, and reduced drudgery for women are some of the major benefits of efficient biomass technologies to the rural households. Use of biogas reduces the fuelwood consumption by 2 tons/yr and workload by 1100 h/yr. Similarly, use of improved cooking stove can increases the efficiency up to 15–20% and reduces greenhouse gases of 1.09 tCO 2 eq/yr as compared to the traditional cooking stove. Despite continuous effort from government and foreign donors, the task of rapid dissemination of the efficient biomass technologies to more remote and isolated rural communities is still challenging in Nepal. Therefore, more systematic and comprehensive study supported by research and development is required to extend these technologies in more remote and poor communities of Nepal, especially in mountainous areas.

Macrobenthic biodiversity and oxygen uptake in estuarine systems: the example of the Seine estuary

Bioturbation is a major process influencing the functioning of benthic ecosystems. Although controlled experiments with species in monoculture or in artificial combinations have increased the knowledge about the role of biological diversity on geochemical processes, specific interactions have been neglected, making the extrapolation of experimental results to natural systems difficult. In this context, the main objective of this study was to measure the effects of a whole natural macrobenthic community on benthic oxygen uptake. The relationships between macrofauna and oxygen uptakes were investigated in the estuarine system of the Seine, France, during the winter and fall according to the variability of river discharge. Four undisturbed sediment cores with associated macrofauna and overlying water were sampled at nine subtidal stations in order to perform whole core incubations and measure total oxygen uptake (TOU). Moreover, values of diffusive oxygen uptake (DOU) were obtained using microelectrode profiling and fauna-mediated oxygen uptake (FOU) was calculated as the difference between TOU and DOU. FOUs were thus linked to macrofaunal parameters; both traditional (species richness, abundance and biomass) and functional (trophic guilds and bioturbation modes). The average FOU (±SD) ranged from 170 ± 36 to 1,324 ± 701 μmol m−2 h−1, and values represented 33 to 89 % of TOU. Each of the traditional macrofauna parameters had a significant and positive correlation with FOU. In addition, abundance, biomass and species number of some functional groups (e.g. suspension feeders and biodiffusors) were also correlated to FOU, supporting the diversity–stability hypothesis of McArthur (Ecology 36:533–536, 1955). Nevertheless, the relationship between FOU and other functional groups such as conveyors illustrated the idiosyncratic nature of this hypothesis, underlining the difficulty of clearly identifying the role of a macrofaunal community on oxygen exchanges at the sediment–water interface. Our results confirm the importance of functional biodiversity on mineralization processes as well as the need to take into account the whole community. They also suggest that future studies should focus on the functional consequences of species loss and the potential resilience of the communities as a way to maintain ecosystem processes.

Rural residential CO2 emissions in China: Where is the major mitigation potential?

Despite high-speed economic growth in recent decades, rural China is still confronted with persisting poverty, alongside energy shortages and environmental degradation. In tackling climate change, carbon emissions from rural energy use have been given little attention up till now. This paper provides an analysis of rural residential CO2 emissions in China based on diverse accounting methods, and employs the geographic information system (GIS) to map emissions of each province. Identifying the major emission sources could provide a basis for understanding the potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction and proposing related policy recommendations. The results showed that the largest GHG mitigation potential can be found at traditional biomass use among residents. Four emission reduction policy strategies are identified: (i) shifting to commercial energy; (ii) furthering the use of decentralized renewable energy options; (iii) commercializing biomass energy via biomass power generation, biomass briquettes and biogas production; (iv) improving the combustion efficiency of traditional biomass use in household appliances. Differences in resource endowment and local economic conditions created varied levels of rural residential greenhouse gas emission, the related mitigation potential, and the kinds of strategies and policies that need to be developed in the Chinese provinces.

Reductions in Emissions of Carbonaceous Particulate Matter and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Combustion of Biomass Pellets in Comparison with Raw Fuel Burning

Biomass pellets are emerging as a cleaner alternative to traditional biomass fuels. The potential benefits of using biomass pellets include improving energy utilization efficiency and reducing emissions of air pollutants. To assess the environmental, climate, and health significance of replacing traditional fuels with biomass pellets, it is critical to measure the emission factors (EFs) of various pollutants from pellet burning. However, only a few field measurements have been conducted on the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the combustion of pellets. In this study, pine wood and corn straw pellets were burned in a pellet burner (2.6 kW), and the EFs of CO, organic carbon, elemental carbon, PM, and PAHs (EF(CO), EF(OC), EF(EC), EF(PM), and EF(PAH)) were determined. The average EF(CO), EF(OC), EF(EC), and EF(PM) were 1520 ± 1170, 8.68 ± 11.4, 11.2 ± 8.7, and 188 ± 87 mg/MJ for corn straw pellets and 266 ± 137, 5.74 ± 7.17, 2.02 ± 1.57, and 71.0 ± 54.0 mg/MJ for pine wood pellets, respectively. Total carbonaceous carbon constituted 8 to 14% of the PM mass emitted. The measured values of EF(PAH) for the two pellets were 1.02 ± 0.64 and 0.506 ± 0.360 mg/MJ, respectively. The secondary side air supply in the pellet burner did not change the EFs of most pollutants significantly (p > 0.05). The only exceptions were EF(OC) and EF(PM) for pine wood pellets because of reduced combustion temperatures with the increased air supply. In comparison with EFs for the raw pine wood and corn straw, EF(CO), EF(OC), EF(EC), and EF(PM) for pellets were significantly lower than those for raw fuels (p < 0.05). However, the differences in EF(PAH) were not significant (p > 0.05). Based on the measured EFs and thermal efficiencies, it was estimated that 95, 98, 98, 88, and 71% reductions in the total emissions of CO, OC, EC, PM, and PAHs could be achieved by replacing the raw biomass fuels combusted in traditional cooking stoves with pellets burned in modern pellet burners.

