Environmental Development Plan (EDP). Fuels from biomass, 1977

Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6701528

The present status, program goals, and potential applications of biomass technology are briefly described. The potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of biomass production and conversion are identified. Six key environmental issues are cited and their nature and planned research associated with them are discussed. The six issues specified are the following: (1) The large land and water requirements of terrestrial biomass plantations may restrict the development of competing uses of land and water for food and fiber production in some regions and cause adverse socioeconomic impacts. (2) Biomass plantations have the potential to affect significantly air and water quality through fugitive dust emissions and sediment loads to waterways. (3) Removal of agricultural and silvicultural residues and total harvesting or clear cutting schemes reduce the amount of organic matter returning to the soil. (4) Direct combustion of biomass can in some cases emit greater quantities of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulates than fossil-fuel combustion. (5) The various thermochemical biomass conversion processes produce small quantities of pollutants such as hydrogen sulfide and phenols which can affect air and water quality. (6) Anaerobic digestion produces a sludge which must be disposed of or recycled carefully to avoid pollution of groundwater or surface waterways. An appendix tabulated completed, current, and planned research in these areas. (JSR)

• Research Organization: Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6701528
• Report Number(s): DOE/EDP-0005
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
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090222 -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
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AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
BIOMASS PLANTATIONS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
DIGESTION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
INDUSTRY
INFORMATION NEEDS
MANAGEMENT
OXIDATION
POLLUTION
PROCESSING
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SYNTHETIC FUELS INDUSTRY
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY