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The biofilter used is a simple technology in anaerobic digestion to remove pollutants from the substrate to enhance biogas production and nutrient effluent, which can be used as liquid organic fertiliser. This study aims to determine the effect of using a biofilter to improve biogas production and biogas effluent as an organic fertiliser material. The results show that the highest methane concentration is 60.64% at a dosage 200 L·day-1. The total solid (TS) content of biogas effluent exhibits a decrease of approximately 44% across all substrate doses, with respective percentages of TS of 0.16%, 0.03%, 0.025%, and 0.034% for 50 L·day-1, 100 L·day-1, 150 L·day-1, and 200 L·day-1, respectively. The use of biofilters in an ABR can significantly enhance the quality of biogas effluent, rendering it suitable for use as a liquid organic fertiliser. By capturing and biodegrading pollutants, the biofilter component can further enrich the nutrient content of the effluent, which already contains essential nutrients due to the anaerobic conditions and compartmentalised design of the ABR. The nutrient content in the biogas effluent mix with nutrition (AB mix) namely; N-total 262.5 mg·L-1, P-available 0.399 mg·L-1, Ca 4.08 mg·L-1, Mg 25.24 mg·L-1, Cu 0.032 mg·L-1, and Fe 13.09 mg·L-1 follows the standard organic fertiliser of the Minister of Agriculture of Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yeasts are the usual contaminants in fruit juices and other beverages, responsible for the decrease in the quality and shelf-life of such products. Preservatives are principally added to these beverages to enhance their shelf-life. With the increasing consumer concern towards chemical food additives, plant-derived antimicrobials have attracted the attention of researchers as efficient and safer anti-yeast agents. However, the methods currently used for determining their anti-yeast activity are time- and material-consuming. In this study, the anti-yeast effect of plant phenolic compounds in apple and orange juice food models using microtiter plates has been evaluated in order to validate the modified broth microdilution method for screening the antimicrobial activity of juice preservative agents. Among the twelve compounds tested, four showed a significant in vitro growth-inhibitory effect against all tested yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii) in both orange and apple juices. The best results were obtained for pterostilbene in both juices with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 32 to 128 μg/mL. Other compounds, namely oxyresveratrol, piceatannol, and ferulic acid, exhibited moderate inhibitory effects with MICs of 256–512 μg/mL. Furthermore, the results indicated that differences in the chemical structures of the compounds tested significantly affected the level of yeast inhibition, whereas stilbenes with methoxy and hydroxy groups produced the strongest effect. Furthermore, the innovative assay developed in this study can be used for screening the anti-yeast activity of juice preservative agents because it saves preparatory and analysis time, laboratory supplies, and manpower in comparison to the methods commonly used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration of heavy metals and radionuclides is interrelated, and this study focusses on the interaction and complex influence of various toxicants. The rehabilitation of radioactively contaminated territories has a complex character and is based on scientifically supported measures to restore industrial, economic, and sociopsychological relations. We aim for the achievement of pre-emergency levels of hygienic norms of radioactive contamination of output products. This, in its sum, allows for further economic activity in these territories without restrictions on the basis of natural actions of autoremediation. Biosorption technologies based on bacterial biomass remain a promising direction for the remediation of soils contaminated with radionuclides and heavy metals that help immobilise and consolidate contaminants. A comprehensive understanding of the biosorption capacity of various preparations allows for the selection of more effective techniques for the elimination of contaminants, as well as the overcoming of differences between laboratory results and industrial use. Observation and monitoring make it possible to evaluate the migration process of heavy metals and radionuclides and identify regions with a disturbed balance of harmful substances. The promising direction of the soil application of phosphogypsum, a by-product of the chemical industry, in bioremediation processes is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our research is to evaluate the agroecological condition of soils under long-term irrigation (over 50 years) and to improve existing measures to slow down degradation processes by introducing phosphogypsum. The possibility of simultaneously addressing the ecological issue of using large amounts of phosphogypsum waste and the agronomic characteristics of slowing or eliminating salinisation processes in irrigated soils has been studied and justified. The research methodology was based on the comparison of different meliorative doses of phosphogypsum under the following conditions: by the amount of exchangeable sodium that should displace calcium in the calculated soil layer; by the coagulation limit; and by the absorption norm and the corresponding amount of sodium coming with irrigation water. To determine water-soluble salts (anions, cations) and pH level, a water extract was utilized. Multi-year studies to determine the impact of phosphogypsum on irrigation-salinised soils with and without irrigation showed positive changes in the anion–cation composition of water extraction, resulting in a reduction in the degree of the salinity of these soils. It was established that in chernozem soils under irrigation, the sodium adsorption ratio decreases by 74.5% compared to the control indicators, and