ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessing the Emissions and Suitability of Agro-Based Pellets for Small-Scale Residential Heating Appliances in Serbia
 
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1
Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
 
2
Faculty of Environmental Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague, Czech Republic
 
 
Submission date: 2024-02-27
 
 
Final revision date: 2024-03-21
 
 
Acceptance date: 2024-04-27
 
 
Online publication date: 2024-08-02
 
 
Publication date: 2025-01-09
 
 
Corresponding author
Van Minh Duong   

Faculty of Environmental Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 16628, Prague 6 Dejvice, Czech Republic
 
 
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(2):1697-1708
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Emissions from small-scale heating appliances significantly contribute to exacerbating Serbia’s severe air quality challenges. This study investigates two types of pellets, produced from wheat crop residue and a mixture of wheat and rapeseed, as potential alternatives to wood pellets. The analysis covers key solid biofuel characteristics, including heating value, moisture, volatile matter, elemental composition, ash content, and melting temperature, in accordance with normative specifications. Results reveal that agropellets from wheat and the mixture fail to meet established requirements, disqualifying them from any ENplus classification. Emission characteristic tests, conducted in an automatic residential pellet stove, measure O2, CO2, CO, NOx, SO2, and TOC. Comparative analysis with wood pellets quantitatively indicates higher gaseous pollutant emissions from agropellets. Notably, the combustion of agropellets proves unsuccessful, leading to the extinguishing of the fire in the appliance, rendering them unsuitable for household use. The findings underscore the importance of ensuring high-quality pellets are available on the market and in domestic appliances, presenting implications for end-users and policymakers. Addressing these issues is crucial for mitigating air quality concerns and further study associated with heating in households.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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