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The use of microalgae and bacteria as a strategy for the startup of bioreactors for the treatment of industrial wastewater can be a sustainable and economically viable alternative. This technology model provides satisfactory results in the nitrification and denitrification process for nitrogen removal, organic matter removal, biomass growth, sedimentation, and byproducts recovery for added-value product production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of microalgae and bacteria in their symbiotic process when used in the treatment of paper pulp industry wastewater. The experiment, lasting fourteen days, utilized four bioreactors with varying concentrations in mgVSS/L of microalgae to bacteria ratio (R1-100:100, R2-100:300, R3-100:500, R4-300:100) in the startup process. Regarding the sludge volumetric index (SVI), the results show that the R1 and R2 reactors developed SVI30/SVI10 biomass in the range of 85.57 ± 7.33% and 84.72 ± 8.19%, respectively. The lipid content in the biomass of reactors R1, R2, R3 e R4 was 13%, 7%, 19%, and 22%, respectively. This high oil content at the end of the batch, may be related to the nutritional stress that the species underwent during this feeding regime. In terms of chlorophyll, the bioreactor with an initial inoculation of 100:100 showed better symbiotic growth of microalgae and bacteria, allowing exponential growth of microalgae. The total chlorophyll value for this bioreactor was 801.46 ± 196.96 μg/L. Biological removal of nitrogen from wastewater from the paper pulp industry is a challenge due to the characteristics of the effluent, but the four reactors operated in a single batch obtained good nitrogen removal. Ammonia nitrogen removal performances were 91.55 ± 9.99%, 72.13 ± 19.18%, 64.04 ± 21.34%, and 86.15 ± 30.10% in R1, R2, R3, and R4, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The proper treatment and utilization of kraft black liquor, generated from the pulp and paper industry through the kraft pulping method, is required to reduce environmental impacts prior to the final disposal. It also improves the economic performance through the utilization of waste. Microbial valorization appears to demonstrates the dual benefits of waste management and resource recovery by providing an innovative solution to convert kraft black liquor into resource for reuse. A comprehensive review on the microbial valorization of kraft black liquor, describing the role in valorization and management, is still lacking in the literature, forming the rationale of this article. Thus, the present study reviews and systematically discusses the potential of utilizing microorganisms to valorize kraft black liquor as a sustainable feedstock to develop a numerous portfolio of platform chemicals, bioenergy, and other value-added products. This work contributes to sustainability and resource efficiency within the pulp and paper industry. The recent developments in utilization of synthetic biology tools and molecular techniques, including omics approaches for engineering novel microbial strains, for enhancing kraft black liquor valorization has been presented. This review explores how the better utilization of kraft black liquor in the pulp and paper industry contributes to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) as well as the affordable and clean energy goal (SDG 7). The current review also addresses challenges related to toxicity, impurities, low productivity, and downstream processing that serve as obstacles to the progress of developing highly efficient bioproducts. The new directions for future research efforts to fill the critical knowledge gaps are proposed. This study concludes that by implementing microbial valorization techniques, the pulp and paper industry can transition from a linear to a circular bioeconomy and eco-friendly manage the kraft black liuor. This approach showed to be effective towards resource recovery, while simultaneously minimizing the environmental burden., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The main objective of this study is the evaluation of RPPW anaerobic digestion feasibility at laboratory scale under Mesophilic condition. The experiment is conducted using a two-stage biofilm digester of 5 L capacity with mobile support material., Results: Anaerobic treatment of wastewater from recycled pulp and paper industry in Morocco was tested using a laboratory-scale anaerobic biofilm digester that operated under mesophilic conditions over a 70-day. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) efficiency, volatile and total solid (VS, TS) elimination of the substrate during the process were: 78%, 52% and 48% respectively. The system was stable throughout its operating cycle with an optimum pH (7.24), alkalinity (1750 mg CaCO 3 /L) and a volatile fatty acid value (760 mg/L). The experimental daily biogas production measured reaches a value of 5 L/day with a composition of 71% methane, 27.6% carbon dioxide, 0.2 oxygen and 7713 ppm of the H 2 S. The study results show that the anaerobic biofilm reactor is a suitable technique for recycled pulp and paper wastewater (RPPW) treatment. The reactor shows high performances in terms of process stability, removal efficiency (> 70%) and biogas production., Conclusion: Anaerobic digestion is an efficient waste treatment technology that uses natural anaerobic decomposition to reduce the volume of waste while producing biogas. However, research is needed to strengthen microbial metabolism, biochemistry and the functioning of the rector to improve biogas production. The RPPW AD experiment with biofilm digester technology was stable throughout the operation period. The digester knows an overloaded in the last phase of the experiment which leads to an inhibition of biogas production.

