PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS AND HEAVY-METALS EMISSIONS FROM GUAYULE FIREPLACE LOGS

A study of smoke and heavy metals produced during controlled burning of guayule fireplace logs is presented. An Arapahoe smoke chamber was used to generate and deposit smoke on filters for mass determinations using a modified version of the standard method given in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-4100. Heavy metals analyses on the smoke phase were carried out by emission spectroscopy. Particle size distributions by cascade impactor analyses are presented for flaming, smoldering, and combined flaming/smoldering combustion conditions. Except for chromium, if present in the hexavalent state, the analysis revealed no unusually toxic constituents in the smoke particulates or in the condensable liquid phase. The data are indicative of the results that could be obtained during actual use of a guayule fireplace log.