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Small companies encounter difficulties to adapt to new markets with a sustainable perspective. The subject of this article is a paper transformation company which has been eager to develop the organic farming market by developing a new plant support. Alternatives made from plant fibres or plastics exist, such as jute and polypropylene. The main difficulty of this project was to ecodesign a paper product with a multicriteria approach. The factors considered have been divided into two categories. Firstly, the environmental impacts calculated according to the Life Cycle Assessment methodology (on raw material extraction, manufacturing and end-of-life) are summarised. Secondly, the characteristics of the product are discussed in regards to these results and sustainability questions as part of the interpretation phase. Finally, ways of improvement of the LCA methodology to improve the study in terms of geographical representativeness and societal considerations are discussed.

Agro-based pulp and paper mills in India are one of the most polluting industries; in addition, they are high consumers of raw water. Growing scarcity of high quality freshwater as well as stringent regulatory standards is compelling these units to explore appropriate water management options. Based on data obtained through a questionnaire survey and plant visits, this work provides an overview of the water use and effluent treatment status in Indian agro-residue and recycled pulp and paper mills. The challenges faced by this sector are reviewed and practices adopted by progressive units to minimize freshwater use are illustrated through case studies.

A conference on current research and educational programs in production of crops for bio-fuel was sponsored and organized by the EARTH University and the University of Florida in November, 2008. The meeting addressed current research on crops for bio-fuel production with discussions of research alternatives for future crop production systems, land use issues, ethics of food vs. fuel production, and carbon sequestration in environmentally sensitive tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas. The need and potential for development of graduate and undergraduate curricula and inter-institutional cooperation among educational institutions in the region were also discussed. Delegations from Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, The Dominican Republic, and the United States including ministers of Agriculture and Energy attended this meeting. Over a two-day period, four working groups provided a framework to facilitate networking, motivate task oriented creative thinking, and maintain a timely accomplishment of assigned duties in the context of the conference themes. Participants in the conference were assigned to one of four working groups, each following given topics: Agronomy, Environment, Socio-Economics and Education/Extension. It was the consensus of representatives of industry, academic and regulatory community assembled in Costa Rica that significant research, education and socio-economic information is needed to make production of bio-fuel crops sustainable. Agronomic research should include better crop selection based on local conditions, improved production techniques, pest and disease management, and mechanical cultivation and harvesting. Another conclusion was that tailoring of production systems to local soil characteristics and use of bio-fuel by-products to improve nutrient use efficiency and reduction of environmental impact on water quantity and quality is critical to sustainability of bio-fuel crop production. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) is an organic residual generated from the wastewater treatments. PPMS management involves economic, environmental and social costs that will likely increase in the future as landfilling tends to be reduced or banned in certain jurisdictions. The reduction or the banning of landfilling may be considered as a climate change mitigation measure since organic waste disposal is normally associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This critical review aims to (1) describe the variety of the current and emerging PPMS management practices that are alternatives to landfilling and (2) underline the crucial need for GHG emission assessments. The management practices of the three main PPMS types (primary, secondary and de-inking) comprised in this review are land application (agriculture, silviculture, land reclamation and composting), energy recovery (combustion, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, bioethanol, hydrogen production and direct liquefaction) and integration in materials (biocomposite, cement, asphalt and adsorbent–absorbent). Future research should focus to increase the comprehension of known GHG determinants from the PPMS management practices and reveal unknown factors. Life cycle analyses, based on direct GHG emission measurements, are needed to determine GHG emissions from current and emerging practices and plan a responsible future reduction or banning of landfilling. Such analyses will contribute to assist decision makers in implementing the best PPMS management practices with the least impact on climate change.

A quantitative analysis is given of the consequences of the recent EU White Paper on a strategy for renewable energy sources, by matching the woody biomass demand and supply by the forest industries and the energy sector in Europe in 2010, following the 5th European Timber Trends Study approach. An annual shortage of 229 million m 3 of roundwood equivalents has been identified, which can be supplemented by the establishment of 11.5 million hectares of short rotation forestry systems. However, if 50% of available agricultural residues in Europe (such as straw) were used for bio-energy purposes, then the additional biomass needs are reduced to 101 million m 3 of roundwood equivalents per annum, requiring the establishment of 5.1 million ha of dedicated energy crops.

Potential risks to terrestrial wildlife were estimated from exposure to 2,3,7,8-TCDD/TCDF in paper pulp sludges applied to or disposed of on land. Comparative risks were assessed for land application uses in forests, mine reclamation, and agriculture, versus other disposal methods, such as in landfills and surface impoundments. Potential risks to fish and aquatic wildlife were also estimated for runoff from such land uses and disposal sites. The general types of wildlife species predicted as potentially most exposed via eating TCDD/TCDF contaminated prey were terrestrial animals such as shrews, woodcocks, and robins. TCDD/TCDF levels in eggs from several bird species collected from Wisconsin pine plantations amended with such pulp sludges corroborated the transfer of TCDD/TCDF from soil via prey species into avian eggs, particularly robin eggs.

Realising that the National Vision and National Agricultural Policy to make Malaysia a major world producer of food and agricultural products; agricultural institutions in Malaysia have been given the task to help to improve the income of target groups that covers the rural areas farmer, and the poor income group nationwide. This is line with the National Key Result Area (NKRA), which may require all departments and agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry to improve the income levels, and hence the quality of life of these rural areas farmers. In order to enhance the level of income, and create wealth in economy among these target groups, it is critical to build innovative governance model for the rural transformation center so as to improve sales of agro-based industry products. Hence, the objective of this paper is to focus on reviewing successful governance related to managing the agribusiness products from rural farmers, planters, and low income groups of producers. The expected outcomes highlight to formulate new policy, practice and reliable ways of assessing the innovative and sustainable governance model for global agribusiness Institutions.

In organic soil fertility management, rock phosphate (RP) is gaining momentum as an acceptable phosphorus source, though much of this P is not bioavailable for plant uptake, particularly in igneous RP. This study evaluated the nutrient solubilization, biodegradation and heavy metal concentration when cow dung – waste paper mixture amended with increasing rates of igneous RP was vermicomposted with E. fetida. The cow dung was optimized to a C/N ratio of 30 using waste paper and amended with RP to provide 0%; 2%; 4% and 8% of elemental phosphorus on a dry w/w basis. Incorporation of RP at 2% and 8% P enhanced compost biodegradation resulting in a 12% and 22% significantly (P < 0.001) lower final C/N ratio, respectively, compared to the control; together with higher humification parameters. Amending the cow dung – waste paper mixture with 2%, 4% and 8% P as rock phosphate, resulted in a 39%; 50% and 65% more resin extractable P, respectively, relative to the control. Similarly, the bicarbonate extractable P, which represents the bioavailable P fraction, increased consistently by 19%; 28% and 33% following 2%, 4% and 8% RP application, respectively. Though incorporation of RP initially resulted in increased heavy metal levels, reductions of 40%; 35%; 35%; 40% and 45% for Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn, respectively, were observed in the 8% RP treatment after 8 weeks, due to the presence of earthworms. Vermicomposting with E. fetida significantly reduced heavy metals to levels below the maximum permissible concentration of potentially toxic elements in soils after 8 weeks. This study demonstrates the potential of optimized vermicomposting with igneous RP for generating nutrient rich organic fertilizers.

Because food and poultry industries are demanding an improvement in written communication skills among graduates, research paper writing should be an integral part of a senior undergraduate class. However, scientific writing assignments are often treated as secondary to developing the technical skills of the students. Scientific research paper writing has been emphasized in an undergraduate course on advanced food microbiology taught in the Poultry Science Department at Texas A& M University (College Station, TX). Students' opinions suggest that research paper writing as part of a senior course in Poultry Science provides students with scientific communication skills and useful training for their career, but more emphasis on reading and understanding scientific literature may be required.

Investments in agricultural research and extension have consistently demonstrated high rates of return in Asia and the Pacific. However, the recent global food crisis exposed the vulnerability of food supply systems and reversed many past achievements in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. It also demonstrated the need for continued innovation. In view of the emerging economic, climatic, and political scenarios in the region, this paper explores the role of applied research for development and extension services through the two-pronged approach of boosting food production and preventing losses. Priority areas for research emphasize attention to smallholder farming systems, practical business models, the integration of gender, and multidisciplinary research that is sensitive to nutritional outcomes. In addition, pioneering mechanisms to public-private partnerships are examined towards the strategic use of renewed stakeholder commitments to achieve food security and prevent future crisis. By learning from the past and looking into the future, this paper makes a case for sustained investments in research and extension to address the numerous challenges along the pathway from agriculture production and distribution to consumption and utilization.

Agriculture in Africa south of the Sahara (SSA) is still largely rainfed. SSA also exhibits the lowest crop yields for major staples in the world, largely due to low use of irrigation and fertilizer. Rainfed agriculture poses growing production risks with increased climate variability and change. At the same time, smallholder irrigation in the region developed rapidly over the past decade, albeit starting from very low levels. In addition to largely demand-driven irrigation development by smallholders, there is a significant push by donors for large-scale irrigation development, as well as some push for smallholder irrigation. There has also been a long-standing debate about whether irrigation in SSA should be large scale or small scale to achieve its potential. However, given the potentially high rewards, but also high possibility of failure, the assessment of irrigation potential must go beyond large scale versus small scale to integrate concerns regarding environmental sustainability, resource use efficiency, nutrition and health impacts, and women’s empowerment. The hypothesis underlying this review paper is that how irrigation gets deployed in SSA will be decisive not only for environmental sustainability (such as deciding remaining forest cover in the region) and poverty reduction, but also for health, nutrition, and gender outcomes in the region. The focus of this paper is on the health, nutrition, and gender linkage. We find that to date, few studies have analyzed the impact of irrigation interventions on nutrition, health, and women’s empowerment, despite the large potential of irrigation to affect these important variables. Irrigation interventions may have differential effects on different members in the household and in the community, such as irrigators, non-irrigators, children, and women. Measuring and understanding such differences, followed by improving design and implementation to maximize gender, health, and nutrition outcomes, could transform irrigation programs from focusing solely on increased food production toward becoming an integral component of poverty-reduction strategies.

European agriculture must progress towards a more multi-faceted utilization of different types of land in order to conserve arable land and thereby food production. The simultaneous production of food, energy and fibres appears economically viable . This also provides a solution to environmental problems of the community. The utilization of waste products as fertilizer when cultivating biomass should be done in such a way that we remain able to return rapidly to full-scale food production if unexpected developments occur. Thus crops chose must be able to be replaced rapidly by grain or pasture on land which has not experienced a loss of fertility or pollution by heavy metals.

Sewage sludge/biosolids are by-wastes of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. As sources of nutrients (C, N, P) they are widely used in intensive farming where large supplementation of organic matter to maintain fertility and enhance crop yields is needed. However, according to the report of European Commission published in 2010, only 39% of produced sewage sludge is recycled into agriculture in the European Union. This situation occurs mainly due to the fact, that the sewage sludge may contain a dangerous volume of different contaminants. For over decades, a great deal of attention has been focused on total concentration of few heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria Salmonella and Escherichia coli. The Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278/EEC) regulates the allowable limits of Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr and Hg and pathogens and allows for recovery of sludge on land under defined sanitary and environmentally sound conditions. In this paper, a review on quality of sewage sludge based on the publications after 2010 has been presented. Nowadays there are several papers focusing on new serious threats to human health and ecosystem occurring in sewage sludge – both chemicals (such as toxic trace elements – Se, Ag, Ti; nanoparticles; polyaromatic hydrocarbons; polychlorinated biphenyl; perfluorinated surfactants, polycyclic musks, siloxanes, pesticides, phenols, sweeteners, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, benzotriazoles) and biological traits (Legionella, Yersinia, Escherichia coli O157:H7)., Highlights • Sewage sludge contains organic and inorganic contaminants not regulated by law. • Total content of many compounds (heavy metals) is not a reliable indicator of toxicity. • Regular monitoring is crucial to limit a release of toxic substances to ecosystem.

As a staple food for much of the world, rice production is widespread. However, it also results in the generation of large quantities of non-food biomass, primarily in the form of straw and husks. Although they have been little utilized and much rice straw is still simply burned, these lignocellulosic materials potentially have considerable values. This review considers the composition of rice straw and husks, the various processes involved in the production of valuable products, and a range of uses to which they can be put. These include agricultural amendments, energy production, environmental adsorbents, construction materials, and various speciality products.

Chitin and chitosan are natural biopolymers produced mainly from crustacean shells of shrimp, crab and lobsters discarded by sea food-processing industries. Chitosan, the deacetylated form of chitin, it is a copolymer of β-(1–4)-2acetamido-D-glucose and β-(1–4)-2-amino-D-glucose units, due to its unique functional properties and distinctive biological activities, chitosan has received great attention and find wide spectrum of biotechnological applications ranging from the environmental, industrial, to agricultural, and medical fields. In the food sector, these biopolymers are best suited, both in their native and chemically modified forms and offer a distinctive application including water purification, juices clarification and deacidification, food shelf-life extension and preservation from microbial deterioration, food quality improvement, food additive, and biodegradable packaging films formation. This review reports chitosan properties and modifications and explores the role of nanotechnology in creating and developing chitosan nanomaterials adapted for food processing, packaging, storage and safety. Furthermore, summarizes their related applications in the food sector.

Crude oil recovery processes generate large volumes of crude oil-contaminated water. Crude oil-contaminated water was noted to contain hydrocarbons (including saturates and aromatics) as well as non-hydrocarbons. Some hydrocarbons in the contaminated water are found to be carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and genotoxic to humans and other organisms. Thus, the exposure of human being and other organism like fishes in the marine environment to these hydrocarbons through skin contact to such contaminated water or consumption of contaminated food and water may be very dangerous. The remediation of such oil contaminated water has become a crucial problem in oil producing countries and requires more drastic attention. Several technologies have been deployed at solving this problem. Utilization of agricultural wastes as adsorbents has however, been found to be more attractive to researches due to its environmental friendly tendencies and economic viability. This paper reviewed the attempt of researchers at addressing this problem by using agricultural wastes like banana peel, rice husk, etc as sorbent for removal of the oil from the crude oil-contaminated water. It was observed that agricultural wastes compete favourably with synthetic adsorbents in oil removal from crude oil contaminated water. Though many agricultural products have been investigated, there are some like plantain peel, papaya peel and water melon rind that need to be considered for this treatment.

Phosphorus ore extraction for soil fertilization supports the demand of modern agriculture, but extractable resource limitations, due to scarcity, impose a P reuse and recycling research agenda. Here we propose to integrate biochar production (pyrogenic carbon) with municipal and agricultural waste management systems, to recover and reuse phosphorous that would otherwise be lost from the ecological food web. A meta-analysis and available data on total P in biochar indicated that P-enriched feedstocks include animal manure, human excreta, and plant-biomass collected from P-polluted sites. Phosphorus in biochar could participate in P equilibriums in soils and is expected to supply P. The release, sorption and desorption of P by biochar will codetermine the potential of P replenishment by biochar and P loss from biochar-amended soils. Abiotic and biotic factors are expected to affect sorption/desorption of P between biochar and soil aggregates, and P acquisition by plants. Chemical extraction, using acid or alkaline solutions, is considered as a means for P retrieval from high P biochar, especially for biochar with high heavy metal contents. To bridge the gap between academia and practice, this paper proposes future development for phosphorus acclamation by pyrolysis: 1) identification of high-P bio-waste for pyrolysis; 2) retrieval of P by using biochar as soil amendment or by chemical leaching; 3) biochar modification by inorganic nutrients, P solubilizing microorganisms and other organic matter; and 4) compatible pyrolysis equipment fit to the current waste management context, such as households, and waste water treatment plants.

Agriculture is considered as the main source of water contamination by pesticides. However, food packaging or processing industries are also recognised as relevant point sources of contamination by these compounds, not yet investigated in depth. The objective of this work has been to improve current knowledge about the presence and concentration of pesticides in the effluent of a food processing industry, as well as to investigate their main transformation products (TPs). An analytical strategy combining target and suspect analysis has been applied to provide an evaluation of the effluents. The methodology involves solid-phase extraction (SPE) of wastewater samples followed by (i) liquid chromatography quadrupole-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QqLIT-MS/MS) for quantitative target analysis and (ii) liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-HRMS) to identify non-target pesticides and possible TPs. The results revealed the presence of 17 of the target pesticides analysed and 3 additional ones as a result of the suspect screening performed by HRMS. The TPs were investigated for the pesticides found at the highest concentrations: imazalil (7038-19802 ng/L), pyrimethanil (744-9591 ng/L) and thiabendazole (341-926 ng/L). Up to 14 TPs could be tentatively identified, demonstrating the relevance of this type of studies. These data provide a better understanding of the occurrence of pesticides and their TPs in agro-food industrial effluents.

In Mediterranean countries the table olive industry produces a huge volume of wastewaters that are phytotoxic due to their high sodium content. Olives intended for Spanish-style green olives are currently debittered with NaOH that generates lyes and washing waters that cannot be used for agronomic purposes. In this study, the substitution of NaOH with KOH during the debittering of Manzanilla and Hojiblanca cultivars was assessed as well as the vacuum evaporation of the olive wastewaters to comply with fertilizer requirements. Typical lactic acid fermentation occurred in brines of olives treated with KOH and a final product with similar color and flavor characteristics to those treated with NaOH was achieved. However, lower texture was found in olives debittered with KOH than those with NaOH, using them at the same molar concentration. Furthermore, the lyes and washing waters from the KOH treatment were concentrated up to 10% of their initial volume and they complied with Spanish requirements to be considered as organo-mineral fertilizers (Corganic > 4%, K2O > 2%, Ntotal + K20 > 6%) although an external source of nitrogen would be needed. They also had a high content in phenolic compounds, particularly hydroxytyrosol. This research demonstrates that table olives can be processed with KOH and the generated waste streams could have potential applications in agriculture or being a source of bioactive substances., This work was supported by the Spanish Government (Project AGL2016-76820-R, AEI/FEDER, UE). We thank Alejandra Expósito for technical assistance.

Abundant wastes from the food and drink supply chain are valuable and infrequently used as anaerobic digestion (AD) substrates. This study quantifies their biomethane potential to contribute to solid waste reduction and energy production. 29 organic materials were evaluated: energy crops (6), pre-treated agricultural by-products (5), livestock slurries (3), agro-industrial wastes (7), fruit and vegetable wastes (4) and co-digestion mixtures of chicken litter (CL) and fruit wastes (4). Results showed highest biogas yields for rendered fat washings (1379 ± 125 mL/g VSfeedstock), fish waste (898 ± 107 mL/g VSfeedstock) and potato waste (768 ± 27 mL/g VSfeedstock). Synergistic benefits of co-digestion were evidenced. CL (20%) with avocado pulp (80%) led to 84% higher biogas than expected from contribution of single substrates.

As a product/co-product of biomass thermochemical conversion, the yield and quality of biochar depend on its source material and the production process, so is its performance in soil conditioning. In this mini-review, various technologies, including slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis, torrefaction, and gasification were briefly discussed, among which slow pyrolysis and torrefaction were found to give higher biochar yield. Because the yield of biochar and the emissions in the production process play a critical role in the outcomes of its life cycle assessment, it is important to carefully choose and optimize the production technology of biochar. The life cycle benefit of biochar for soil conditioning was found generally positive, indicated by its improvement of ecosystem quality, mitigation of climate change, and reduced resource consumption. However, the variability in biochar properties makes it challenging in technology upgrading, application, and commercialization, and the lack of regulations and standardization makes biochar acceptance difficult.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) accumulated in agricultural soils are likely to threaten human health and ecosystem though the food chain, therefore, it is worth to pay more attention to soil contamination by PAHs. In this study, the presence, distribution and risk assessment of 16 priority PAHs in rice-wheat continuous cropping soils close to industrial parks of Suzhou were firstly investigated. The concentrations of the total PAHs ranged from 125.99 ng/g to 796.65 ng/g with an average of 352.94 ng/g. Phenanthrene (PHE), fluoranthene (FLT), benzo [a] anthracene (BaA) and pyrene (PYR) were the major PAHs in those soil samples. The highest level of PAHs was detected in the soils around Chemical plant and Steelworks, followed by Printed wire board, Electroplate Factory and Paper mill. The composition of PAHs in the soils around Chemical plant was dominated by 3-ring PAHs, however, the predominant compounds were 4, 5-ring PAHs in the soils around other four factories. Meanwhile, the concentration of the total PAHs in the soils close to the factories showed a higher level of PAHs in November (during rice harvest) than that in June (during wheat harvest). Different with other rings of PAHs, 3-ring PAHs in the soils around Chemical plant and Steelworks had a higher concentration in June. The results of principal component analysis and isomeric ratio analysis suggested that PAHs in the studied areas mainly originated from biomass, coal and petroleum combustion. The risk assessment indicated that higher carcinogenic risk was found in those sites closer to the industrial park.

Vermicomposting of food waste amended with biochar and cow dung was studied during a 90-day composting period. The improvement of the vermicomposting process by adding three mangrove fungal species as additional amendments were studied. The use of mangrove fungi Acrophialophora jodhpurensis as a bio-catalytic actor during vermicomposting proved to be beneficial in terms of final compost quality (available N, P and K) and the shortening of the composting period. All three fungal species, however, reached the neutral pH at the end of the composting period and appeared to be beneficial. Heavy metal (Cd, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cr) concentrations decreased throughout the composting process. Food waste can be treated using vermicomposting with biochar, cow dung and the mangrove fungi A. jodhpurensis. The final vermicomposting product is suitable for agricultural use.

Various types of agricultural and industrial waste have been used for biochar production. However, a consistent method of biochar stratification for agronomic and environmental purposes is still lacking. The aim of this study was to propose and evaluate a method of stratification based on physical and chemical properties. A set of biochar samples was produced by pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis from two agricultural wastes (poultry litter - PL and swine manure - SM) and three industrial wastes (construction wood - CW, tyres - TR and PVC plastic - PVC) at a wide range of pyrolysis temperatures (300–700 °C). The proposed stratification considered the following criteria in order: (i) construction of a biochar viability indicator (BVI); (ii) classification of biochar potential based on fixed carbon, ash and volatile matter; (iii) joint use of biochar quality criteria and those established in the literature (e.g. International Biochar Initiative - IBI); and (iv) the restrictive conditions of the environment where the biochar might be applied, in this case mining tailings, aiming at plant development. Using the proposed method of stratification, PL+CW pyrolysed at 300 °C was chosen for the recovery of Fe and Mn mining tailings due to its intermediate fertility level and extremely low risk of environmental pollution. The proposed method allowed the identification of restrictions on biochar use, and most importantly, highlighted the potential of the most viable biochars for conditioning mining tailings, which hinder plant growth. However, despite being useful and efficient in biochar selection, the proposed methods are still dependent on the physico-chemical characteristics of the biochars.

Microalgal biomass has been proved to be a sustainable source for biofuels including bio-oil, biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethane, etc. One of the collateral benefits of integrating the use of microalgal technologies in the industry is microalgae’s ability to capture carbon dioxide during the application and biomass production process and consequently reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Although microalgae are a feasible source of biofuel, industrial microalgae applications face energy and cost challenges. To overcome these challenges, researchers have been interested in applying the bio-refinery approach to extract the important components encapsulated in microalgae. This review discusses the key steps of microalgae-based biorefinery including cultivation and harvesting, cell disruption, biofuel and value-added compound extraction along with the detailed technologies associated with each step of biorefinery. This review found that suitable microalgae species are selected based on their carbohydrate, lipid and protein contents and selecting the suitable species are crucial for high-quality biofuel and value-added products production. Microalgae species contain carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in the range of 8% to 69.7%, 5% to 74% and 7% to 65% respectively which proved their ability to be used as a source of value-added commodities in multiple industries including agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine, culinary, and cosmetics. This review suggests that lipid and value-added products from microalgae can be made more economically viable by integrating upstream and downstream processes. Therefore, a systematically integrated genome sequencing and process-scale engineering approach for improving the extraction of lipids and co-products is critical in the development of future microalgal biorefineries.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-03T18:18:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-10-10 Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory at Campinas Fly and bottom ashes - by-products of petroleum coke combustion- contain important plant nutrients (e.g., Ca, S) and may be used as soil acidity amendments, yet their metals content might be a concern. Finding innovative alternatives for the beneficial use of such by-products is key for assuring their environmental sustainability. In this study, we first carried out a comprehensive characterization of fly and bottom ashes, i.e., physical, chemical, mineralogical, and structural analyzes. Next, we created a new product based on these ashes to meet the demand of the Brazilian legislation. To test the agronomic efficiency of the product and the environmental implications of its agricultural use, greenhouse experiments were performed with two Oxisols, cultivated with maize and soybean. The treatments consisted on the application of two doses of different products, aiming to increase soil base saturation to 50% and 70%, and three sources: 1) a blend of fly and bottom ashes with commercial limestone (blended limestone, BL); 2) a positive control, commercial limestone enriched with Ni and S (enriched limestone, EL); and, 3) a negative control (commercial limestone, CL). The BL was efficient for soil acidity correction, providing Ca, Mg, S, and Ni to maize and soybean plants. Plant dry weight did not change following the application of the product, yet the BL was effective as a Ni-fertilizer, since it was able to increase soil-Ni up to 5-fold, as well as Ni content in maize and in soybean leaves by 5- and 4-fold, respectively, positively affecting N metabolism. Our findings revealed that, while improving many soil attributes, the BL is a viable and sustainable technology for the use of petroleum coke combustion ashes in agriculture, working as a Ni-fertilizer to plants, which meets a current market demand for this micronutrient. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Univ Fed Lavras, Dept Soil Sci, BR-37200000 Lavras, MG, Brazil Agr & Environm Technol Ctr, Lindolfo Garcia St 1000, BR-38600000 Paracatu, MG, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Sch Sci & Engn, BR-7602496 Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Goettingen, Dept Crop Sci, Carl Sprengel Weg 1, D-37075 Gottingen, Germany Sao Paulo State Univ, Sch Sci & Engn, BR-7602496 Sao Paulo, Brazil Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory at Campinas: XRF-20160659

Trace metals play a very important role on the performance and stability of agricultural biogas digesters. The purpose of this study was to develop a methodological approach to quickly detect limiting conditions due to Trace Elements (TE) concentration in full-scale biogas plants. The work was based on long-term process monitoring in two full-scale agricultural biogas plants and on the correlation between their performance and TE concentration in the digesters. Monitoring and analysis of data from two different case studies allowed to understand the effect of the TE added on biogas plant performance. Furthermore, over-dosage has been avoided, minimizing the risk of biological inhibition and excess of heavy metal concentration in the effluent digestate according to regulation for land fertilization. TE supplementation has been successfully applied to optimize the biogas production, when a slight volatile organic acid accumulation has been detected (from about 3515 mg CH3COOHeq L−1 to 4530 mg CH3COOHeq L−1), and to recover the biogas production after a strong organic acid accumulation (up to 7779 mgCH3COOHeq L−1). Molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, and selenium concentrations above the stimulatory level identified in this study showed similar effects in both case studies: a temporary increase of the methane content in the biogas by 15 – 20% and a provisional improvement of the specific methane production. This allowed to decrease the organic loading rate by 10 – 20%, due to rapid degradation of accumulated volatile organic acids. Further, the residual methane potential of the biogas plant in TE limiting conditions reached values up to 4.8% in comparison to the 1.3% residual methane potential achieved when TE concentration was not a limiting factor, proving that a proper use of TE could help in reducing greenhouse gases emission.