The membrane process had been applied for the advanced treatment of pig farm biogas slurry. As studied, this physical pretreatment, with low cost and high efficiency of the suspended solids removal and nutrient retention, is required to control membrane fouling. The combined process of paper filtration and ultrafiltration in a pilot scale was applied in the present study. The main objective was to explore and identify the feasibility of the new process for the pretreatment of the separation liquid of pig farm biogas slurry. A precision identification experiment of paper filtration and the multi-batch repetitive experiments of the combined process were designed. The results showed, at the identified paper filtration precision of 50μm and an operating pressure of 0.3 bar of the ultrafiltration process, that the flux rate at the stable stage of the multi-batch operation was around 295.00 L/h. The combined process achieved an overall processing rate of 345.41 ± 18.81 L/h and a volume permeation proportion of 82.45% ± 0.85%. The TSS was removed by 95.71%, but total nitrogen (TN) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) were retained by 76.29% ± 2.04% and 73.74% ± 2.10%, respectively. Comprehensively, the requirement for the pretreatment was obtained.

The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO2 emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO2 emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce renewable energy, fuels, and materials for other sectors. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the decarbonization prospects of the PPI. The study provides insights on the magnitude of needed annual renewal rates for several possible net-zero target years of industrial fossil CO2 emissions in the PPI and discusses decarbonization opportunities, namely, energy and material efficiency improvement, fuel switching, electrification, renewable energy production, carbon capture, and new products. The effects of climate policies on the decarbonization opportunities are critically evaluated to provide an overview of the current and future business environment of the European PPI. The focus is on Europe, but other regions are analyzed briefly to widen the view. The analysis shows that there are no major technical barriers to the fossil-free operation of the PPI, but the sector renovates slowly, and many new opportunities are not implemented on a large scale due to immature technology, poor economic feasibility, or unclear political environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work deals with intensification of bioethanol production from waste newspaper using Saccharomyces cerevisiae using ultrasonic irradiations. The effect of different process parameters such as application of ultrasonic irradiation at different growth phases, irradiation time, ultrasonic power and duty cycle on the bioethanol production has been investigated. The favorable conditions for the maximum yield were established as application of ultrasonic irradiation (duration of 10 min) to fermentation broth at 12 h of growth phase with 25 kHz frequency, 160 W power and 20% duty cycle. The bioethanol productivity was increased by 1.8 times from 7.8 to 14.1 g/L compared with the non-sonicated control fermentation. Decrease in glucose concentration from 0.63% to 0.2% w/v in ultrasound-assisted fermentation confirmed the improved substrate uptake of the microbial cell due to the application of ultrasound. ESEM analysis also confirmed the changes in the cell morphology leading to improved cell permeability. Results were fitted to an unstructured kinetic model comprising of the kinetic and physiological parameters. Overall, the work has demonstrated an intensified approach for the bioethanol production based on the use of ultrasound., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An innovative circular economy (CE) system was implemented at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Brunswick. The performance of the CE system was evaluated for 4 years: the thermal pressure hydrolysis enhanced the methane production by 18% and increased the digestate dewaterability by 14%. Refractory COD formed in thermal hydrolysis and increased the COD concentration in the WWTP effluent by 4 mg L -1 while still complying with the legal threshold. Struvite production reached high phosphorus recovery rates of >80% with a Mg:P molar ratio ≥0.8. Nitrogen was successfully recovered as ammonium sulfate with high recovery rates of 85-97%. The chemical analyses of secondary fertilizers showed a low pollutant content, posing low risks to soil and groundwater ecosystems. The total carbon footprint of the WWTP decreased due to enhanced biogas production, the recovery of renewable fertilizers and a further reduction of nitrous oxide emissions. Using green energy will be crucial to reach carbon neutrality for the entire WWTP., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2024 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits copying, adaptation and redistribution, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Management of municipal solid waste is an efficient method to increase resource efficiency, as well as to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources due to that (1) waste to a large extent is renewable as it consists of food waste, paper, wood etc. and (2) when energy and materials are recovered from waste treatment, fossil fuels can be substituted. In this paper results from a comprehensive system study of future biological treatment of readily degradable waste in two Swedish regions are presented. Different collection and separation systems for food waste in households have been applied as well as technical improvements of the biogas process as to reduce environmental impact. The results show that central sorting of a mixed fraction into recyclables, combustibles, biowaste and inert is a competitive option compared to source separation. Use of pellets is beneficial compared to direct spreading as fertiliser. Fuel pellets seem to be the most favourable option, which to a large extent depends on the circumstances in the energy system. Separation and utilisation of nitrogen in the wet part of the digestion residue is made possible with a number of technologies which decreases environmental impact drastically, however to a substantial cost in some cases., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herbal waste produced during the manufacturing of herbal products is a potential feedstock for anaerobic digestion due to high amount of organic matter that can be transformed into biogas as an energy resource. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to convert herbal waste produced during the manufacturing of common of Ayurveda products into biogas through anaerobic digestion process using batch test study under controlled mesophilic temperature conditions of 35 °C with food to inoculum ratio of 0.75. The maximum biomethane potential (BMP) of 0.90 (gCH 4 COD/g COD fed ) and sludge activity of 0.70 (gCH 4 -CD/gVSS) was exhibited by WS herbal waste owing to its high chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 4 g/g and better solubilization potential of the organic matter showing change in volatile suspended solids (ΔVSS) of 79%. On the other hand, the waste derived from the TA herb, exhibited the least biogas yield of 0.55 (gCH 4 COD/g COD fed ) and sludge activity of 0.40 (gCH 4 -CD/gVSS), albeit with higher organic matter present. This was due to the possible hindrance of waste solubilization by the presence of lignin. The waste derived from VVL and PE showed intermediate BMP and sludge activity. The methane generation rate constant (k), a key indicator of the biodegradation potential, was also evaluated. The k values showed similar trend as of BMP values ranging from 0.081 to 0.15 d -1 thus indicating the influence of presence of lignin and the change in ΔVSS. The present study proves anaerobic digestion to be an alternative treatment method to be a milestone for management of herbal wastes and can be successfully implemented on real-scale systems., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Anaerobic treatment of oily substrate, known as grease trap waste (GTW), was investigated for its practicability via continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at different operating conditions and selected recovery strategies of feeding frequency efficacy. This study determine the performance of feeding frequency efficacy, namely feeding every 24 hours (R 24H ) and feeding every 12 hours (R 12H ). Under organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.2 gCOD/L.day, R 12H exhibited methane composition of 57%, methane production rate of 0.27 LCH 4 /L.day, and methane yield of 0.14 LCH 4 /gCOD removed . At the same OLR, R 24H recorded methane composition of 60%, methane production rate of 0.29 LCH 4 /L.day and similar methane yield as R 12H . Findings indicated that R 24H showed performance comparable to that of R 12H . Given minor variation observed in performance, it is recommended that plant operators may consider scheduling two feedings per day for low loading conditions and switch to one feeding per day for higher loading conditions. This strategy is designed to balance the system and prevent shock loads, which could lead to plant shutdowns. This mechanism will induce their conversion to volatile fatty acids (VFAs); thus, reducing the risk of acid accumulation and pH drops, which could inhibit methanogens to produce methane, especially for oily substrate., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2024 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits copying and redistribution for non-commercial purposes with no derivatives, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Paper mill sludge (PMS) solids are predominantly comprised of cellulosic fibers and fillers rejected during the pulping or paper making process. Most sludges are dewatered and discharged into landfills or land spread at a cost to the mill; creating large economic and environmental burdens. This lignocellulosic residual stream can be used as a source of sugars for microbial fermentation to renewable chemicals. The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of converting mill sludge to sugars and then fermentation to either isoprene or ethanol. Chemical analysis indicated that the cellulosic fiber composition between 28 to 68% and hemicellulose content ranged from 8.4 to 10.7%. Calcium carbonate concentration in the sludge ranged from 0.4 to 34%. Sludge samples were enzyme hydrolyzed to convert cellulose fibers to glucose, percent conversion ranged from 10.5 to 98%. Calcium carbonate present with the sludge resulted in low hydrolysis rates; washing of sludge with hydrochloric acid to neutralize the calcium carbonate, increased hydrolysis rates by 50 to 88%. The production of isoprene “very low” (190 to 470 nmol) because the isoprene yields were little. Using an industrial yeast strain for fermentation of the sludge sugars obtained from all sludge samples, the maximum conversion efficiency was achieved with productivity ranging from 0.18 to 1.64 g L−1 h−1. Our data demonstrates that PMS can be converted into sugars that can be fermented to renewable chemicals for industry.

As the transition to renewable energy systems is accelerating, anaerobic digestion, which is one of the methods of energy recovery from organic substrates, continues to be studied with great interest by scientists. Anaerobic digestion research and applications are mostly carried out with biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests to decide the methane potency of sewage sludge, energy crops, and organic wastes. Unlike long and costly continually reactor experiments, actually, BMP tests are cumulative and can be performed with a relatively low investment of materials, technical labor, and also time. For the BMP to give accurate results, the effect of all the tools and technical parameters used in the implementation of the BMP should be well understood. In such situations, it is very useful to apply fuzzy logic methods in multi-criteria decision-making stages when more than one parameter changes at the same time. Therefore, in this study, fifteen parameters were determined and analyzed with the fuzzy DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) method to understand the cause-effect mechanism of the technical parameters of BMP. As a result of these analyses, it was seen that the material of the reactor (r i -c j value of 0.55), the particle size (r i -c j value of 0.43), the effect of mixing (r i -c j value of 0.32), and the amount of the total solids (TSA) (r i -c j value of 0.25) had a high effect in the causal sense. It was observed that the first-order parameter (material of reactor) was 27% stronger than the second-order (the particle size) parameter in terms of causality. Likewise, the second-order parameter is 34% stronger than the third-order parameter (the effect of mixing) in terms of cause effect. In addition, it was understood that the most effective parameters in the mechanism of effect were pH (r i  + c j value of 3.41), C/N