%0 Articles
%T Aerosol emissions of forest biomass use and their climate impacts – a life cycle assessment perspective
%A Tikka, Aapo
%D 2025
%J Dissertationes Forestales
%V 2025
%N 378
%R doi:10.14214/df.378
%U http://dissertationesforestales.fi/article/25019
%X <p>The replacement of fossil fuels and fossil fuel intensive materials with forest-based products, energy biomass and timber processing residues will influence the global climate through changes in both greenhouse gas (GHG) and aerosol emissions to the atmosphere. To date, aerosol emissions from forest biomass use have received little study, and a deeper understanding would enhance the climate impact and sustainability assessments of the forest bioeconomy. In this thesis, anthropogenic aerosol emissions from forest biomass use and their climate impacts were studied. Thus, particulate matter (PM) emissions (including total suspended particles (TSP), respirable particulate matter (PM10), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC)) and gaseous emissions (including nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>), sulphur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs)) were calculated for forest-based products and energy biomass and for their non-forest-based counterparts, with the different production stages within the life cycle taken into consideration. Substitution effects of forest biomass were assessed by the calculation of displacement factors (DFs) for aerosol emissions when forest biomass replaced non-forest-based materials and energy. Radiative forcings of BC, organic carbon (OC) and SO<sub>2</sub> emissions were evaluated through increased forest biomass use scenarios in Finland. According to the results, emissions from sawlogs and pulpwood were less than from energy biomass, especially when the biomass was combusted in small-scale appliances. The DFs indicated that aerosol emissions from forest-based products and energy biomass are in many cases greater than those from non-forest-based counterparts. However, some substitution benefits were also found, most notably for wood-based textiles. The way that forest biomass was used notably affected aerosol emissions and their climate impacts, underscoring the importance of assessing aerosol emissions alongside GHGs to fully understand the climatic and environmental consequences of forestry.</p>