The suitability of the co-digestion of feedstock-mixtures (by-products and agricultural residues) depends on their ability to produce biogas. In this study, the effects of mixing five feedstocks (citrus pulp, olive pomace, poultry manure, Italian sainfoin silage and opuntia fresh cladodes) on anaerobic digestion for biogas production have been investigated by carrying out biomethane potential (BMP) tests on six different mixing ratios of the selected five biomasses. The BMP test results demonstrated that all the six studied feedstock-mixtures could be potentially used for renewable energy generation by biogas plants. More in detail, two mixing ratios of the studied feedstock-mixtures showed the best biomethane potential of 249.9 and 260.1 Nm3CH4/tVS, respectively. Since this research study made it possible to screen the suitability and technical feasibility of the feedstock-mixtures analysed, the results provide the basis for subsequent pilot scale evaluation of anaerobic digestion in Mediterranean area, where by-products and agricultural residues are profuse and necessary to produce advanced biofuels.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the bioenergy potential of cocoa residue via anaerobic digestion. Batch and fed-batch lab-scale reactors were operated under low and high solids conditions. In the batch tests, 59 ± 4% of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was recovered as methane. This corresponded with an average methane yield of 174 (wet) and 193 (dry) L kg-1 volatile solids fed, whereas a series of fed-batch reactors produced 70 ± 24 (wet) and 107 ± 39 (dry) L CH4 kg-1 volatile solids fed during stable conditions. A case study was developed for canton Balao (Ecuador) based on our experimental data, operational estimates and available cocoa waste in the area. Annually, 8341 MWh could be produced, meeting 88% of the current electricity demand in Balao. This case study proves the potential for cocoa waste as a source of renewable energy in rural areas. ispartof: BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY vol:265 pages:568-572 ispartof: location:England status: published

Awassi dairy sheep farmers in the Middle East are facing high feed costs, particularly during the milk production season, along with large fluctuation in grain and straw prices. Incorporating agro-industrial byproducts into the diet of Awassi dairy sheep can help to balance diets and decrease costs. But it may affect milk quality through changes in the fatty acid profile. Six experimental diets were compared to a control diet in the research station of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Tal Hadya, Syria. Milking Awassi ewes (n = 56) were used to test six experimental diets, in which supplements comprised molasses, sugar beet pulp, or cotton seed cake to a traditional control diet contained barley, wheat bran, and barley straw. Milk samples were collected on a weekly basis from April to June. The daily milk production and fat content were enhanced in diets containing urea-treated wheat straw (P

The concentration and recovery of the high-added value phenolic fraction from two-phase olive mill wastewater and the simultaneous effluent treatment by a novel micro/ultra/nanocentrifugation membrane process assessment is addressed, permitting to gather information for a correct and effective screening procedure for the adequate membrane election (MF-UF-loose NF) for the target. Phenolic compounds are the major factor of phytotoxicity of these effluents, but on the other hand they present high antioxidant properties that makes them very relevant for food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. The selection of a membrane MWCO between 100 kDa and 0.45 μm permitted the complete transfer of the phenolic fraction to the permeate, whereas below 3 kDa they would be transferred to the concentrate stream instead, with ∼60% COD reduction and EC lowered to 551–662 μS cm −1 in the final treated stream ensured, sensibly improving the effluent quality. This would provide a purified effluent with good salinity standards according to the indications given by the FAO for irrigation reuse. This procedure could be quick and reliable for the assessment of the adequate membrane needed for a particular purification process, in contrast with long-term, time consuming common bench-scale procedures.

Aquatic organisms, such as microalgae (Chlorella, Arthrospira (Spirulina), Tetrasselmis, Dunalliela etc.) and duckweed (Lemna spp., Wolffia spp. etc.) are a potential source for the production of protein-rich biomass and for numerous other high-value compounds (fatty acids, pigments, vitamins etc.). Their cultivation using agro-industrial wastes and wastewater (WaW) is of particular interest in the context of a circular economy, not only for recycling valuable nutrients but also for reducing the requirements for fresh water for the production of biomass. Recovery and recycling of nutrients is an unavoidable long-term approach for securing future food and feed production. Agro-industrial WaW are rich in nutrients and have been widely considered as a potential nutrient source for the cultivation of microalgae/duckweed. However, they commonly contain various hazardous contaminants, which could potentially taint the produced biomass, raising various concerns about the safety of their consumption. Herein, an overview of the most important contaminants, including heavy metals and metalloids, pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites etc.), and xenobiotics (hormones, antibiotics, parasiticides etc.) is given. It is concluded that pretreatment and processing of WaW is a requisite step for the removal of several contaminants. Among the various technologies, anaerobic digestion (AD) is widely used in practice and offers a technologically mature approach for WaW treatment. During AD, various organic and biological contaminants are significantly removed. Further removal of contaminants could be achieved by post-treatment and processing of digestates (solid/liquid separation, dilution etc.) to further decrease the concentration of contaminants. Moreover, during cultivation an additional removal may occur through various mechanisms, such as precipitation, degradation, and biotransformation. Since many jurisdictions regulate the presence of various contaminants in feed or food setting strict safety monitoring processes, it would be of particular interest to initiate a multi-disciplinary discussion whether agro-industrial WaW ought to be used to cultivate microalgae/duckweed for feed or food production and identify most feasible options for doing this safely. Based on the current body of knowledge it is estimated that AD and post-treatment of WaW can lower significantly the risks associated with heavy metals and pathogens, but it is yet unclear to what extent this is the case for certain persistent xenobiotics.

Aligned with Singapore's commitment to sustainable development and investment in renewable resources, cleaner energy and technology (Sustainable Singapore Blueprint), we report a techno-economic analysis of the biorefinery process in Southeast Asia. The considerations in this study provide an overview of the current and future challenges in the biomass-to-chemical processes with life-cycle thinking, linking the land used for agriculture and biomass to the levulinic acid production. 7-8 kg of lignocellulosic feedstock (glucan content 30-35 wt%) from agriculture residues empty fruit bunches (EFB) or rice straw (RS) can be processed to yield 1 kg of levulinic acid. Comparisons of both traditional and "green" alternative solvents and separation techniques for the chemical process were modelled and their relative energy profiles evaluated. Using 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) as the process solvent showed to approx. 20 fold less energy demand compared to methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) or approx. 180 fold less energy demand compared to direct distillation from aqueous stream. Greenhouse gases emissions of the major operations throughout the supply chain (energy and solvent use, transport, field emissions) were estimated and compared against the impact of deforestation to make space for agriculture purposes. A biorefinery process for the production of 20 ktonne/year of levulinic acid from two different types of lignocellulosic feedstock was hypothesized for different scenarios. In one scenario the chemical plant producing levulinic acid was located in Singapore whereas in other scenarios, its location was placed in a neighboring country, closer to the biomass source. Results from this study show the importance of feedstock choices, as well as the associated plant locations, in the quest for sustainability objectives.