ratio (r i  + c j value of 3.26), and temperature (r i  + c j value of 3.07), respectively. Besides, high methane yield is seen in mesophilic conditions. The average cumulative biogas yield of the reactor is 282.1 NmL/g VS. The highest percentage of methane formed in the biogas occurred on the 21st day. Briefly, this study is important to provide a facilitating way for researchers working on BMP to understand the cause-effect mechanism of system technical requirements., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Future global energy demand may be met through increased extraction of fossil fuels and production of renewable energy such as biofuels. Renewable energy from biofuels is often proposed as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels; however, impacts of renewable energy sources on wildlife populations have rarely been evaluated in working landscapes. We used North American Breeding Bird Survey data (1998 to 2021) to assess whether the joint effects of oil and gas and biofuel crop production explained grassland bird population declines. We modeled location-specific effects of land use on grassland bird habitat use for four grassland bird species (bobolink [Dolichonyx oryzivorus], grasshopper sparrow [Ammodramus savannarum], Savannah sparrow [Passerculus sandwichensis], and western meadowlark [Sturnella neglecta]) in North Dakota, a state experiencing rapid growth in both energy sectors. Our analysis showed that grassland birds responded more negatively to biofuel feedstocks (i.e., corn and soybeans) on the landscape compared with oil and gas development. Furthermore, we found that the effect of feedstocks was not generalizable to other forms of agricultural land use. When combined, these land use changes resulted in distributional shifts of grassland birds, with use by birds being lower in regions dominated by biofuel production, which appears partially responsible for observed abundance trends at the state level. Our results indicate that expansion of oil and gas development has negatively affected habitat use by some grassland birds, but this impact was more localized when compared to biofuel crops. Conservation practitioners may need to adapt their conservation strategies to account for widespread and rapid land use change driven by United States energy policies., (Published 2023. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.)

The present study aims to investigate microbial community structures household biogas digesters with different raw materials in Qinghai Plateau rural. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed that Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria are the most abundant bacterial phyla (64.08%). Prevotella group 7 was the most abundant genus in digester YL9 and YL10 (69.72% and 26.96%, respectively) using vegetable waste raw materials. Trichococcus exhibited the highest abundance (14.55%) in YL1 digester using sheep and pig manure. Clostridium sensu stricto 1 (13.89%) and Synergistaceae_uncultured (15.52%) comprised the highest abundances in digester YL5 with mixed raw materials (i.e., dairy manure, sheep manure, and human feces). In addition, Proteiniphilum and Pseudomonas exhibited the highest abundances among bacterial genera in YL4 digester using pig manure. Methanomicrobiales was the most dominant archaeal communities, ranging from 13.35% to 81.34% in abundance. Methanocorpusculum exhibited dominant abundances in all digesters using various raw materials. Methanogenium was the most abundant archaeal genera in YL4 and YL6 digesters, which consume pig manure as primary raw material. In addition, Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta exhibited the highest abundances in digester YL1 (55.03%) and YL9 (51.40%), respectively. Moreover, fermentation temperatures and pH both contributed to the archaeal and bacterial community structures in all the investigated digesters. Specially, fermentation temperature showed positive correlation with the abundances of Synergistaceae_uncultured, Methanogenium, and Methanosaeta, and pH was positively correlated with the abundances of Prevotella group 7 and Methanosarcina abundances.

Paper mill sludge (PMS) solids are predominantly comprised of cellulosic fibers and fillers rejected during the pulping or paper making process. Most sludges are dewatered and discharged into landfills or land spread at a cost to the mill; creating large economic and environmental burdens. This lignocellulosic residual stream can be used as a source of sugars for microbial fermentation to renewable chemicals. The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of converting mill sludge to sugars and then fermentation to either isoprene or ethanol. Chemical analysis indicated that the cellulosic fiber composition between 28 to 68% and hemicellulose content ranged from 8.4 to 10.7%. Calcium carbonate concentration in the sludge ranged from 0.4 to 34%. Sludge samples were enzyme hydrolyzed to convert cellulose fibers to glucose, percent conversion ranged from 10.5 to 98%. Calcium carbonate present with the sludge resulted in low hydrolysis rates; washing of sludge with hydrochloric acid to neutralize the calcium carbonate, increased hydrolysis rates by 50 to 88%. The production of isoprene "very low" (190 to 470 nmol) because the isoprene yields were little. Using an industrial yeast strain for fermentation of the sludge sugars obtained from all sludge samples, the maximum conversion efficiency was achieved with productivity ranging from 0.18 to 1.64 g L−1 h−1. Our data demonstrates that PMS can be converted into sugars that can be fermented to renewable chemicals for industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternate fuels are in great need as the world's natural resources are depleting with continuous consumption. Furthermore, with a continuous increase in the use of conventional fuel which emits a large number of harmful pollutants to the environment and thus increasing global warming, the need for alternative fuel is in great need. This investigation thus focused on the impact identification on the use of biodiesel from fish waste-based biodiesel [BDWFO (Bio-Diesel of Waste Fish Oil)] with Nanoparticles in single cylinder water cooled IC engine. The fish wastes in fish processing industries/fish markets are used to produce oil and its biodiesel is produced by the transesterification method. The individual BDWFO, Diesel, and blends of 20% of BDWFO were tested with the engine. Then another two combinations of fuel created 200 ppm of 40 nm Aluminium Oxide nanoparticles (AN) mixed with BDWFO, blends of 20% of BDWFO. These five fuels were considered to study the engine performance, combustion, and emissions from the exhaust. The experimental results confirmed the presence of aluminium oxide nanoparticles in BDWFO provides improved engine performance and reduced emissions from exhaust gas except for CO 2 ., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Global warming and increasing environmental pollution have become global concerns that, coupled with the scarcity of traditional forms of energy, have motivated the implementation of more sustainable production systems, such as biorefineries. This is because biorefineries are capable of integrating technologies and processes in a single facility, generating biofuels, value-added chemicals, and energy. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the bioproducts and emergent technologies surrounding the processing of corn into bioethanol and refined oil. A bibliometric analysis he was carried out in order to construct and evaluate prospective scenarios related to corn biorefineries. An analysis of the proposed layouts highlighted flexibility in the production process, given that one raw material could be transformed into various bioproducts. Thus, the results presented provide a bibliographic foundation for future studies on integrating residues-processes-products in corn processing. The reason for this is that the technological routes presented could be considered incremental innovations to develop a biorefinery, which takes place gradually, given that highly integrated biorefineries are highly complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zero-waste project in Turkey, which was started in 2017, is planned to be implemented until 2023, starting from public institutions and organizations. However, in refectories where high amounts of organic waste are generated, these organic wastes are generally transported to the landfill site by the municipalities and, consequently, they go beyond the scope of the zero-waste project. In this study, the anaerobic treatment of refectory wastes based on the scope of the zero-waste approach in Turkey has been developed as an innovative and holistic approach. As a result of the informing studies in the refectories, the waste of bread could be zero, while the waste of meals could not be zero, but a significant decrease in meal waste was found. In addition, this holistic approach has also strengthened recycling. Anaerobic digestion was selected to complete the zero-waste target for food wastes that are still generated. In the study using the UASB reactor operated in mesophilic conditions (36.5-37 °C), feeding has been done with approximately 21.9 kg VS added m -3 OLR in 10-day HRT. As a result, it was observed that the production of biogas and organic fertilizers from food waste using anaerobic technologies is an important solution on behalf of realizing the zero-waste application. The results showed that 1 kg of food waste with 62 ± 3.2% solid content could produce 640 L of biogas with approximately 62.2 ± 0.6% methane content. In addition, a 26.2-L bio-fertilizer with an average COD concentration of 3354 ± 106 mg L -1 was produced. This research paper with a successful method at the Adıyaman University in Turkey focuses on the goal of zero waste. This study illustrated how it is possible to implement an effective initiative to reduce food waste with a holistic approach.

Sustainable power generation for portable electronic devices is of high interest due to increasing energy demands. Miniaturized biofuel cells are well-reported for this purpose where ubiquitous fluids, like glucose or lactate, can be leveraged. However, such biofuel cells need enzymes to complete the catalysis, leading to many prevalent issues like the longevity of enzymes, complicated immobilization, additional mediators etc. Therefore, non-enzymatic glucose biofuel cells (NEGBFCs) are gaining interest due to their cost-effectiveness, high repeatability and excellent stability. However, based on our best knowledge such glucose biofuel cells are not reported in microfluidic environment, and therefore their potential is not exploited. Realization of the functionality of such NEGBFCs in a microscale is crucial to replace them with their enzymatic counterparts. In this work, for the first time, a microfluidic non-enzymatic glucose biofuel cell (μNEGBFC) is developed on a paper-based platform using metallic catalysts. The catalysts for electrocatalytic energy generation is fabricated using electrodeposition method and their detailed physicochemical characterizations are done. The μNEGBFC is capable of producing a power density of 12.5 μW/cm2 with a stable potential of 410 mV. This green power output can be used to operate low-power micro-devices and lab-on-chip sensors in a more continual and viable manner. [Display omitted] • A simple, cost-effective electrodeposition technique was used for electrode fabrication. • Gold deposited anode and copper deposited cathode were used as electrodes. • A paper-based Microfluidic Non-Enzymatic Biofuel Cell (μNGBFC) was constructed. • The developed μNGBFC generated a power density of 12.5 μW/cm2. • The μNGBFC was capable of retaining 56% of the initial power after 72 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is essential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change effects. Biofuels represent a promising low-carbon alternative for sectors that are hard to electrify, such as freight transport or aviation. This work investigates possible pathways for increasing the value of biomass at a Kraft pulp mill, focusing on black liquor and bark streams. Mathematical programming is coupled with superstructure optimization and systematic solution exploration to identify meaningful process configurations. The analysis of solutions under market variations allows for the identification of robust and competitive configurations for the co-production of pulp and fossil fuel alternatives. The results show that the integration of biorefineries in pulp mills results in better resource use and higher energy efficiency - diversifying the product portfolio and providing bio-based fuel products to the market while being economically viable. By incorporating fuel production in the conventional Kraft process, the carbon conversion efficiency of the mill can be increased from 48% to up to 67%. Extending the analysis, up to 2% of the European road freight transportation fuel could be provided with combined pulp and fuel production, and 5% of the worldwide fuel demand for passenger aviation.

