At the request of Groningen local authority, Buro Blauw carried out a study on the data available on the emissions of wood-burning stoves. As part of this study the impact of these emissions on the area around the harbour location ‘Noorderhaven Groningen’ was also assessed.
The Groningen chapter of Friends of the Earth (Milieudefensie) had a number of queries regarding the assumptions and results of the Buro Blauw study and asked CE Delft for a second opinion.
Because of the assumptions made by Buro Blauw, the approach adopted in their study leads to a serious underestimate of the contribution of wood-burning stoves to outdoor air pollution levels. Particularly in the vicinity of the harbour-moored houseboats, the standards for PM10 en PAH will be exceeded, as will acceptable levels of ‘stench’. Given these conclusions, it is recommended that the calculations be redone under more realistic assumptions. In addition, it is recommended that long-term monitoring of PM10 levels be undertaken at the Noorderhaven location in order to validate the calculations. This can readily be done in combination with monitoring of levoglucosan, cited by ECN in this context as a ‘guide pollutant’.