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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426873
Research Project: Strategies to Manage Feed Nutrients, Reduce Gas Emissions, and Promote Soil Health for Beef and Dairy Cattle Production Systems of the Southern Great Plains

Location: Livestock Nutrient Management Research

Title: Characterization and implications of volatile organic compounds release from raw and torrefied biogenic refuse-derived fuel components

Author
item HEJNA, MALGORZATA - Wroclaw University Of Environmental And Life Sciences
item LYCZKO, JACEK - Wroclaw University Of Environmental And Life Sciences
item Koziel, Jacek
item ARMSTRONG, EMMA - Suny College
item NIRI, VADOUD - Suny College
item HADDADI, SHOKOUH - Suny College
item ANYSZKIEWICZ, JACEK - Lukasiewicz Research Network – Institute Of Non-Ferrous Metals
item BIALOWIEC, ANDRZEJ - Wroclaw University Of Environmental And Life Sciences

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/28/2026
Publication Date: 2/2/2026
Citation: Hejna, M., Lyczko, J., Koziel, J.A., Armstrong, E., Niri, V., Haddadi, S., Anyszkiewicz, J., Bialowiec, A. 2026. Characterization and implications of volatile organic compounds release from raw and torrefied biogenic refuse-derived fuel components. Journal of Environmental Management. 400. Article 128787. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.128787.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.128787

Interpretive Summary: The production agriculture of the Southern High Plains produces abundant organic material of relatively low value once the main crop yield component is harvested. Adding value to abundant waste materials have been widely proposed to improve economic well-being. Technologies converting waste to energy can be part of the solution. Thermal treatment (roasting at low temperatures) of common waste can be used to produce fuel called RDF. Yet, the RDF production itself carries the risk of emitting harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Unfortunately, safety of RDF production is poorly understood. Accordingly, researchers from ARS (Bushland, Texas), SUNY Oswego and Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Poland) demonstrated a release of hazardous VOC emissions during RDF production. The team identified toxic compounds of potential greatest impact on the occupational and end-user exposure to VOCs; and they made suggestions to mitigate VOC emissions. These findings help to move this technology from lab to industry.

Technical Abstract: The torrefaction of waste biomass to produce refuse-derived fuel (RDF) offers a promising route for waste valorization. Yet, the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during this process raises concerns regarding environmental and occupational safety. This study investigates VOC release from four biogenic RDF components (cellulose, chicken meat, pine sawdust, starch) torrefied at 200–300 deg C. Ninety VOCs were identified and characterized for their properties. Significant differences in VOC composition were observed among the feedstocks: cellulose exhibited the lowest release levels, dominated by small aldehydes; chicken meat released diverse nitrogenous and sulfur-containing compounds; pine sawdust emitted terpenes and lignin-derived aromatics; and starch produced abundant furans and acids. Hazardous VOCs such as furfural, dimethyl disulfide, and toluene were identified. Cross-referencing with the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulation revealed twenty-three VOCs associated with health- and environment-related hazard statements, demonstrating that a substantial fraction of the released compounds is of regulatory and toxicological concern. Notably, protein- and lignin-rich components produced the most toxicologically relevant profiles. These findings demonstrate that VOC release from RDF cannot be adequately managed using uniform process assumptions and instead requires feedstock-specific assessment and control strategies. The component-level approach enables targeted risk mitigation strategies and informs policy development for waste-to-energy applications. Future work should assess VOC interactions in mixed RDF and explore mitigation technologies for hazardous emissions from thermal processing.