[Display omitted] • Ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of paper sludge was demonstrated in a pilot plant. • >99 wt% of minerals in the paper sludge are recovered. • The bio-oil with HHV of 40.9 MJ kg−1 is produced with a carbon yield of 21%. • The bio-based chemicals mainly contain paraffins, olefins, and aromatics. Paper sludge is a solid waste by-product abundantly produced in the paper industry and contains fine minerals and lignocellulosic biomass. In this contribution, the ex-situ catalytic fast pyrolysis of paper sludge with a high mineral content of ca. 71 wt% is reported for the first time and demonstrated in a pilot-scale unit (feeding rate of 11.3 kg h−1) using a granular Na 2 CO 3 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst (loading of 650 g) to produce a high-grade bio-oil at a fast pyrolysis temperature of 475 ± 5 °C (pre-screened using a pyroprobe) and a catalytic upgrading temperature of 500 °C. Besides, > 99 wt% minerals in the paper sludge could be recovered, including paper fillers such as CaCO 3 (major) and talc. The bio-oil obtained at a carbon yield of 21 C.% has a low oxygen content of 3.2 wt%, a low total acidity number of 5.2 mg KOH g−1, low H 2 O content of 0.7 wt%, and a high higher heating value of 40.9 MJ kg−1. It consists of value-added bio-based chemicals such as paraffins, olefins, and low molecular weight aromatics. The results demonstrate that the use of paper sludge to recover minerals and to obtain fuels and chemicals using ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis is technically feasible at a pilot plant scale, which will be of importance for the development of future bio-based economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to analyze the economic viability of municipal household solid waste (organic matter + paper) for the production of gas, coke and biofuel through the pyrolysis and distillation process. The waste was collected in the city of Belém do Pará-Brazil and pretreated at the Federal University of Pará. The analyzed fraction (organic matter + paper) was subjected to the pretreatment of drying, crushing, and sieving and was subsequently subjected to proximate characterization and, finally, pyrolysis of the organic fraction (organic matter + paper) in a fixed bed reactor. Initially, it was necessary to review the literature, and with the yields obtained by pyrolysis of the fraction, economic feasibility analyses were carried out. The economic indicators for evaluating the most viable pyrolysis process were basic payback, discounted payback, net present value, internal rate of return, and profitability index, which are all financial metrics commonly used in investment analysis and decision making. These metrics provide valuable insights into the financial viability and attractiveness of investment projects. They are essential tools for assessing the feasibility and profitability of various ventures, helping decision-makers make informed choices in allocating resources. The analysis of the indicators showed the economic viability considering an analysis horizon of 10 years of materials based on organic material and paper. The breakeven point obtained was USD 0.96/dm3 and the minimum biofuel sales price found in this project was USD 1.30/dm3. The sensitivity research found that material costs (organic matter + paper), bio-oil yield, total project investment and electricity, respectively, are the variables that most affect the minimum biofuel sales price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of palm-oil biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with fossil fuels is increasingly questioned. So far, no measurement-based GHG budgets were available, and plantation age was ignored in Life Cycle Analyses (LCA). Here, we conduct LCA based on measured CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes in young and mature Indonesian oil palm plantations. CO 2 dominates the on-site GHG budgets. The young plantation is a carbon source (1012 ± 51 gC m -2  yr -1 ), the mature plantation a sink (-754 ± 38 gC m -2  yr -1 ). LCA considering the measured fluxes shows higher GHG emissions for palm-oil biodiesel than traditional LCA assuming carbon neutrality. Plantation rotation-cycle extension and earlier-yielding varieties potentially decrease GHG emissions. Due to the high emissions associated with forest conversion to oil palm, our results indicate that only biodiesel from second rotation-cycle plantations or plantations established on degraded land has the potential for pronounced GHG emission savings.

