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In the article, we point out the need to measure the mass concentration of particulate matter (PM) in central Europe in a place of residence (a city and a small town), as PM has a negative impact on human health, especially that of children and the elderly. Since different amounts of PM (mainly peaks) were measured at two locations at a distance of 35 m from each other, a control measurement was also performed to verify the conformity of the measurements of both sensors, which was confirmed with measured courses of quantities. Cases of strong correlation (very close relationship) between PM10 and meteorological factors (temperature, humidity, barometric pressure) were found, but cases of no correlation were found as well, probably due to the effect of wind, which has not been measured yet. The article also points to the fact that, especially during the autumn/winter/spring heating season, the air quality in a small village may be worse than in a large city. This was also confirmed by the detected AQI sub-indices from PM2.5 and PM10. Due to the current rise in prices of gas and electricity, the use of wood combustion as a heating source is nowadays becoming increasingly more attractive, which may contribute to the worsening of the air quality in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 30% of the world's land area is covered by forests. Approximately 761 million m3 of wood is harvested annually in Europe (2017). The aim of the paper is to assess the amount of wood (biomass) produced in Europe per year, as it determines the amount of carbon dioxide released from wood because of combustion for heating and energy purposes. The circular bioeconomy was applied as the theoretical framework for this study. The study employs official statistics on material flows and also uses a technology assessment, which allows for more precise estimations. It can be estimated that 110 million tons of harvested woody biomass are converted into energy every year. This constitutes nearly 69% of processed wood, with burned wood treated as zero-emission. From the analysis of the compiled results, it can be concluded that, in Europe, more than 50% of the mass of raw wood material harvested per year is used for energy in the first stage of processing by manufacturing industries. These processes produce products that become the raw material for further processing, as a result of which, further amounts of wood biomass are used for energy purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silphium perfoliatum L. (Silphium) is one of the most promising perennial herbaceous plants, mainly due to its high biomass yield and multiple uses. It can be grown as a fodder, ornamentally, for energy (mainly as a biogas source), and as a honey crop (source of nectar and pollen for pollinators). Despite the considerable qualities of this crop, the Silphium cultivation area in Europe is small. The main limiting factors are the significant costs of plantation establishment and the lack of biomass yield in the first year of cultivation. Considering these aspects, research was undertaken at the Agricultural Experimental Station Lipnik of West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin, to assess two methods of establishing a plantation: generative, by sowing seeds (seeds); and vegetative, by transplanting seedlings grown from seeds (planting), on the yield and quality of Silphium biomass attended for combustion and its heating value and chemical composition. In 2016–2019, annual aboveground biomass was harvested after the end of vegetation to obtain the raw material for combustion. The collected dry mass yield (DMY) of Silphium significantly differed between the years and methods of establishing the plantation. The biomass yields increased in the first two years of full vegetation from 9.3 to 18.1 Mg∙ha−1·yr−1, and then decreased in the third year of vegetation to ca. 13 Mg∙ha−1·yr−1 because of drought. Significantly higher DMY was obtained by sowing seeds (ca. 13.9 Mg∙ha−1·yr−1) compared to the planting method (ca. 13.0 Mg∙ha−1·yr−1), due to the higher plant density obtained after the sowing method compared to the planting method. The calorific value in the third year was the highest and amounted to ca. 17.8 MJ·kg−1 DM. The paper also presents changes in soil chemical properties before and after four years of Silphium cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]