Academic literature on the topic 'Biowaste valorization'

The aim of this work is the development of a methodology for the technical and environmental assessment of biowaste valorization in 2G biorefineries. Italy was chosen as case study, considering years 2016–2017. Approach: the Italian context was evaluated through the following key parameters: Gross domestic power, climate, demography, and population density distribution described the Italian framework. The four most abundant biowaste categories were defined through their amounts and geo-localization: wastewater and sewage sludge (WSS, 4.06 Mt/y), organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW, 1.7 Mt/y), agricultural livestock waste (ALW, 5.7 Mt/y), and waste deriving from the food industry (FIW, 2.6 Mt/y). The geo-localization and quantitative evaluations of the available biowaste amounts were aimed at defining the dimension and localization of the biorefinery plant and at optimizing supply and transport chains, while the qualitative characteristic were aimed to evaluate the most promising process among thermo-valorization (TH) and anaerobic digestion (AD). Results: All considered biowastes were appropriate for biorefinery processes, since carbon content exceeds 40% and the carbon–nitrogen ratio was between 10 and 30. All biowaste categories were evaluated as feedstocks for two biorefinery processes: anaerobic digestion (AD) and thermo-valorization (TH) with energy recovery. Compared to TH, AD achieved in all cases the best performances in terms of produced energy and avoided CO2 emissions. The primary energy production of AD and TH for WSS, OFMSW, ALW, and FIW were respectively: 7.89 vs. 2.4 kWh/kg; 8.7 vs. 2.6 kWh/kg; 10.85 vs. 5.5 kWh/kg; and 12.5 vs. 7.8 kWh/kg. The main findings of this work were: the adoption of AD was technically more suitable than TH; AD increased the avoided CO2 emissions of 10%–89.9% depending on biowaste category.

Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and food residues to obtain valuable chemicals is essential to the establishment of a sustainable and biobased economy in the modern world. The latest and greenest generation of ionic liquids (ILs) are deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs); these have shown great promise for various applications and have attracted considerable attention from researchers who seek versatile solvents with pretreatment, extraction, and catalysis capabilities in biomass- and biowaste-to-bioenergy conversion processes. The present work aimed to review the use of DESs and NADESs in the valorization of biomass and biowaste as pretreatment or extraction solvents or catalysis agents.

PROMANCOA modular technology (PMT) aims at the development of modular agricultural biowaste valorization of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivars within the concept of circular economy in agriculture management. The modular design includes four modules: (1) green raw material (GRM) selection and collection, (2) GRM processing, (3) GRM extraction, in order to obtain bioactive green extracts (BGE) and bioactive green ingredients (BGI), and (4) quality control, which lead to formula components for food, feed, nutraceutical and/or cosmeceutical products. PMT was applied to mango stem bark and tree branches, and cocoa pod husk and bean shells, from cultivars of mango and cocoa in provinces of the Dominican Republic (DR). PMT might be applied to other agricultural biowastes, where a potential of value-added BGE/BGI may be present. Alongside the market potential of these bioactive ingredients, the reduction of carbon dioxide and methane emissions of agricultural biowastes would be a significant contribution in order to reduce the greenhouse effect of these residuals.

The waste-to-wealth concept aims to promote a future sustainable lifestyle where waste valorization is seen not only for its intrinsic benefits to the environment but also to develop new technologies, livelihoods and jobs.

This work is about the valorization of spent bleaching earth (SBE) at low cost from the AFIA oil refinery in Algeria's western region. The biowaste has been burned to eliminate the oil traces, then it has been valorized in two ways: (i) chemically, using phosphoric acid to obtain SBEC and (ii) thermally at 750 °C to create SBEH. The obtained materials were used for the first time as biosorbents in the wastewater treatment field. The three biomaterials show very interesting adsorption properties, with specific surfaces of 194.2, 784.6 and 888.5 m2 g−1 for SBE, SBEC and SBEH, respectively. The analysis has revealed that the obtained materials are alumino-silicates. The three biowastes have been used to remove methylene blue dye from water. The dye was totally eliminated by a physisorption mechanism in the presence of 1 g L−1 of each biowaste after 8, 10, 20 min of contact time. The highest correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.99) was related to the Langmuir isotherm, indicating a good fit with this model, and explaining the biosorption as a monolayer process. According to this model, the adsorption capacities were 123.3, 185.2 and 188.7 mg g−1 for SBE, SBEH and SBEC, respectively. This study shows that SBE can be used as an alternative to commercial adsorbents for dye removal from water.

Isolating cellulose from citrus processing waste without employing chemicals has so far been an unfulfilled goal of chemical research applied to the valorization of a widely available biowaste, annually totaling >100 million tonnes. We have applied hydrodynamic cavitation using a Venturi-type reactor for the extraction of all valued bioproducts of industrial citrus processing waste in water only, directly on a semi-industrial scale. After reporting the discovery of IntegroPectin in the soluble fraction of the aqueous extract, we now report the isolation of a cellulosic material in the water-insoluble fraction of cavitated lemon and grapefruit processing waste. Named “CytroCell”, the material is cellulose of low crystallinity, high porosity, good water holding capacity and good dispersibility in water. These properties open the route to mass-scale production of a useful functional material from a cheap and abundant biowaste.

The valorization of waste and by-products from various industrial activities is a must in our world of depleting natural resources and increasing volume of environmentally negative waste materials. The economic utilization of solid biowaste involves predominantly its use as a carbon-neutral energy resource or a precursor of porous carbon materials, with a potential application range including sorption processes, energy storage, and electric engineering. With the considerable number of lignocellulosic residues tested and applied as the most suitable porous material precursors, such as woods, shells, stones, peels, husks, and stalks of various crop plants, there is still space and need for further developments in the valorization of high amounts of other types of biowaste. Here, the olive pomace was considered because of both the vast volume and the environmentally undesired (when stored) phytotoxic effect of its components. While the literature on chemical (acidic and alkali treatment) and physical activation (temperature, carbon dioxide, and/or steam) of various biowaste precursors is considerable, the effects of pressure in the carbonization step are reported rarely, although the results observed are promising. The same applies to reports on the application of olive pomace for porous materials production, which indicate that olive pomace currently seems to be underestimated as a carbon materials precursor. In the study presented, the combined effects of pressure (0.1–3 MPa), temperature (800 °C), and carbon dioxide atmosphere in the carbonization of olive pomace were assessed on the basis of qualitative and quantitative data on micro- and mesoporosity of the carbon materials produced. The results showed the positive effect of increasing the process pressure on the development of a porous structure, and particularly, on the development of supermicropores and ultramicropores under the carbonization conditions applied. Carbon material with the most developed porous structure and the highest share of micropores was obtained under the maximum pressure tested.

Vital research has been carried out on the sustainable organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) stream management in the last five years. In addition to the traditional approach to reducing its environmental side effects, considering OFMSW as a feedstock to produce bioproducts, such as enzymes, bioplastics, biopesticides, and other high-value products, represents a key component in the transformation of OFMSW treatment plants (biogas or mechanical–biological treatment (MBT) plants) into biorefineries. This short review is intended to assess and analyze the current state of knowledge of OFMSW treatment technologies, suggest practical solution options, and identify future research and development needs to help promote more sustainable management of this underutilized and ever-growing waste stream.

Dins el marc del projecte europeu DECISIVE (grant agreement No 689229) aquesta tesi es centra en la valorització del digestat obtingut de la gestió descentralitzada de la fracció orgànica dels residus municipals (FORM) mitjançant la tecnologia de fermentació en estat sòlid (FES). Treballs anteriors enfocats a la prova de concepte van destacar la viabilitat de produir biopesticides derivats de Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) utilitzant digestat com a principal substrat. Partint d’;aquests resultats, es van realitzar una sèrie de dissenys d’;experiments a escala laboratori (0.5-L) per determinar els paràmetres amb més rellevància en la fermentació. La temperatura i l’;addició de FORM com a co-substrat es van identificar com a paràmetres clau del procés. Aquest efecte es va estudiar a una escala superior (1.6-L), confirmant la necessitat d’;afegir co-substrat per tal de millorar els rendiments de producció. En aquest punt, també es va identificar i destacar la importància dels nivells d’;oxigen durant les primeres hores de procés. Com a resultant, es va desenvolupar una estratègia d’;aeració per tal de maximitzar la producció d’;espores. Aquesta estratègia va ser validada a un reactor prototip (22-L), utilitzant dos soques diferents: Bt var. kurstaki i Bt var. israelensis. Els resultats van ser molt prometedors quan el procediment es realitzava en batch, però la producció final es veia reduïda significativament quan es treballava en fed-batch o batchs seqüencials. Finalment, aquesta estratègia de producció es va implementar al reactor pilot de 290-L, intentant aconseguir l’;ambient favorable per incrementar el creixement i esporulació de Bt. La qualitat del material fermentat va ser analitzada en termes de concentració d’;espores, maduresa del sòlid, i identificació i quantificació de microplàstics. Aquest projecte ha rebut finançament del programa de recerca i innovació Horizon 2020 de la Unió Europea segons el Grant Agreement No 689229.<br>Dentro del marco del proyecto europeo DECISIVE (grant agreement No 689229) esta tesis se centra en la valorización del digestato obtenido de la gestión descentralizada de la fracción orgánica de los residuos municipales (FORM) mediante la tecnología de fermentación en estado sólido (FES). Trabajos anteriores enfocados a la prueba de concepto destacaron la viabilidad de producir biopesticidas derivados de Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) utilizando digestato como principal sustrato. A partir de estos resultados, se realizaron una serie de diseños de experimentos a escala laboratorio (0.5-L) con el objetivo de determinar los parámetros con más relevancia en la fermentación. La temperatura y la adición de FORM como co-sustrato se identificarion como parámetros clave del proceso. Su efecto se estudió a escala superior (1.6-L), confirmando la necesidad de añadir co-sustrato para mejorar los rendimientos de producción. En este punto, también se identificó y destacó la importancia de los niveles de oxígeno durante las primeras horas de proceso. Como resultado, se desarrolló una estrategia de aeración para maximizar la producción de esporas. Esta estrategia se validó en un reactor prototipo (22-L), utilizando dos cepas diferentes: Bt var. kurstaki y Bt var. israelensis. Los resultados fueron muy prometedores cuando el proceso operaba en bach, pero la producción final disminuía significativamente cuando se operaba en fed-batch o batch secuencial. Finalmente, esta estrategia de producción se implementó en el reactor piloto de 290-L, intentado lograr en ambiente favorable para incrementar el crecimiento y esporulación de Bt. Se estudió la calidad del sólido fermentado en referencia a la concentración de esporas, madurez del sólido, e identificación y cuantificación de microplásticos. Este proyecto ha recibido fondos del programa de investigación e innovación Horizon 2020 de la Unión Europea según el Grant Agreement No 689229.<br>In the framework of the European project DECISIVE (grant agreement No 689229) the present thesis is focused on the valorization of digestate from the decentralized management of the organic fraction of the municipal solid waste through the solid-state fermentation (SSF) technology. Previous work focused on the proof of concept of the idea highlighted the viability of producing Bacillus thuringiensis-derived biopesticides using digestate as a principal substrate. From these results, a first assessment at a laboratory scale (0.5-L) using the design of experiments’ methodology was performed for determining the more relevant parameters in the fermentation. Temperature and the use of biowaste as co-substrate were identified as key parameters for the process. This effect was studied at 1.6-L, confirming the need of adding co-substrate for increasing the production yields. At that point, the relevance of oxygen levels in the firsts hours of fermentation was identified and highlighted. As a result, an aeration strategy was developed with the aim of maximizing the spore production. This strategy was validated at a prototype reactor (22-L) using two different strains: Bt var. kurstaki and Bt var. israelensis. Promising results were observed when the process was performed on batch mode. However, the final production was significantly reduced when working on fed-batch or sequential batch mode. Lastly, the developed operation strategy was implemented at the 290-L pilot reactor, trying to achieve an adequate environment for boosting Bt growth and sporulation. The quality of the fermented material was assessed in terms of spore concentration, solid maturity, and microplastics identification and quantification. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 689229.

L'évolution de la législation en matière de valorisation des déchets organiques incite au développement de filières de valorisation, parmi lesquelles le compostage présente un intérêt d'amendement pour les sols, lié notamment à la présence de substances humiques. La matière organique (MO) est une composante importante du sol en raison de son rôle dans les équilibres physiques, chimiques et biologiques, ainsi que par son implication dans le comportement des métaux et métaux traces (MMT). Les objectifs de cette thèse étaient de développer une approche méthodologique afin de caractériser la MO du sol (MOS) et étudier son évolution spatio-temporelle suite à l’apport d’un compost sur une année et 2 profondeurs, et d'approcher son impact sur le comportement des MMT. Une procédure d’extraction séquentielle en 4 étapes (eau, acide, soude, pyrophosphate) a été réalisée afin de fractionner la MOS. Des analyses quantitatives et qualitatives, ont été effectuées sur les extraits. La procédure de fractionnent chimique a permis de distinguer plusieurs catégories de composés organiques (labiles, fulviques et humiques plus ou moins aromatiques). Les analyses quantitatives et les réponses spectrales sur les extraits ont révélé un effet compost essentiellement les trois premiers mois après l’épandage et en été, avec un impact des paramètres climatiques au cours de l'année, mais pas au-delà de 15 cm. Le compost peut apporter au sol une charge supplémentaire en MMT, notamment potentiellement mobilisables, avec un risque de contamination modéré, mais non négligeable lié aux effets potentiels d’accumulation et de concentration sur le long terme<br>The evolution of the legislation regarding the valorization of biowaste (green manure) induces the development of valorization chains, among which amending soils with compost is of particular interest, due to the presence of humic substances. Organic matter (OM) is an important component of the soil due to its physical, chemical and biological participation, and its implication in the behaviour of metals and trace metals (MTM).The aims of this thesis were to develop a methodological approach to characterize OM of soil (SOM) and to study its spatiotemporal evolution over one year at two different depths following the addition of compost, and its impact on the behaviour of MTM. A 4-step sequential extraction procedure (water, acid, sodium hydroxide, pyrophosphate) was used to the SOM fractionation. Quantitative and qualitative analysis were applied on extracts. Solubilization kinetics of MTM was also carried out to refine the study of their mobility.The chemical fractionation procedure allowed distinguishing several classes of organic compounds (labile, fulvic and humic with various aromaticity). Quantitative analyzes and spectral responses of the extracts revealed an effect of the compost (organic carbon, metals, aromaticity and molecular weight compounds) essentially during the first three months after spreading and during the summer period, with a climate parameter effect during the year, but not beyond 15 cm of depth. Compost can bring to the soil an additional load of MTM, including potentially mobilized forms, with a moderate, but not negligible risk of contamination, due to the potential effects of accumulation and concentration over the long term