The global diffusion of biotechnology has played a pivotal role in restructuring the global order in the post-Cold War era. Institution of a strong domestic base in biotech has arguably allowed emerging economies in the Global South to negotiate with developed countries from a position of strength. This paper critically examines the rise of Brazil as a case in point to examine the role of biotechnology as a great equaliser of power in North-South relations. It identifies the institution of a strong domestic biotechnology base as a primary facilitator of Brazil's emergence as a globally influential player. The paper does so through delineating the various means through which Brazil has drawn from biotechnology to boost its international image and influence. Firstly, it analyses the nuances within Brazil's domestic biotechnology strategy while underlining their catalytic effect in driving fast-paced advances in the field. Brazil's policy successes with respect to genomics and biofuels are highlighted. The paper discusses Brazil's employment of biotechnology as an effective foreign policy tool in niche diplomacy ventures of health, agriculture, and biofuels to grow its clout in the Global South. Brazil's tactful ability to combine its biotechnology expertise with skilful diplomatic manoeuvring to pioneer novel normative paradigms that favour the Global South has been studied. The paper concludes that Brazil's biotechnology strategy presents a good model for emerging economies in Asia and Africa to emulate to improve their relative standing in the multipolar world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw, the primary agricultural waste, constitutes approximately 20% of the total biomass in the EU. Only a small fraction of the material is applied in various products, e.g., animal bedding, mulch, building, and composite materials, while a significantly larger portion is often burned in the field. This practice, while prohibited for several reasons, including the increased risk of fire and the release of carbon dioxide contributing to global warming, is still prevalent. Given the increasingly evident effects of climate change, EU legislation aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. One of the strategies includes applying the cascade principle in the circular economy. This principle aims to use the entire raw material, in this case, cereal crops, such that the products with the highest added value, like cellulose fibers from cereal straw, are extracted first. The vast potential for utilizing lignocellulosic agro-waste sustainably arises from its status as the most abundant organic compound on Earth. Its significant presence, renewability, and biodegradability make it a desirable source for producing materials in numerous industries. This study examines the potential of wheat fibers, isolated from the straw of two distinct cultivars (Srpanjka represents an old variety, and Kraljica represents the new variety) primarily for application in technical textiles. The following testing methods were applied: determination of wheat fibers and residues yield, fibers tensile properties, length, moisture content/regain, density, morphology, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The yield of isolated fibers relies on the wheat variety and the climatic conditions affecting plant growth, resulting in fiber yields from 10.91% to 15.34%. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis indicates reduced peak intensity, which is related to hemicellulose and lignin content, suggesting their improved deposition following the process of chemical maceration. Wheat fiber quality was found to be comparable to cotton fibers regarding its density. However, they showed a significant difference in higher moisture regain (9.72–11.40%). The vast majority of the scientific papers related to wheat fibers did not indicate the length of the individual fibers obtained by chemical maceration nor their strength. Therefore, this paper indicated that both varieties demonstrated sufficient fiber tenacity (greater than 10 cN/tex) and fiber length (2–3 cm), stressing the spinning potential of these fibers into yarns and extending their use to the apparel industry. Moreover, our research underscores the feasibility of adhering to the zero-waste principle. A high percentage of solid waste remaining after fiber extraction (25.3–39.5%) was successfully used for biofuel production, thus closing the loop in the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution is a gradually growing environmental issue that hinders the growth and development of plants, and also destabilizes soil. Consequently, eco-friendly phytoremediation methods have gained traction, with energy crops emerging as a particularly effective solution. Energy crops not only provide high-quality plant materials for detoxification and remediation of heavy metal pollution, but also possess energy properties conducive to biofuel production. Therefore, this paper delves into the tolerance mechanism of energy crops towards heavy metal toxicity, elucidating processes such as root complex-mediated inhibition of metal migration and response to reactive oxygen species (ROS) through heavy metal-related proteins, enzyme systems, reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and hormones. Moreover, it summarizes the heavy metals remediation mechanisms of energy crops, including uptake, translocation, chelation, immobilization, and sequestration. This paper explores applications of energy crops in heavy metal pollution remediation, emphasizing the methods for efficient biochar remediation and biofuel generation. Furthermore, potential challenges in using energy crops for heavy metal pollution remediation are outlined. By systematically examining the function mechanisms and prospective applications of energy crops in heavy metal pollution bioremediation, this paper serves as a valuable reference for both research and practical implementation in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry anaerobic digestion (dry-AD) is an attractive process for solid wastes such as agri-food waste. However, some limitations mainly associated to lack of effective mixing, can hinder the methane production capacity of the systems. Bulking agent (BA) has been proposed as a solution to the compaction issues in systems without mechanical agitation, such as leaching bed reactors. However, effects of BA are still not clear, and, thus, the factors to consider for its dose has not been optimized yet. This work studies the effect of BA in dry-AD. Two substrates with different characteristics were proposed as models, bean peel as a lignocellulosic substrate and a mixture of food waste as a readily biodegradable substrate. Inert plastic rings were used as BA at different BA:S ratios. Assessed BA:S ratio did not affect the performance of methane production for the lignocellulosic waste, but it did significantly affect to the easily biodegradable substrate, showing up to a 28% of methane production increase. This result could be due to the presence of lignocellulosic compounds in the bean peel, behaving like a natural BA. In