The broiler production chain (BPC) has associated environmental impacts, costs, and effects that are not compensated by the Brazilian socioeconomy. The objective of this review was to discuss BPC waste composting from a circular economy perspective. Organic solid waste is a negative externality and the agroindustry must contribute to its internalization, especially in countries with significant production, consumption, and export of chicken meat. The BPC has four main stages of significant organic waste production: reproductive poultry, hatchery, broiler growth, and broiler industry. The principal residues of this industry are reproductive poultry litter, hatchery waste, feed waste, carcasses, truck cleaning solid fraction, flotation sludge, sausage casings, charcoal, and ash. These residues have varying characteristics, such as total organic carbon (TOC) from ranging 4.4–56.22% and nitrogen from 0.2 to 9.33%. It is evident that raw materials, nutrients, and energy are misused throughout the BPC; developing countries especially cannot sustain the loss of these valuable resources. Composting has emerged as a method for mitigating the impacts of BPC waste, however, there are some obstacles. The high nitrogen concentration in BPC residues make balancing the C/N ratio complex. This deficit carbon demands residues from other sectors, such as from tree pruning, cotton residues, raw glycerin, and Napier grass. The produced BPC compost has favorable attributes to be reincorporated into the supply chain as an agricultural input. However, little research has been conducted on the short, medium, and long-term impacts of BPC compost application on different crop and soil types. Cultivations close to BPC facilities which grow broiler feed components (e.g., corn) are attractive for a closed cycle strategy and for approaching the principles of the circular economy.

This research evaluated the effect of biochar amendment rate on nitrogen species and organic carbon removals and hydraulic performance in biofilter columns treating dairy farm runoff. Initial studies compared the performance of sand columns amended with two types of biochar with different specific surface area (SA) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) with an un-amended sand column. The results showed that biochar enhanced N-species removal due to its unique physicochemical properties. In subsequent tests, two biofilter columns with different biochar fractions (20% and 50% by volume) were operated at varying hydraulic loading rates and antecedent dry conditions. Total nitrogen, ammonia, organic nitrogen and organic carbon removals were significantly higher in the column with the higher biochar fraction. The high CEC of biochar increased ammonium retention during the application period, allowing for nitrification during the antecedent dry periods (ADPs) when aerobic conditions developed in the media pores. High biochar SA also resulted in greater retention of DON and DOC by adsorption. A variable saturation flow model of biochar amended biofiltration was developed using HYDRUS-1D software. The model was calibrated using data from conservative tracer and moisture content studies. Model results showed that the high microporous structure of the biochar increases the time needed to reach full saturation, lowers the saturated conductivity and increases the hydraulic retention time in the medium. This calibrated model can be used to design field scale biofilter systems for managing agricultural runoff.

Use of organic amendments is a good strategy for combating the growing problem of soil degradation due to deterioration of organic matter content, particularly severe in semi-arid European Mediterranean regions, while at the same time providing an opportunity for recycling organic wastes. Olive mill pomace (OMP), the main by-product of the olive oil industry, is being used increasingly in olive grove soils for this purpose. Although the positive effects of OMP amendments have been widely studied, they also have some negative effects on soil. One of the most critical is that they increase water repellency (WR) due to the presence of poorly evolved, strongly aliphatic compounds. This detrimental effect has received very little attention, although it may impair plant water availability and infiltration rates, increase erosion and lower long-term soil quality. This study proposed, for the first time, thermal treatment as an effective way of reducing WR in organic amendments (i.e. mixtures of OMP, olive tree pruning, chicken manure and spent coffee grounds) prior to their application to soil. Thermal treatment at 275 °C proved effective in removing WR, while lower temperatures (175 or 225 °C) can even increase it. Changes by thermal treatment in the characteristics of the organic amendments studied with FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis showed that it strongly reduced the aliphatic compounds mainly responsible for their hydrophobicity, concentrated aromatic compounds and increased thermostability. Heating also reduced phytotoxicity, making all of the organic amendments usable in the field (germination index over 100%). Therefore, heating at 275 °C could be an acceptable option for removing WR from organic amendments, enhancing their quality with more stable evolved characteristics.

Bioconversion technology has paved the way for solving the contradiction between population growth, food production reduction, and global environmental degradation because of its ability to convert organic waste into high-value products (including plant biostimulants) and stabilize organic materials. However, the current literature review and reference framework of biostimulants in bioconversion compost of organic waste have not yet surfaced. With the great advantages of bioconversion technology, this review focuses on combing and summarizing the biostimulants components (represented by betaines, chitin, humic substances, protein hydrolysates, and beneficial microorganisms) in bioconversion compost (larvae bioconversion compost and vermicompost) and their agricultural application. In addition, the complexity of the action mode of plant biostimulants produced in bioconversion compost, as well as the existing knowledge gaps, challenges, and opportunities, were also discussed in order to give full play to the potential and agricultural application value of bioconversion technology in the future.

Wastewater management and its treatment have revolutionized the industry sector into many innovative techniques. However, the cost of recycling via chemical treatment has major issues especially in economically poor sectors. On the offset, one of the most viable and economical techniques to clean wastewater is by growing microalgae in it. Since wastewater is rich in nitrates, phosphates and other trace elements, the environment is suitable for the growth of microalgae. On the other side, the cost of harvesting microalgae for its secondary metabolites is burgeoning. While simultaneously growing of microalgae in photobioreactors requires regular feeding of the nutrients and maintenance which increases the cost of operation and hence cost of its end products. The growth of microalgae in waste waters makes the process not only economical but they also manufacture more amounts of value added products. However, harvesting of these values added products is still a cumbersome task. On the offset, it has been observed that pretreating the microalgal biomass with ultrasonication allows easy oozing of the secondary metabolites like oil, proteins, carbohydrates and methane at much lower cost than that required for their extraction. Among microalgae diatoms are more robust and have immense crude oil and are rich in various value added products. However, due to their thick silica walls they do not ooze the metabolites until the mechanical force on their walls reaches certain threshold energy. In this review recycling of wastewater using microalgae and its pretreatment via ultrasonication with special reference to diatoms is critically discussed. Perspectives on circular bioeconomy and knowledge gaps for employing microalgae to recycle wastewater have been comprehensively narrated.

The use of agro-biowaste compost fertilizers in agriculture is beneficial from technical, financial, and environmental perspectives. Nevertheless, the physical, mechanical, and agronomical attributes of agro-biowaste compost fertilizers should be engineered to reduce their storage, handling, and utilization costs and environmental impacts. Pelletizing and drying are promising techniques to achieve these goals. In the present work, the effects of process parameters, including compost particle size/moisture content, pelletizing compression ratio, and drying air temperature/velocity, were investigated on the density, specific crushing energy, and moisture diffusion of agro-biowaste compost pellet. The Taguchi technique was applied to understand the effects of independent parameters on the output responses, while the optimal pellet properties were found using the iterative thresholding method. The soil and plant (sweet basil) response to the optimal biocompost pellet was experimentally evaluated. The farm application of the optimal pellet was also compared with the untreated agro-biowaste compost using the life cycle assessment approach to investigate the potential environmental impact mitigation of the pelletizing and drying processes. Generally, the compost moisture content was the most influential factor on the density and specific crushing energy of the dried pellet, while the moisture diffusion of the wet pellet during the drying process was significantly influenced by the pelletizing compression ratio. The density, specific crushing energy, and moisture diffusion of agro-biowaste compost pellet at the optimal conditions were 1242.49 kg/m3, 0.5054 MJ/t, and 8.2 × 10−8 m2/s, respectively. The optimal biocompost pellet could release 80% of its nitrogen content evenly over 98 days, while this value was 28 days for the chemical urea fertilizer. Besides, the optimal pellet could significantly improve the agronomical attributes of the sweet basil plant compared with the untreated biocompost. The applied strategy could collectively mitigate the weighted environmental impact of farm application of the agro-biowaste compost by more than 63%. This reduction could be attributed to the fact that the pelletizing-drying processes could avoid methane emissions from the untreated agro-biowaste compost during the farm application. Overall, pelletizing-drying of the agro-biowaste compost could be regarded as a promising strategy to improve the environmental and agronomical performance of farm application of organic biofertilizers.

The use of reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation is an increasingly common practice, which recently has found its own European regulatory frame. However, the partial removal of organic contaminants together with other xenobiotic substances in current wastewater treatment plants leads to the occurrence of residues of such pollutants in the treated effluents. Wastewater reclamation techniques are thus required to provide reclaimed water fitting the minimum quality standards set up for irrigation of crops intended for human consumption. This work describes the development and validation of a simple QuEChERS-based extraction and liquid chromatography quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-QqLIT-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of 55 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in lettuces irrigated with treated wastewater and reclaimed water. The method showed good recovery rates (80-120%) and low detection limits (0.04-0.8 ng/g dw). In comparison with previous analytical methodologies, this method was simpler, faster and, in most cases, more sensitive. Moreover, is the first one analysing selected personal care products in lettuces. The proposed method was applied to assess the potential transfer of contaminants of urban origin in the use of reclaimed water in agriculture. The case study consisted of the evaluation of the lettuce uptake of the selected contaminants at field scale under two irrigation systems, two soil compositions, and two water types. Benzophenone-2, 4-hydroxybenzophenone, 1H-benzotriazole, 2-(2-Benzotriazol-2-yl)-p-cresol, nalidixic acid, diclofenac, carbamazepine 10,11-epoxy, N-des-methylvenlafaxine, and salicylic acid were transferred to all samples. Highest detected values corresponded to 4-hydroxybenzophenone (84.1 ng/g dw), benzophenone-2 (54.4 ng/g dw), and salicylic acid (53.8 ng/g dw). The best combination to minimize the transfer of the target contaminants from the irrigation water to the lettuces was sprinkling irrigation with water reclaimed by soil infiltration through reactive barriers, and clayey soil., This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project ROUSSEAU CTM2017-89767-C3-1-R and Project CEX2018-000794-S). The authors are also grateful to Project MARadentro (PCI2019-103603) and Consorcio de la Costa Brava Girona (CCBGi) for the unlimited access to the facility and treated and reclaimed water supply for irrigation, to the staff of the WWTP for their unconditional help, and to BEKOlut®, for the provision of the QuEChERS kits used in the study.

This review is based on 59 papers published between 2002 and 2015, referring to about 450 treatment trains providing data regarding sludge concentrations for 169 compounds, specifically 152 pharmaceuticals and 17 personal care products, grouped into 28 different classes. The rationale of the study is to provide data to evaluate the environmental risk posed by the spreading of treated sludge in agriculture. Following discussion of the legislative scenario governing the final disposal of treated sludge in European countries and the USA, the study provides a snapshot of the occurrence of selected compounds in primary, secondary, mixed, digested, conditioned, composted and dried sludge originating in municipal wastewater treatment plants fed mainly with urban wastewater as well as in sludge-amended soil. Not only are measured values reported, but also predicted concentrations based on Kd values are reported. It emerges that in secondary sludge, the highest concentrations were found for fragrances, antiseptics and antibiotics and an attenuation in their concentrations occurs during treatment, in particular anaerobic digestion and composting. An in-depth literature survey of the (measured and predicted) Kd values for the different compounds and treated sludge are reported and an analysis of the influence of pH, redox conditions, sludge type was carried out. The data regarding measured and predicted concentrations of selected compounds in sludge-amended soil is then analyzed. Finally an environmental risk assessment posed by their occurrence in soil in the case of land application of sludge is examined, and the results obtained by different authors are compared. The most critical compounds found in the sludge-amended soil are estradiol, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, caffeine, triclosan and triclocarban. The study concludes with a focus on the main issues that should be further investigated in order to refine the environmental risk assessment.

Selective fermentation of reducing sugars in cane juice harnesses the advantageous productivity of high-yielding sugarcane cultivars for increasing products from limited arable land. Without this technology, the altered compositions of cane juice often lead to additional environmental impacts due to increased consumption of externally supplied energy and compensated yield of sugar. In this paper, the effects of coordinated transition of sugarcane farming and sugar milling on the yield of final products, energy consumption, operability in the crystallization process, and economic feasibility were analyzed in simulation across various sugarcane cultivars. An integrated sugarcane farming and sugar milling process model (SugaNol) was extended from a previous work to consistently balance mass and energy considering the characteristics of the selective fermentation technology. A case study demonstrated that the coordinated introduction of selective fermentation with the high-yielding cultivar enhanced sugar production by 8.5% and ethanol production by 17.9%, improved operability in the crystallization process, and lead to a cleaner production by achieving above without consuming additional fossil fuels, although the market price of ethanol should be under 95 JPY L −1 for profitability. Furthermore, the specific characteristics of cultivars to make selective fermentation economically feasible are presented as a guideline for future cultivar development.

Although urine constitutes less than 1% volume of the total wastewater, it adds up 50–80% of the nutrient load [Phosphates (PO43−) and Nitrates (NO3−), Ammonium (NH4+)] in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Recovery of Phosphorous (P) and Nitrogen (N) from urine diminishes the eutrophication impact as well it could act as a sustainable source of P by lessening dependence on finite phosphorite reservoirs. Due to its environmental (carbon-negative process) and economic (produced from waste) value, biochar is gaining the researcher’s attention in recent years. Many studies are ongoing to introduce novel structures and modifications in the surface properties of biochar for efficient adsorption of P and N. Direct application of urine as fertilizer has been discouraged due to various hygienic pitfalls further forced to explore the alternative nutrient recovery methods. This review article explores the nutrient recovery paradigms from source-separated human urine for abridging the nutrient gap between wastewater treatment and agricultural productivity using pristine/engineered biochar. The influencing factors for P and N’s adsorption process by biochar and its detailed mechanisms have been outlined. Further, it deliberates the possible strategies of engineering the biochar to enhance the recovery of P and N from human urine. Applications of nutrient-loaded biochar in an agricultural field could act as a slow-release fertilizer to releases P and N in addition to soil conditioning. This review emphasized the challenges of storage, transportation, contamination of urine, and possible difficulties in the adsorption process by pristine/engineered biochar.

