QUANTITIES OF POLLUTANTS FROM COMBUSTION OF WOOD WASTE IN WOOD-PROCESSING COMPANIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

In Croatia and worldwide, public concern for environmental protection is obviously rising and special demands are related to the impact of industrial activities on the environment. Apart from affecting significantly the emission of greenhouse gases, wood-processing industry can also cause pollution of the soil, earth and air. In the last several years, wood-processing companies in the Republic of Croatia have completely reduced the use of fossil fuels for generating thermal energy by using their own wood waste as fuel. The aim of this research is to compare the actual and projected quantities of pollutants emitted by wood waste burning appliances in wood-processing companies in the Republic of Croatia with the limit values. It is important to answer the question whether this positive trend of replacement of fossil fuels by wood waste is accompanied by an adequate quality of wood waste burning appliances, the modern technologies of fuel burning and exhaust air purification. According to the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette "NN" 110/07) and Air Protection Act (Official Gazette "NN" 130/11), all plants with biomass burning appliances have to monitor and report the quantities of exhaust pollution released into environment to the Register of Environmental Pollution. Data were processed of 57 wood-processing companies that reported the quantities of pollution in 2010. The results show that the limit values of pollutants that have to be reported were exceeded many times. Thus, the emission of carbon monoxide from the burning appliance exhaust is, on average, around 560 times higher than the limit value; the discharge of hydro carbon is 63 times higher, of sulfur dioxide six times higher, of nitrogen dioxide 100 times higher, of solid particles 1.8 times higher and of dioxins and furans 1.5 times higher than allowed. For the year 2010, the total projected consumption of wood waste was calculated for fuel in all wood-processing companies in the Republic of Croatia, as well as quantities of individual pollutants generated by combustion of the estimated quantity of wood biomass. The results show that due to adaptation to high European standards of protection of the work environment and environmental protection in general, it is necessary to reduce the emissions of pollutants into environment by investing into cleaner technologies of burning wood waste.