assays with an increased bed height, the compaction of the system was more severe, resulting in the rapid acidification of the processes. At these conditions, the positive effect of BA addition was more marked, allowing methane production and no acidification of the system. Thus, the addition of BA is a suitable strategy for improving methane production or stability in dry-AD systems without requiring the stirring of the systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study synthesized novel, green, and easily recoverable surface-modified economical catalysts via hydrothermal treatment (HT) successfully, utilizing biogas residue biochar (BRB), a food waste product from anaerobic fermentation, pyrolyzed at 500 °C for 50 min. Using autoclaves, a total of six solutions were prepared, each having 1 g fine-grinded BRB, surficial modified by adding glycerol (GL) (10 or 20 mL) and SDI water (70 or 60 mL), and heated in an oven at 240 °C, 180 °C, and 120 °C for 24 h. Afterward, the catalysts showed the potential for degradation of widely used emerging pollutants like ciprofloxacin. Taking advantage of catalytic surface modification, the catalytic ozonation degradation was more effective than that of a single ozonation. However, under similar conditions, catalyst amount 0.20 g, ozone dose 15 mg L -1 , and ciprofloxacin 80 mg L -1 , the performance of the 10 mL GL-180 °C catalyst was excellent. It showed a 92.45%-94.41% optimum removal rate in the 8-10 min interval. After five continuous cycles, the 10 mL GL-180 °C catalyst exhibited excellent stability and reusability. XPS, FT-IR, BET, XRD, and SEM before and after the reaction confirmed the successful synthesis and degradation mechanism. A possible degradation pathway was unrevealed based on a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) and scavenger test, proving the significant roles of superoxide radicals (O 2 •- ), hydroxyl radicals ( • OH), and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ). Further, Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis confirmed the presence of active oxygen species. Subsequently, 10 mL GL-180 °C showed promising degradation for the actual water environment, such as groundwater (73.55%) and river water (64.74%). This work provides a valuable economic strategy to convert biogas residue biochar into a low-cost catalyst for organic pollutant decomposition., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Fossetto landfill has operated in the municipality of Monsummano Terme (Tuscany, Italy) since 1988, being considered a state-of-the-art landfill for 35 years. Initially, Fossetto acted as a conventional sanitary landfill for mixed municipal solid waste. With changes in regulations and technology, the Fossetto landfill was gradually equipped with a biogas recovery and valorisation system, a mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plant in 2003 and a reverse osmosis leachate treatment plant, so the concentrated leachate has been recirculated back into the landfill body since 2006. Long-term biogas monitoring, enables the calculation of the efficiency of biogas recovery using a rather simplified methodology, which was assessed as being approximately 40% over the prior ten-years period. This value was lower than expected, confirming the results of previous studies and indicating the need of attributes. Applying the USEPA LandGEM model showed that the adoption of MBT substantially reduced biogas generation yields and rates by up to approximately 90% which was facilitated by the adoption of landfill leachate recirculation transforming the conventional landfill into a bioreactor. Detailed fugitive emission monitoring has allowed the evaluation of the impact of the cover type (final or temporary) and the emissions hotspots. From these results, possible remedial actions have been suggested including the more frequent monitoring of the fugitive emissions using simple and cost-effective methods (e.g., UAVs). Approximately 50% of fugitive emissions can be attributed to emissions hotspots, which reduce biogas recovery and the efficiency of temporary covers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Solid-liquid extraction was investigated to obtain selected major plant nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg) from biofuel ash using weak organic acids like salicylic acid, citric acid, and oxalic acid as sacrificial leaching agents. In this study, three organic acids were compared to determine the most effective leaching agent for maximizing the P, K, Ca, and Mg extraction from biofuel ash. The findings indicated that 0.1 M citric acid was the most efficient for plant nutrient recovery, with 81.9% of P recovered after 30 min, 82.4% of Ca, 76.8% of Mg, and 47.3% of K. after 120 min. The highest amount of K, with 59.3% was recovered after 180 min of extraction with 0.1 M oxalic acid. However, recovery of P-80.7% was lower, and much lower recovery of Ca-2.3%, and Mg-68.6% after 180 min of extraction with 0.1 M oxalic acid. The leachates were not contaminated with heavy metals, just 0.47 mg/L of Zn, 7.67 mg/L of Al, and 1.99 mg/L of Fe were detected after 180 min of extraction with 0.1 M oxalic acid. The formation of calcium oxalates after extraction with 0.1 M oxalic acid was seen by SEM-EDS. The findings indicated that to achieve the highest recovery of all beneficial nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg) different extraction times and different extraction agents are required., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Bioenergy generation from microalgae can significantly contribute to climate mitigation and renewable energy production. In this regard, several multi-criteria decision-making method were employed to prioritize appropriate microalgae culture system for bioenergy production. Entropy weight, Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were the employed MCDA method. Fourteen microalgae culture systems were selected as a case study, which contain teen monoculture and four dual-culture. Initially, through ans in-depth review of the literature and expert views, four categories total eight indicators were selected as the evaluation indices of the study, namely 1) Proliferation: Half growth cycle and Max growth rate,2) Biomass output: Bio-crude yield and Lipid yield, 3) Nutrient utilization: residual concentration of total Nitrogen and total Phosphorus, and, 4) Stability: coefficient of variation of Bio-crude yield and Lipid yield. The result indicated that "Pediastrum sp. & Micractinium sp." was identified as the most bioenergy potential microalgae culture system, and the evaluation results of entropy weight method and CRITIC method are similar. It is pertinent to note that 1)the entropy weight method exhibits lower sample size requirements, 2) the critic method excels when dealing with larger sample sizes, and 3) the TOPSIS method necessitates the incorporation of appropriate weighting methods to ensure credible results. In the application stage, the key indicators related to cost can be further included in the evaluation indices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)