The UK may be required to expand its bioenergy production in order to make a significant contribution towards the delivery of its ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050. However, some trees grown for bioenergy are emitters of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including isoprene and terpenes, precursors in the formation of tropospheric ozone, an atmospheric pollutant, which require assessment to understand any consequent impacts on air quality. In this initial scoping study, VOC emission rates were quantified under UK climate conditions for the first time from four species of eucalypts suitable for growing as short-rotation forest for bioenergy. An additional previously characterised eucalypt species was included for comparison. Measurements were undertaken using a dynamic chamber sampling system on 2-3 year-old trees grown under ambient conditions. Average emission rates for isoprene, normalised to 30 °C and 1000 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ PAR, ranged between 1.3 μg C g_dw⁻¹ h⁻¹ to 10 μg C g_dw⁻¹ h⁻¹. All the eucalypt species measured were categorised as ‘medium’ isoprene emitters (1–10 μg C g_dw⁻¹ h⁻¹). Total normalised monoterpene emission rates were of similar order of magnitude to isoprene or approximately one order of magnitude lower. The composition of the monoterpene emissions differed between the species and major compounds included eucalyptol, α-pinene, limonene and β-cis-ocimene. The emission rates presented here contribute the first data for further studies to quantify the potential impact on UK atmospheric composition, if there were widespread planting of eucalypts in the UK for bioenergy purposes.

可能需要英国扩大其生物能源生产，以便为在2050年之前实现其“零净”温室气体排放目标做出重大贡献。但是，一些为生物能源而种植的树木是挥发性有机化合物（VOC）的排放者，包括异戊二烯和萜烯，即对流层臭氧形成中的前体（一种大气污染物），需要进行评估以了解对空气质量的任何后续影响。在这项最初的范围研究中，在英国气候条件下，首次从适合作为生物能源的短轮伐林生长的四种桉树中量化了VOC排放率。为了比较，还包括了其他先前表征的桉树物种。使用动态腔室采样系统对在环境条件下生长的2-3年龄树木进行测量。异戊二烯的平均发射率，归一化至30°C和1000μmolm^-2小号^-1 PAR，1.3之间微克C g还不等_DW ^{- 1个}H ^ ^{- 1}至10μgC g还_DW ^{- 1个}H ^ ^{- 1}。所有测得的桉树种类均被归类为“中等”异戊二烯发射体（1–10μgC g _dw ^{− 1} h ^{− 1}）。总归一化的单萜的排放速率与异戊二烯相似的数量级或低约一个数量级。物种之间的单萜排放组成有所不同，主要化合物包括桉树油，α-pine烯，li烯和β-顺式-西门烯。如果英国出于生物能源目的广泛种植桉树，此处提出的排放率将为进一步研究量化对英国大气成分的潜在影响提供第一批数据。