Sustainable utilization of crop residues for energy generation: A life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective

Sustainable pretreatment method of lignocellulosic depolymerization for enhanced ruminant productivity using laccase protein immobilized agarose beads

Laccase, the selectively lignin degrader, vital to the initiation of lignocellulosic deconstruction was immobilized onto activated agarose beads to increase its reuse potential. Laccase cross-linked beads (~ 3.42 mm) recorded a specific activity of 23 Umg- 1, retaining about 80.43% enzyme activity after 45 days of storage. The immobilization yield and efficiency were 89% and 97% respectively. The equilibrium data fitted the Freundlich equation (R2 = 0.9987) demonstrating multilayer adsorption and the presence of Cu, Fe, and S in the elemental analysis of immobilized beads established effective binding between activated agarose beads and the laccase protein. Characterization studies of the immobilized laccase-treated crop residues revealed significant differences in the lignin polymer after each treatment cycle. An increase in digestibility of 26.21% and 7.62% was observed in paddy and finger millet-treated straws respectively, over the controls corroborating efficient lignin depolymerization. The propitious performance of laccase beads authenticated in the batch enzymatic reactor to treat crop residues paves headway as a sustainable green technology in the deconstruction of crop residues for use as ruminant feed, augmenting productivity.

Investigation of the influence of Candida tropicalis on bioethanol production using sugarcane bagasse: stochastic and in silico analysis

This study investigated the impact of Candida tropicalis NITCSK13 on sugarcane bagasse (SCB) consolidated bioprocessing (CSB) using various parameters, such as pH, steam explosion (STEX) pretreatment, and temperature (at two different temperatures, cellulose hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation). The backpropagation neural network (BPNN) method simulated the optimal CSB conditions, achieving a maximum ethanol yield of 44 ± 0.32 g/L (0.443 g of ethanol/g of SCB) from STEX pretreated SCB within 48 h at 55 °C for cellulose hydrolysis and 33 °C for ethanol fermentation and pH 3.5. The simulated conditions were experimentally validated and showed an R2 value of 0.998 and absolute average deviation (AAD) of 1.23%. The strain NITCSK13 also exhibited a high ethanol tolerance of 16% (v/v). The interactions between the inhibitors, cellobiose, furfural, and thermocellulase were assessed through molecular docking. The results revealed a maximum inhibitory constant of 3.7 mM for furfural against the endoglucanase (EnG) of Humicola insolens (2ENG) at 50 °C. Acremonium chrysogenum endoglucanase (5M2D) exhibited a maximum of 88.7 µM for cellobiose at 50 °C. The SWISS homology model of EnG from Candida viswanathii exhibited inhibitory effects similar to those of EnG from Thermoascus and Thermotoga, indicating that the moderately thermophilic yeast Candida sp. cellulase may be capable of efficiently tolerating inhibitors and could be a promising candidate for consolidated bioprocessing of cellulosic ethanol.

Circular economical approach of extracting nanocarbons from waste pea peel for sensing of p-nitrophenol and its conversion into paracetamol

An important paradigm shift towards the circular economy is to prioritize waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and recovery before disposal is necessary. In this context, a sustainable protocol of converting waste pea peel (wPP) into low-cost carbon nanomaterials for sensing and conversion of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) into value-added paracetamol is being reported. Two fractions of the carbonaceous nanomaterials were obtained after the hydrothermal treatment (HT) of wPP, firstly an aqueous portion containing water-soluble carbon dots (wPP-CDs) and a solid residue, which was converted into carbonized biochar (wPP-BC). Blue-colored fluorescent wPP-CDs displayed excitation-dependent and pH-independent properties with a quantum yield (QY) of 8.82 %, which were exploited for the fluorescence sensing of p-NP with 4.20 μM limit of detection. Pyrolyzed biochar acting as an efficient catalyst effectively reduces p-NP to p-aminophenol (p-AP) in just 16 min with a 0.237 min-1 rate of conversion. Furthermore, the produced p-AP was converted into paracetamol, an analgesic and antipyretic drug, to achieve zero waste theory. Thus, this study provides the execution of sustainable approaches based on the integral valorization of biowaste that can be further recycled and reused, offering an effective way to attain a profitable circular economy.