In recent years, the cellular agriculture concept has been proposed as an option to replace livestock proteins. This study presents a conceptual level techno-economic analysis of four concepts where food is produced by microorganisms based on wheat straw. Three single-cell proteins and one recombinant protein process were conceptualized. The process included steam explosion pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and downstream processing. The enzymatic hydrolysis was optimized to minimize the production costs. The minimum protein selling price was determined by net present value using the discounted cash-flow method, which was compared to respective animal and plant proteins. The minimum protein selling prices were 5160–9007 €/ton proposing the processes to be in the feasible range, but the processes still require further development. The sensitivity of the parameters was estimated by sensitivity analysis, which revealed the most critical components in the production to be capacity, investment, interest, and enzyme and raw material costs.

Fruit and vegetables contain molecules that have particular colors, which can potentially be an environmentally attractive substitute for their synthetic counterparts in (non-)food applications. The most sustainable source for such natural colorants would be by the valorization of by-products from the fruit and vegetable industries, but qualitative and quantitative characteristics of food by-products for this purpose remain scarce. Natural dyes also show mediocre stability and affinity toward textile fibers, which questions their potential feasibility for application and level of sustainability to overcome these issues. This review describes three dye classes (i.e., anthocyanins, quinones, and carotenoids) along with their occurrence, mass, and concentration in by-products that are generated from agricultural losses as well as the fruit and vegetable processing industries. To tackle the shortcomings of natural dyes on fibers, several application techniques were collected from the literature. A discussion on techno-economic potential and environmental sustainability is included. The latter is done by including a life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate the environmental impact of extracting anthocyanins, quinones, and carotenoids from fruit and vegetable processing by-products and their subsequent application to the dyeing process. The mapping of by-products for each natural dye class illustrates the vast availability of agro-food residues (>0.1 Mt annually in the EU-28) with a natural dye content of up to 56 kg/t DW for anthocyanins, 18 kg/t DW for quinones, and 593 kg/t DW for carotenoids. Metallic mordants are mostly favored for improving the fixation of natural dyes but entail potential environmental issues. Greener approaches, such as biomordants and enzymes, still show room for improvement, chemical modification methods might also guarantee dye fixation, though questionable in environmental sustainability. The different valorization scenarios of anthocyanins, quinones, and carotenoids from food waste, analyzed with LCA, showed the environmental competitiveness of these natural dyes, applied as a crude extract, compared to synthetic dyes. The valorization routes design shows that agricultural losses and food processing waste streams are adequate sources of natural dyes, especially to be applied in niche scale applications.

Variations in lignocellulosic feedstock composition can influence conversion performance of bioethanol production, but such effects are overlooked in several studies that rely on standard conversion factors. This study investigates the effects of seven lignocellulosic feedstocks (belonging to the categories energy crops, forest and agricultural residues) on mass, carbon, water and energy balances for biochemical bioethanol production, including a comparison of individual process step yields. We find that overall bioethanol yields vary considerably, ranging between 19.0 and 29.0%, 27.3 and 46.2%, and 19.0 and 31.0%, for energy and carbon efficiency, respectively. The highest yields are found for switchgrass, which has the largest carbohydrate content, and the lowest for forest residues (spruce). Feedstock composition also affects water and carbon balances. Overall, the type of biomass influences conversion performances, thereby calling for explicit representation of the effects of biomass types in technical, economic and environmental assessment studies of bioethanol production.

Pineapple leaf fibre of certain varieties is widely used in Philippines for making apparels. In Indian subcontinent, pineapple leaves are wasted after harvesting the fruit, because of technology gap exists in the efficient extraction and lack of knowledge of subsequent processes for value addition to the fibre. Agricultural practices and seed varieties used in Indian subcontinent is also widely different from those of Philippines. An attempt has been made to extract and soften pineapple leaf fibre by decortication of leaves followed by water retting. The retting time was optimized at 7 days. The retted fibres were then degummed and bleached for better processibility and aesthetic look. The physio-chemical properties of fibres were analysed for its different uses. The degummed and bleached fibres were then successfully converted into textile quality thread of 90 tex through suitable mechanical processing system. Mechanical properties of thread were found to be suitable to make sustainable novelty fabrics for apparel.

Background: Ethiopia has the second largest human population in Africa and the largest livestock population on the continent. About 80% of Ethiopians are dependent on agriculture and have direct contact with livestock or other domestic animals. As a result, the country is vulnerable to the spread of zoonotic diseases. As the first step of the country's engagement in the Global Health Security Agenda, a zoonotic disease prioritization workshop was held to identify significant zoonotic diseases of mutual concern for animal and human health agencies. Methods: A semi-quantitative tool developed by the US CDC was used for prioritization of zoonotic diseases. Workshop participants representing human, animal, and environmental health ministries were selected as core decision-making participants. Over 300 articles describing the zoonotic diseases considered at the workshop were reviewed for disease specific information on prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and DALYs for Ethiopia or the East Africa region. Committee members individually ranked the importance of each criterion to generate a final group weight for each criterion. Results: Forty-three zoonotic diseases were evaluated. Criteria selected in order of importance were: 1)severity of disease in humans, 2)proportion of human disease attributed to animal exposure, 3)burden of animal disease, 4)availability of interventions, and 5)existing inter-sectoral collaboration. Based on the results from the decision tree analysis and subsequent discussion, participants identified the following five priority zoonotic diseases: rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, leptospirosis, and echinococcosis. Discussion: Multi-sectoral collaborations strengthen disease surveillance system development in humans and animals, enhance laboratory capacity, and support implementation of prevention and control strategies. To facilitate this, the creation of a One Health-focused Zoonotic Disease Unit is recommended. Enhancement of public health and veterinary laboratories, joint outbreak and surveillance activities, and intersectoral linkages created to tackle the prioritized zoonotic diseases will undoubtedly prepare the country to effectively address newly emerging zoonotic diseases.

The fact that 60% of the Indian population is dependent on Agricultural practices for their livelihood means that there is a huge potential for the development of second-generation Biofuel. The current work involves the use of Azadirchta excelsa seeds to obtain biofuel. It is a commercial crop grown in Southern parts of India such as Karnataka. It is mainly grown to get timber for building houses and for manufacturing of match sticks. Soxhlet extraction method was used to extract oil from the seeds, with hexane being the choice of solvent and a yield of 35% was obtained. The oil was transesterified using Base (NaOH) catalyst method to produce oil methyl ester. The conversion rate of oil was found to be 50%. The physicochemical parameters of the biodiesel produced were analyzed of other basic parameters. The results lied within the range of American society of testing material (ASTM D6751) standards and Indian Standards (IS) 15607 specifications for biodiesel samples, which conclude that A.excelsa seed oil can be satisfactorily used as a feed-stock for biodiesel production.