without irrigation, by 23%. The best results in the displacement of exchangeable sodium were observed when phosphogypsum was applied at a dose calculated by the coagulation limit without irrigation and with irrigation—by the absorption norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West Nusa Tenggara (WNT) province is one of the regions that contribute the most to the production of rice, corn, and cacao. The residues of these crops increase as production increases. The potential availability of the residue was calculated on the basis of the amount of agricultural product and the availability of unutilized residues. The estimated potential energy and collected data were processed and combined with converted factors, such as the yield per hectare and the calorific value, taking into account another purpose, the use of domestic residues for animal feed. Paddy straw, corn straw, and corn cobs had the highest percentage of residue availabilities, 85.91%, 82.26%, and 88.25%, respectively. In addition, the WNT regency has a rich diversity of agricultural residues from superior commodities such as rice, corn, coffee, coconut and cacao. The calculation of the total heating value (THV) of the agricultural residue available reached up to 42.4 PJ. Furthermore, the use of biomass for bioenergy resources is promising, particularly for the WNT region, with the potential for unused agricultural residues. The dependence on unsustainable energy, such as coal and fossil fuel, can be reduced by deploying and developing energy production from biomass use. Therefore, the potential for bioenergy generation and the availability of biomass can be developed for sustainable agriculture and energy management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to improve the control system of the biological stage of wastewater treatment using the quality control information system to support the concept of environmental efficiency management. In this case, the object of the study was the treatment facilities of Sumy city (Ukraine). For automatic control of wastewater quality, pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), electrical conductivity, and temperature indicators were taken, as well as hydrobiological analysis of activated sludge and mathematical modelling. The pH of wastewater at the input system has systematically unacceptable values (above 8.5 were recorded). Unacceptable concentrations of sulphur-containing toxicants arrive at the entrance of treatment facilities (0.22–1.3 mg/L). The response of activated sludge biocenosis to increasing concentrations of hydrogen sulphide in wastewater was analysed. Furthermore, a mathematical model of monoculture population growth, with two factors that affect population growth (nutrient concentration and monoculture production concentration), was implemented for the initial assessment of possible negative effects on wastewater treatment. The differential equation of the population dynamics of the i-th species of microorganisms in activated sludge was described. The applied system of automated monitoring of wastewater parameters with expert assessment of activated sludge and a unified mathematical model of approaches allows for a complex system of decision-making support to be realised. However, this requires the construction of mathematical models that would take into account the cause–effect relations that operate under conditions of incomplete technological information and the potential presence of emergencies due to natural disasters and military activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different coffee drying technologies face complex tasks in ensuring an acceptable final seed moisture content. This research performed a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) study, simulating a single coffee bean's drying process as a transient mass diffusion model under mechanical and natural convection conditions, so the drying behavior and data of both case scenarios can be foreseen and controlled by a predictive Finite Element Model (FEM). A wet bean was 3D-scanned and digitized as the FEA simulation geometry; the water diffusion between the grain and the atmosphere was defined by a diffusion coefficient subject to the drying air temperature and the grain's moisture content. Three cases were studied: mechanical grain drying at three different temperatures (50, 45, and 40°C) in a forced convection environment; variable natural convection drying under environmental conditions (wet and dry season); and constant natural convection (wet and dry season), including the variation in day/night temperature and relative humidity. The results agree well with the data found in the literature, obtaining the graphical moisture distribution of the phenomena, predictive drying curves, diffusion coefficients, and isotherms. Both simulated drying scenarios provide essential information for coffee growers to improve and control their drying processes, thus obtaining high-quality grains, reducing contamination by microorganisms, and ensuring the integrity of their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of biogas plants in Southeast Asia brings many benefits to the households through socio-economic, environmental and health improvements. This paper expands the knowledge on essential aspects of biogas implementation such as socio-economic impact, post-adaptation perception and cultural habits related to traditional fuel use, focusing on differences in household economics and livelihood diversity at the peri-urban–rural continuum. A questionnaire survey was conducted from July to September in Thua Thien Hue Province central Vietnam, among rural (n=55) and peri-urban (n=63) households owning a biogas plant of various ages. Our results show that technical problems with biogas plants were influenced by the age of the biogas plant and the owners' experience with the management of the plant. The reduction of costs on energy was the main reason for households to install a biogas plant. However, households with