Effect of lignocellulosic corn stalk on mechanical, physical, and thermal properties of injection moulded low density polyethylene composites: An approach towards a circular economy

Escalating concern over global warming, which is mostly associated with deforestation, has led to the development of new classes of materials that can replace wood and better utilise natural resources. Presently, waste is a significant factor in recycling. In this regard, one of the leading contributors to waste is agricultural waste, which includes dried branches, leaves of trees, plants, and other organic materials. In the current study, waste from corn agriculture was utilised as a potential reinforcement for the fabrication of corn stalk-low density polyethylene (CS-LDPE) composites via an injection moulding technique at 170 °C. The different parameters were assessed to develop composites using CS, including physico-chemical, macromolecular, mineralogical, elemental, and morphological analysis. The amount of corn stalk (CS) was varied from 10 to 50 wt% with respect to the polymer. The mechanical, physical and thermal performance of the composites was examined. The density and water absorption of the composites were found to remain within the ranges of 1.00-1.11 g/cm3 and 0.22-1.01 %, respectively, whereas these parameters increased as the proportion of CS increased. The thermal conductivity decreases with the addition of CS from 0.36964 ± 0.020 to 0.22388 ± 0.002 W/mK. It was observed that adding CS to the composites increased their tensile and flexural properties, but decreased their impact strength. The maximum flexural strength of 14.40 ± 1.558 MPa, flexural modulus of 752.53 ± 180.409 MPa, tensile strength of 10.49 ± 0.946 MPa and tensile modulus of 539.79 ± 91.044 MPa were observed with a 50 % CS content. The results suggest that these materials have considerable potential to serve as a cost-effective substitute for the conventional lignocellulosic fillers in the manufacturing of wood-plastic composites.

Assessing potential soil pollution from plant waste disposal: A modeling analysis of pesticide contamination

Pesticide residues can be taken up by plants after pesticide application, potentially resulting in soil pollution following the disposal of plant wastes at harvest. Currently, there is a lack of simple and efficient methods that can conduct high-throughput simulations to explore this problem across various chemicals and plant species. We present a modeling approach to simulating pesticide residue concentrations in soil as a result of plant waste disposal to assess the impact of plant wastes on agricultural soil pollution with respect to pesticide residues. This modeling approach employs well-established plant uptake models, providing versatility in evaluating different chemicals and plant species. The simulation process was tabulated in the spreadsheet interface, providing users with the flexibility to adjust input values for specific chemicals, plant species, and regions. The simulation results revealed that pesticides with relatively low lipophilicity (i.e., log KOW < 2) had low simulated residue concentrations in the soil as a result of plant waste disposal at harvest, whereas soil concentrations for lipophilic pesticides dramatically rose. This indicated that disposal of plant waste in agricultural soils will not pose significant ecological concerns to pesticides with low lipophilicity. The variability analysis showed that for certain pesticides, environmental factors (such as temperature and humidity) had a significant impact on the simulated residue concentrations in the soil as a result of plant waste disposal, which aided in the assessment of regional ecological risk as well as plant disposal management. Although some modeling aspects such as plant decomposition process, advanced plant uptake models, heterological distribution of residue concentrations in the soil, and plant waste stacking patterns require further research, the proposed approach can be used to assist in managing soil pesticides from plant waste disposal in preliminary stages.

Transcriptome analysis of gene expression profiles reveals wood formation mechanisms in Chinese fir at different stand ages

Forests are crucial sustainable sources of natural ecosystems and contribute to human welfare. Cunninghamia lanceolata (Chinese fir) is an economically important conifer and occupies the largest area in China that produces global wood resources. Although Chinese fir has high economic value in China, little information is known regarding its mechanisms of wood formation. Therefore, transcriptome analysis was conducted to study the gene expression patterns and associated timber formation mechanisms in Chinese fir at different stand ages. In the present study, a total of 837,156 unigenes were identified in 84 samples from Chinese fir (pith and root) at different stand ages via RNA-Seq. Among them, most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enrichment in plant hormone signal transduction, flavonoid metabolism pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism, and MAPK signal transduction pathway, which might be associated with the diameter formation in Chinese fir. The DEGs in these pathways were analyzed in Chinese fir and were related to lignin synthesis, cell wall formation and cell wall reinforcement/thickening. These genes might play an important role in regulating timber formation/growth in Chinese fir. In addition, certain transcriptome factors (TFs) related to Chinese fir timber formation were identified, including WRKY33, WRKY22, PYR/PYL, and MYC2. Weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) showed that glucan endo-1,3-beta-d-glucosidase was a hub gene significantly correlated with the growth-related genes in Chinese fir. Sixteen key genes that related to diameter regulation in Chinese fir were verified by qRT-PCR analysis. These key genes might have a fine regulatory role in timber formation in Chinese fir. Our results pave the way for research on the regulatory mechanisms of wood formation, and provide an insight for improving the quality production of Chinese fir.

