Assessment of Post-Combustion CO2, CO and PM2.5 Levels from Selected Improved Biomass Cookstoves in Sierra Leone

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering

© 2024 by SSRG - IJME Journal

Volume 11 Issue 5

Year of Publication : 2024

Authors : Umar Museheeh Lahai, Eric Antwi Ofosu, Samuel Gyamfi, Joseph Ngegba Williams, Albert Tommy Sheku

10.14445/23488360/IJME-V11I5P106

How to Cite?

Umar Museheeh Lahai, Eric Antwi Ofosu, Samuel Gyamfi, Joseph Ngegba Williams, Albert Tommy Sheku, "Assessment of Post-Combustion CO2, CO and PM2.5 Levels from Selected Improved Biomass Cookstoves in Sierra Leone," SSRG International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, vol. 11,  no. 5, pp. 48-69, 2024. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488360/IJME-V11I5P106

Abstract:

Cooking with solid fuels like charcoal is prevalent among households in Sierra Leone. These have resulted in significant release of emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter whose aerodynamic diameter is less than or equal 2.5µ(PM2.5). The study conducted a Water Boiling Test (WBT experiment on Wonder and Metal stoves, using charcoal from selected trees: abura (Mitragyna stipulosa) and mixed trees, Mango (Mangifera indica), and Matchstick (Aechmea gamosepala). During every phase of the WBT, the pollutants released by two sets of charcoals in two improved cookstoves were calculated. The High-Power Phase Cold Start (HPPCS) of the WBT indicated that when Abura charcoal was used as fuel, the average emission factors of CO2, CO, and PM2.5 were computed for the Wonder stove as: 2.58g/kg, 0.12g/kg, 307.47µg/kg and for the metal stove as, 3.64g/kg, 0.19g/kg, 446.56µg/kg. Furthermore, the emission above factors were computed with assorted charcoal for the wonder stove as 4.59g/kg, 0.119g/kg, 411.17µg/kg and for the metal stove as 5.07g/kg, 0.15g/kg, 503.28µg/kg. The emission factors were also computed throughout the simmer phases of the WBT for both Wonder and Metal stoves. The research provides guidelines for the next environmental assessments and intervention initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords:

Carbon atom concentration, Charcoal, Emissions, Emission factors, Emission metrics.

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