biogas plants in the rural area experienced lower profitability and an almost two-times longer pay-back period than those situated near cities (internal rate of return equals 20.20% and 48.16%, respectively). Furthermore, our study shows that biogas plant installation reduces firewood consumption, particularly in peri-urban areas. The saved time initially needed for dung management or firewood collection/management, households members used predominantly for leisure and household chores, less on income-generating activities. Our study concludes that rural areas face operational problems more frequently, which, together with lower economic efficiency, negatively affect the successful implementation of biogas plants in remote areas of central Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal degradation of the wood and bark of the Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) cultivated as monocultures in marginal lands of Ukraine has been investigated using thermogravimetric methods of differential thermal analysis. The activation energy of the trees' bark and wood destruction processes were calculated for each temperature range. Comparison of DTA curves showed that the thermal effect of oxidative destruction of the Black locust bark as a whole is greater than that of wood, which correlates with a decrease in the activation energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grain yield of the national soft winter wheat standards for 1967-2018 in Ukraine was analyzed and its connection with the duration of the autumn vegetation and the time of spring vegetation recovery was established. Significant effects of climate change have been identified on the cessation of autumn vegetation, the duration of winter dormancy and the duration of the growing season of soft winter wheat. Based on the analysis of yield and cessation of autumn vegetation for 50 years, it was found that soft winter wheat forms mostly higher yields (6.13 t/ha) under the late cessation of vegetation (from 19 November to 29 November). During the very early (until 28 October) and early cessation (from 28 October to 07 October) of autumn vegetation, the yield decreased slightly and amounted to 5.77 and 5.45 t/ha, respectively. The calendar dates for the cessation of autumn vegetation have a clear tendency to change to later dates. With a slight difference in the recovery time of spring vegetation over 10-year periods, its significant variability was observed during the research years from 90 days (2013) to 150 days (1990). The highest grain yield (7.26 t/ha) of winter wheat was obtained with early (until 03 March) recovery of spring vegetation. The lowest grain yield was in wheat (5.00 t/ha) with a late and very late (4.50 t/ha) recovery of spring vegetation. On the basis of the data analysis, it was established that duration the late stop of the autumn vegetation (45-55 days), winter wheat plants accumulate the optimal amount of plastic substances, which contributes to their better overwintering and the growth of grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different coffee drying technologies face complex tasks in ensuring an acceptable final seed moisture content. This research performed a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) study, simulating a single coffee bean's drying process as a transient mass diffusion model under mechanical and natural convection conditions, so the drying behavior and data of both case scenarios can be foreseen and controlled by a predictive Finite Element Model (FEM). A wet bean was 3D-scanned and digitized as the FEA simulation geometry; the water diffusion between the grain and the atmosphere was defined by a diffusion coefficient subject to the drying air temperature and the grain's moisture content. Three cases were studied: mechanical grain drying at three different temperatures (50, 45, and 40°C) in a forced convection environment; variable natural convection drying under environmental conditions (wet and dry season); and constant natural convection (wet and dry season), including the variation in day/night temperature and relative humidity. The results agree well with the data found in the literature, obtaining the graphical moisture distribution of the phenomena, predictive drying curves, diffusion coefficients, and isotherms. Both simulated drying scenarios provide essential information for coffee growers to improve and control their drying processes, thus obtaining high-quality grains, reducing contamination by microorganisms, and ensuring the integrity of their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas technology has the potential to achieve at least eight of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study assessed household biogas consumption against firewood and its socioeconomic and environmental impacts with regard to achieving the SDGs in the Iganga District, Uganda. In addition, factors hindering the adoption of biogas technology were assessed. Data were collected from 314 respondents using a questionnaire, interview, and observation. A mixed analytical approach combined descriptive analysis, multivariate analysis of variance and one-way analysis of variance tests to compare the impacts of biogas and firewood use and identify factors hindering the adoption of biogas technology. Results show that biogas consumption contributed to higher socioeconomic, health and environmental benefits than firewood. Biogas positively impacted SDG7, and indirectly, SDGs 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 13. An estimated 46.9% of households perceive biogas as a clean fuel. The factors motivating biogas consumption include its smoke-free nature, women and children having more time to engage in other development activities and reduced time spent on cooking. In conclusion, biogas offers higher impacts on SDGs compared to firewood. Reviewing the current national renewable energy promotion frameworks to provide biogas subsidies to households and investors can contribute to increasing biogas consumption in households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By 2025, biogas is estimated to become a larger part of Indonesia's energy mix. Biogas is a renewable energy source that also has economic and environmental advantages. Domestic biogas generation has been embraced in Indonesia as a response to the country's energy security concerns in rural areas. Since the 1970s, 48,038 biogas plants have been built in the region. To fully develop this technology, Indonesia must discontinue relying on fossil fuels and substitute current fossil-fuel-based energy. This article provides an overview of renewable technology in Indonesia, as well as addressing domestic energy demands and referring to existing literature on the socio-technical and socio-economic barriers to biogas adoption in Indonesia. Based on a rigorous review of 71 publications published in Web of Science (WoS) between 2010 and 2021, this study explores existing barriers for biogas adoption by summarizing the current literature from technical, economic, social and environmental perspectives. Biogas adoption is a complex process with many interwoven components. Therefore, this research addresses a gap in the strategic planning and implementation process, providing policymakers with pathways to eliminate bottlenecks in renewable energy planning. Recommendations for future research are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soybean (Glycine max) is used as one of the main protein sources in various animal fodders. However, the presence of anti-nutrients significantly reduces the nutritional value of the bean. To solve this problem, the present work is devoted to the inactivation of the anti-nutrients in soybeans by the use of micronisation as a means of thermal treatment. The purpose of the work is to improve the process of soybean micronisation by determining the impact of the process parameters on the soybean's quality and energy performance, namely -- the urease activity and specific energy consumption. A multifactor experiment was carried out using an experimental device for the heat treatment of the beans. The influence of the temperature and time of the heat treatment on the level of inactivation of anti-nutrients and the specific energy consumption for beans with different sizes were established. The modes of heat treatment which allow the inactivation of the anti-nutrients in the soybeans to admissible standard values were also defined. The obtained and studied functional dependencies of the quality and energy indices on the technological factors of the soybean micronisation allow one to improve this process and technical means for its implementation in reducing the anti-nutrient content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The final composition of volatile components in the process of oxidative pyrolysis depends on the temperature level of the process. The gas output increases with the growth of hydrogen, methane and heavy hydrocarbons concentration in the process of pyrolysis in the range of 200-500°C. In this case, there is a noticeable decrease in undesirable impurities in the output of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the fuel gas. The obtained data on the dynamics of thermal decomposition of biomass under heating conditions reflect the complex dependence of the yield of total gas individual components both on time and on the temperature of the process. The more volatiles contained in the source fuel, (the other things being equal) the faster the gas mixture ignites, and the more intensely it burns out. The composition and temperature of the gas mixture affects the pressure drop and auto-ignition temperature in the pyrolysis chamber. It was found that the lowest self-ignition temperature of a gas mixture is 490°C. A series of experiments to determine the critical condition for self-ignition at a constant temperature of 490°C and various initial pressures of the mixture (100-300 kPa) was carried out. It was found that the transition from a smooth increase in pressure of 90 kPa to an explosive one (up to 300-400 kPa) depends on the composition and temperature of the gas mixture. Therefore, the composition of the gas and its ignition temperature can be controlled by adjusting the mode of pressure increase in the reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of recycling and storage of phosphogypsum is topical for many countries around the world, as it is associated with environmental problems of pollution of water bodies, land, and atmosphere. Therefore, this paper analyzes the directions of phosphogypsum recycling and possible alternatives to its use. The main disadvantages of the existing methods of phosphogypsum processing were identified and trends in this waste management were also considered. Through the VOSviewer programme, a visualization of cluster interconnections was carried out in research publications of various fields of phosphogypsum utilization. Five clusters were formed: a red cluster—phosphogypsum recycling in the construction industry; green cluster—radiation pollution problem of phosphogypsum and phosphate fertilizers; yellow cluster—monitoring migration of phosphogypsum components in the ecosystem, with the mobile forms of heavy metals and their inflow into aquifers from phosphogypsum dumps; blue cluster—use of phosphogypsum in agriculture as an ameliorant and a component of fertilizer; and a purple cluster—the impact of phosphogypsum on microorganisms, particularly in bioremediation processes. Under the proposed integrated biochemical approach, the use of various bioprocesses of phosphogypsum recovery from waste dumps and implementation of new biotechnological solutions for processing phosphorus raw materials are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research describes an application of high-pressure briquetting technology to the waste management of sugarcane processing in Vietnam. The amount of generated sugarcane bagasse was monitored during sugarcane processing within the street juice production in Hue city, Vietnam. Generated sugarcane bagasse was subjected to fuel parameters analysis within its suitability for direct combustion. The obtained sugarcane bagasse was converted into bio-briquette fuel by a high-pressure briquetting press and its mechanical quality was determined. Results proved that the proportion of generated sugarcane bagasse from whole sugarcane stem mass was equal to 35.45%. This indicated generation of an abundant amount of sugarcane bagasse worldwide in general. Fuel parameters analysis proved high quality level of low ash content = 0.97% and high calorific values (gross calorific value = 18.35 MJ·kg-1, net calorific value = 17.06 MJ·kg-1), which indicated good suitability for direct combustion processes. Indicators of mechanical quality proved the following observations: mechanical durability = 99.29%, compressive strength = 150.82 N∙mm-1 and bulk density = 1022.44 kg·m-3, with all these indicators representing positive results. In general, the observed results indicated suitability of sugarcane bagasse valorization within the production of bio-briquette fuel by using high-pressure briquetting technology. Finally, analysis of such waste biomass proved its great potential for energy recovery, thus, the advantage of its valorization within the sustainable technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the issue of investment management of digital innovations in modern business. The main purpose of the research is the development of approaches to the investment management of the innovative digitalisation processes of the enterprises and justification of the economic efficiency of investment projects on innovative information technologies use in the context of their relationship with existing information solutions for enterprise management. The relevance of the research is the necessity to change the methods of doing and managing the modern business, taking into account the achievements of the Third and Fourth Industrial Revolutions, which form innovative business philosophy based on informatisation and digitalisation of manufacturing and delivery processes. The implementation of innovative digital technology in business processes requires significant costs and it raises the issue on their minimization. Systematization of literary sources and approaches for the investment management of industrial digitalisation indicates the absence of complex solutions for this problem. In this regard, based on a comparative analysis, the authors have revealed the features of business development in the conditions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and justified the need for modern information systems integration for enterprise management on the platform of business processes digitalisation. In order to create the road map of business digital innovations, it is suggested that the Theory of Constraints should be used to determine which of the operating information systems of the enterprise (Business intelligence - BI; Enterprise Resource Planning - ERP; Manufacturing Execution System - MES; Industrial Internet of Things - IIoT) is to begin the digital transformation with. The stages of the project development for the digital transformation of an enterprise are designed based on the structural approach. The economic justification for the selection of alternative digitalisation projects is based on an assessment of the labour costs for implementing two variants of digital innovation of a business entity: a complex automation project with upfront modelling and an integration automation project with the gradual implementation of a new information system. The assessment results have shown the economic benefits of implementing the integration project as it provides 1.58 times fewer labour costs and can be realized by use of universal package solutions such as Business Automaton Software (BAS). The analysis of the results of the implemented business digitalisation projects in Ukraine and the world as well as the potential of planned ones has allowed generalising the effects of their implementation and confirmed the need for further development of the mechanisms for the investment management of business digital innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within developing countries, there is an appeal to use waste biomass for energy generation in the form of bio-briquettes. This study investigated the potential use of bio-briquettes that are produced from the waste biomass of the following tropical fruits: durian (Durio zibethinus), coconut (Cocos nucifera), coffee (Coffea arabica), cacao (Theobroma cacao), banana (Musa acuminata) and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum). All fruit waste biomass samples exhibited an extremely high level of initial moisture content (78.22% in average). Fruit samples with the highest proportion of fruit waste biomass (of total unprocessed fruit mass) were represented by cacao (83.82%), durian (62.56%) and coconut (56.83%). Highest energy potentials (calorific value) of fruit waste biomass were observed in case of coconut (18.22 MJ•kg-1), banana (17.79 MJ•kg-1) fruit samples, whereas fruit waste biomass with the lowest level of ash content originated from the rambutan (3.67%), coconut (4.52%), and durian (5.05%) fruit samples. When investigating the energy demands to produce bio-briquettes from such feedstock materials, the best results (lowest amount of required deformation energy in combination with highest level of bio-briquette bulk density) were achieved by the rambutan, durian and banana fruit waste biomass samples. Finally, all investigated bio-briquette samples presented satisfactory levels of bulk density (>1050 kg•m-3). In conclusion, our results indicated the practicability and viability of such bio-briquette fuel production, as well as supporting the fact that bio-briquettes from tropical fruit waste biomass can offer a potentially attractive energy source with many benefits, especially in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]