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Element concentrations in urban grass cuttings from roadside verges in the face of energy recovery

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 22, pages 7808–7820 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Grass from municipal roadside verges is a potential yet largely unused resource for bioenergy recovery, which is mainly due to its unknown elemental composition. Therefore, we measured the concentration of 16 elements (Ca, K, Mg, N, Na, P, S, Al, Cd, Cl, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Si and Zn) in a material from the city of Kassel harvested in different management intensities. The element concentrations were mainly close to reference values of agricultural or nature conservation grassland and usually within the range of literature data. Concentrations of most elements, including heavy metals, were below limiting values. Only N and Cl concentrations in the raw material exceeded the limiting values for combustion, but washing and dewatering of the biomass with the “integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass” technique resulted in concentrations in the press cake well below the limiting values. Considering the element concentrations of grass from urban roadside verges, utilisation for energy recovery may be possible, provided an appropriate technology is applied.

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Abbreviations

DM:

Dry matter

FM:

Fresh matter

ICP-OES:

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

IFBB:

Integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass

MF:

Mass flow

PF:

Press fluid

PC:

Press cake

RR:

Relative reduction

VS:

Volatile solids

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the EU for financing the COMBINE project (No. 299J) through the Interreg IV B regional development fund and Christine Wachendorf, who advised us in soil analysis. We are grateful to the administration of the city of Kassel, who provided the investigation areas, as well as data for this publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Grassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources, Kassel University, Steinstrasse 19, Witzenhausen, 37213, Kassel, Germany

    Meike Piepenschneider, Frank Hensgen & Michael Wachendorf

  2. Department of Applied Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Sofie De Moor & Erik Meers

Authors
  1. Meike Piepenschneider
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  2. Sofie De Moor
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  3. Frank Hensgen
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  4. Erik Meers
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  5. Michael Wachendorf
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Correspondence to Meike Piepenschneider.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Piepenschneider, M., De Moor, S., Hensgen, F. et al. Element concentrations in urban grass cuttings from roadside verges in the face of energy recovery. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 7808–7820 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3881-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3881-9

Keywords

  • Bioenergy
  • IFBB
  • Roadside verge
  • Urban biomass
  • Contamination
  • Trace elements