Chemical and Materials Research

Wood is the biomass fuel most frequently used both as unprocessed wood and as charcoal.Charcoal production involves carbonization of wood in masonry kilns, usually Eucalyptus or Pinnus spp. In Brazil, some facilities utilize a poorly mechanized process, highly dependent on human labor and associated with significant occupational hazards in each stage of its manufacture. Wood smoke is intensely released from the kilns, and represents a complex mixture of liquid, solid and gaseous particles, irritant and genotoxic, such as nitrogen and sulphur oxides, benzene, methanol, styrene, phenols, naphthalene, aldehydes, organic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Click Here to Download PDF Sample Copy Both superior and inferior airway symptoms have been reported, including sneezing, nasal secretion, cough, expectoration, dyspnea, wheezing and even hemoptysis related to lower airway disease. Rhinitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections may be obser...