Which of the following is NOT an example of Biomass Material?

Concept

Biomass is organic matter derived from living or very recently living organisms (plants and animals) that can be used as a renewable energy source. Its defining feature is that it is part of the current, short-term carbon cycle. A fossil fuel, by contrast, is formed from organic matter buried and transformed over millions of years of geological time, making it non-renewable.

Application

Test each material against the definition:

• Wood — comes directly from recently grown plants; renewable organic matter, so it is biomass.

• Garbage — its organic, biodegradable portion (food waste and the like) comes from recent biological matter, so it qualifies as biomass.

• Animal waste — produced by living animals and convertible to energy (for example, biogas); recent biological origin, so it is biomass.

• Coal — a sedimentary fossil fuel formed from plant matter compressed over millions of years; non-renewable, so it is NOT biomass.

Conclusion

Wood, garbage, and animal waste all originate from recently living matter and meet the definition of biomass. Coal alone is a fossil fuel formed over geological timescales, so coal is the material that is NOT an example of biomass.