Evaluation of the technical-environmental performance of coconut and cocoa husk briquettes as an alternative to shihuahuaco charcoal in Yurimaguas-Peru

Abstract

Air pollution from burning charcoal for cooking poses an environmental problem not only because of the health risks to millions of people worldwide, but also because of the depletion of associated vulnerable timber species. Peru is no exception, and this study evaluates the technical and environmental performance of briquettes made from Theobroma cacao (cacao) and Cocos nucifera (coconut) husks, generated as waste in the district of Yurimaguas, Loreto region (Peru), as an energy alternative to shihuahuaco (Dipteryx micrantha) charcoal, which is primarily used in food preparation establishments and is also a vulnerable species in the region. A completely randomized design (CRD) with a 5×2 factorial arrangement was applied, considering the type of biomass and the proportion of natural binder (10% and 15% cassava starch), to analyze the physicochemical properties of the briquettes according to ISO 17225-3. The briquettes exhibited moisture, ash, and calorific value values ​​within the established ranges, with the T2Y2 mixture (75% cocoa, 25% coconut, and 15% binder) identified as the optimal formulation. Furthermore, combustion tests, conducted with DustMate equipment and a MultiRAE gas analyzer, demonstrated a reduction of over 50% in CO, PM10, and PM2.5 emissions compared to shihuahuaco charcoal. These results demonstrate that coconut and cocoa briquettes are a competitive energy alternative, both technically and environmentally, for the progressive replacement of charcoal used for cooking food in homes and establishments selling prepared food.