Financing low carbon energy access in Africa

Modern energy access in Africa is critical to meeting a wide range of developmental challenges including poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Despite having a huge amount and variety of energy resources, modern energy access in the continent is abysmal, especially Sub-Saharan Africa. Only about 31% of the Sub-Saharan African population have access to electricity while traditional biomass energy accounts for over 80% of energy consumption in many Sub-Saharan African countries. With energy use per capita among the lowest in the world, there is no doubt that Africa will need to increase its energy consumption to drive economic growth and human development. Africa also faces a severe threat from global climate change with vulnerabilities in several key areas or sectors in the continent including agriculture, water supply, energy, etc. Low carbon development provides opportunities for African countries to improve and expand access to modern energy services while also building low-emission and climate-resilient economies. However, access to finance from different sources will be critical in achieving these objectives. This paper sets out to explore the financial instruments available for low carbon energy access in Africa including the opportunities, markets and risks in low carbon energy investments in the continent.

Fundamental analysis of real-time PCR quantification and modeling for thermophilic L-lactate fermentation by Bacillus coagulans from glucose

Batch and semi-continuous thermophilic l-lactate fermentation experiments were performed using Bacillus coagulans and glucose as a substrate. Reactor performance and biomass concentrations were assessed using two methods: turbidity as a traditional biomass index and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification of 16S rRNA genes. In the batch experiment, although the relationship between turbidity and real-time PCR assay differed depending on the growth phase, a correlation was observed between both assay methods. In the semi-continuous experiment, real-time PCR measurement was well suited for use as an index for evaluating bacterial mass under different organic loading conditions. A mathematical model was applied to evaluate the real-time PCR quantification to long-term, semi-continuous lactate fermentation. Lactate fermentation was well suited since only B. coagulans was involved in the reactions. The results obtained revealed a fundamental relationship between real-time PCR and traditional biomass analyses.

Escaping the Vicious Cycle of Poverty: Towards Universal Access to Energy

Despite the continuous efforts of developing countries and the international community to reduce energy poverty, some 2.7 billion people around the world still rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating and 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity. Over 80% of the energy poor live in rural areas and roughly two thirds in sub-Saharan Africa and India. While fossil fuels will inevitably play a major role in expanding on-grid energy supply, this study shows that renewable energy sources – and especially small decentralized solutions – have huge potential for providing reliable, sustainable and affordable energy services for the poor, particularly in rural areas of developing countries. Many challenges remain, including financing, capacity-building, technology transfer and governance reforms. A careful assessment of the environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies, particularly those on water, is an important prerequisite for donor finance. With the right design, energy access projects can also bring a host of developmental co-benefits. It should be possible for international initiatives including the UN’s Year of Sustainable Energy for All and the EU’s partnership with Africa to build on the rich experience and lessons learned from pilot projects over the last two decades in order to optimize donor effectiveness in this area.

Ionic and carbonaceous compositions of PM&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;10&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;, PM&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2.5&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; and PM&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;1.0&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; at Gosan ABC Superstation and their ratios as source signature

Abstract. PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 were sampled at Gosan ABC Superstation on Jeju Island from August 2007 to September 2008. The carbonaceous aerosols were quantified with the thermal/optical reflectance (TOR) method, which produced five organic carbon (OC) fractions, OC1, OC2, OC3, OC4, and pyrolyzed organic carbon (OP), and three elemental carbon (EC) fractions, EC1, EC2, and EC3. The mean mass concentrations of PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 were 13.7 μg m−3, 17.2 μg m−3, and 28.4 μg m−3, respectively. The averaged mass fractions of OC and EC were 23.0% and 10.4% for PM1.0, 22.9% and 9.8% for PM2.5, and 16.4% and 6.0% for PM10. Among the OC and EC sub-components, OC2 and EC2+3 were enriched in the fine mode, but OC3 and OC4 in the coarse mode. The filter-based PM1.0 EC agreed well with black carbon (BC) measured by an Aethalometer, and PM10 EC was higher than BC, implying less light absorption by larger particles. EC was well correlated with sulfate, resulting in good relationships of sulfate with both aerosol scattering coefficient measured by Nephelometer and BC concentration. Our measurements of EC confirmed the definition of EC1 as char-EC emitted from smoldering combustion and EC2+3 as soot-EC generated from higher-temperature combustion such as motor vehicle exhaust and coal combustion (Han et al., 2010). In particular, EC1 was strongly correlated with potassium, a traditional biomass burning indicator, except during the summer, when the ratio of EC1 to EC2+3 was the lowest. We also found the ratios of major chemical species to be a useful tool to constrain the main sources of aerosols, by which the five air masses were well distinguished: Siberia, Beijing, Shanghai, Yellow Sea, and East Sea types. Except Siberian air, the continental background of the study region, Beijing plumes showed the highest EC1 (and OP) to sulfate ratio, which implies that this air mass had the highest net warming by aerosols of the four air masses. Shanghai-type air, which was heavily influenced by southern China, showed the highest sulfate enhancement. The highest EC2+3/EC1 ratio was found in aged East Sea air, demonstrating a significant influence of motor vehicle emissions from South Korea and Japan and less influence from industrial regions of China. The high ratio results from the longer residence time and less sensitivity to wet scavenging of EC2+3 compared to EC1, indicating that soot-EC could have greater consequence in regional-scale warming.