Quality assessment of biomass pellets available on the market; example from Poland.

This study evaluates the quality of 30 biomass pellets sold for residential use in Poland. It provides data on their physical, chemical, and petrographic properties and compares them to existing standards and the information provided by the fuel producers. The results reveal considerable variations in the quality of the pellets and show that some of the purchased samples are not within the DINplus and/or ENplus certification thresholds. Among all 30 purchased samples, only one passes the quality thresholds set by the PL-US BIO, a newly established quality certification in Poland that combines quality assessment following DINplus with optical microscopy analysis. The primary issues causing a decrease in pellet quality include elevated ash and fines content, compromised mechanical durability, too low ash melting temperature, and additions of undesired additions like bark, inorganic matter, and petroleum products. Our research highlights the need for improved fuel quality control measures, and transparent and accurate product labeling, as well as the need for a comprehensive and publicly available national database of solid biomass fuel producers and fuels sold. These are essential steps toward increasing customers' awareness and trust, encouraging them to embrace biomass fuels as reliable and sustainable sources of energy.

Qualitative analysis as a tool for reducing investment risks in post-mining areas located in urban structures.

Urban development is not a process of even and planned progression on residential-industrial sites. Enclaves of high-standard space separate degraded and abandoned areas after industrial use has ended. The idea of the compact city is challenged by the need to search for niches for possible development and even to respond to crisis situations. Changing the approach to postmining sites located inside urban spaces generates an alternative to urban sprawl and the squandering of the stock of fertile suburban agricultural land. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the urban presence of postmining sites, to take a systemic view of ways to identify and describe their specific elements and to determine their impact, from the perspective of different user groups, on the quality of space. This research combined expert knowledge and the practical experience of users to create a model for a multilevel audit of postmining spaces. Knowledge about the postmining environment was transferred to landscape and urban design, creating a universal tool for developing strategies to increase the standard utilitarian functions of revitalized postmining areas. This tool will be useful at an early stage of urban development, management and planning.

Effects of thermal treatment of food using barbecue fuels on ambient air and beach sands within recreation facilities.

Organised bathing areas located within leisure facilities, in addition to the function typical of their purpose, allow in most cases the use of their own barbecue facilities. This type of cooking of food before consumption is very popular during leisure time at the waterfront. However, cooking food on a barbecue produces fumes emitted from both the fuel being burned and the food being grilled. In addition, the fat from the grilled food falls on the hearth, contributing to the release of further toxic compounds and, in many cases, together with other exhaust fumes, causing considerable smoke and the summer smog effect. Such cumulative gases emitted by irregularly dispersed barbecues repeatedly irritate the respiratory tract of beachgoers in the area of these devices, and the residue of unburned barbecue fuel contaminates the resting area. Small pieces of charcoal of various textures tend to sink into the sand when exposed to the elements and can pose a risk to young children playing on the beach by causing choking and minor injuries. The study revealed an assumed range of exposure to dust and gases emitted from barbecuing that extended up to 40 m from the hearth. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the thermal processing of food using barbecue fuels could lead to increased contamination of beach sands from the fuel itself and food storage materials. Therefore, taking into account the studies carried out showing the adverse effects of active barbecues on beach sands and, above all, the atmospheric air and directly on beachgoers, administrators of recreational facilities should strive to concentrate these devices at a distance (up to several tens of metres) from beaches and bathing areas.

Environmental implications of the quality of charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal used for grilling.

Numerous studies have been conducted to assess air pollution and human health risks arising from exposure to outdoor cooking, but limited standards have been implemented around the world to assure fuel quality. While charcoal briquettes and lumps are a popular fuel choice for grilling, almost no data specifying their properties are available to consumers. Because the properties of fuels affect the flue gases, it is critical to understand how the quality of grilling briquettes and lumps translates not only into the quality of the grilled food, but, even more importantly, how their emissions impact human safety and the environment. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of the quality of charcoal briquettes and lumps on potentially harmful emissions during grilling. To analyze their quality, we used reflected light microscopy to identify a range of contaminants, including biomass, mineral matter, coal, coke, metal, rust, plastics, glues, and synthetic resins, in 74 commercially available products made in Poland, the United States of America, Ukraine, Germany, Belarus, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of South Africa. Our data show that majority of the products analyzed do not meet the existing quality standard EN 1860-2:2005 (E) of less than 1% contaminants, some of these products contain up to 26.6% of impurities. The amount of contaminants correlates with particulate matter, as well as CO and CO2. The contribution of biomass is especially significant because it can be used to predict harmful particulate matter emissions during grilling. The relationship between the composition of charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal and their emissions is particularly strong during the first 15 to 20 min after ignition (when emissions are the highest), therefore, this initial stage is especially unsafe to consumers, and staying away from the grill during this time is recommended.