Crop Straw Resource Utilization as Pilot Policy in China: An Event History Analysis

Massively generated crop straw can be utilized and valorized with great economic and environmental benefits. The Chinese government has adopted the pilot policy of crop straw resource utilization (CSRU) for disposing of the straw and practicing waste valorization. This work took 164 counties in the Hebei Province of China as a case study, mapped the temporal and spatial characteristics of the diffusion of the CSRU pilot policy in this province, and conducted an Event History Analysis by establishing a binary logistic regression model to identify the specific factors that determine the diffusion of the CSRU pilot policy in China from the aspects of resource availability, internal capacity, and external pressure. It indicates that: (1) the CSRU pilot policy diffuses rapidly in Hebei Province, although it is still at the early stage of this policy diffusion; (2) the model explains 95.2% of the variance in adopting a pilot county, indicating the effectiveness of this model; (3) straw resource density has a positive impact on CSRU pilot selections, and it can increase the possibility of one county being selected as a CSRU pilot by 23.2%, while population density has shown a negative effect; (3) policy support from local government is a major internal factor that determines CSRU performance, and it can increase the possibility of one county being selected as a CSRU pilot nearly tenfold; proximity pressure from neighboring counties has a positive effect on the diffusion of the CSRU policy, and it also greatly increases the possibility of being selected as a CSRU pilot.

Optimizing the environmental sustainability of alternative post-harvest scenarios for fresh vegetables: A case study in Spain

The aim of this research is to define different scenarios that optimize the environmental sustainability of the post-harvest stage of vegetable products (cauliflower and brassicas mix). These scenarios considered different packaging materials; energy generation technologies for the processing plant (standard electricity mix vs. renewable options); organic waste management (composting, anaerobic digestion, and animal feeding); and refrigerated transportation (local, national, and international, using diesel, natural gas, and hybrid trucks and railway). The analysis has been carried out based on a foreground inventory provided by a company that operating internationally, in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14,040 methodological framework and following the latest Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) protocols. The analysis describes four midpoint categories, single score (SS) using EF3.0 life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodology and the Cumulative Energy Demand. The carbon footprint (CF) of the post-harvest stage for a base case scenario ranged between 0.24 and 0.29 kg CO₂ eq/kg of vegetable, with a strong contribution associated to the production of packaging materials (57.8-65.2 %) and the transport stage (national range in conventional diesel vehicles) (31.5-38.0 %). Comparatively, lower emissions were associated with the energy consumed at the processing factory (up to 4.1 %) while the composting of organic waste management produced some impact savings (up to -3.5 %). Although certain differences were observed, the dominance of the transport stage and the packaging materials is sustained in all the other environmental impact and energy categories evaluated. The most effective measures to reduce the environmental footprint of the post-harvest stage involve: i) using reusable packaging materials; ii) reducing the transport range and using vehicles running on natural gas or hybrid technologies; iii) the incorporation of renewable energy to supply the factory; and iv) the utilization of the organic residues in higher value applications such as animal feeding. Implementing the measures proposed in this study would reduce the post-harvest CF of fresh vegetables by 90 %.

Environmental benefits of using sewage sludge in the production of ceramic bricks

The production of sludge from the sewage treatment plants is increasing as a result of population increase and public policies to improve the sanitation sector. This sludge presents a potential risk to health and the environment representing major challenge for sanitation companies regarding treatment and final disposal of this material. The solution is in the circular economy concept: This sludge presents favorable characteristics to be used as raw material in the ceramic industry. This study seeks to quantify the environmental impacts related to the atmospheric emissions caused and to the consumption of resources when 10% of clay is replaced by sewage sludge in the production of bricks. Life cycle assessment tools were used to establish a comparison between the common scenario of the brick production using ceramic mass only from clay and the scenario with the incorporation of 10% of sewage sludge. The results revealed that the incorporation of the sewage sludge has multiple benefits, regarding the decrease of the environmental impacts in all the categories studied: 15% in the energy savings, 15% in the terrestrial acidification and the formation of fine particles, 10% in scarcity of mineral resources, and 8-10% in formation of photochemical ozone.

Practice, pathways, and performance for resource utilization of crop straw: A case study of Xinyang City in China

The open-air burning of the massive generated crop straw in rural areas has been a troubling problem in China in recent decades, and the utilization and valorization of crop straw have provided promising solutions to it. However, due to the limitations in straw resources, economic, social, and technological conditions, different regions vary greatly with each other in the technological pathways and performance of straw utilization. By taking ten counties and districts of Xinyang City in Henan Province of China as examples, it analyzed the spatial distribution of straw yields and the adoption of five pathways of crop straw utilization in Xinyang City, and summarized three typical combination modes. In addition, it also provided the integrated model of FBWM-TOPSIS-PROMETHEE to evaluate the performance of crop straw utilization in the ten counties and districts, to provide local decision-makers with the pathways for promoting the utilization and valorization of crop straw. The results indicated that: (1) The endowment of straw resources and the straw utilization pathways in the ten counties and districts of Xinyang City vary greatly with each other; (2) Returning crop straw to the fields as fertilizer after being crushed is the mainstream mode of resource utilization of crop straw, although five technological modes have been adopted in Xinyang City; (3) Among the 10 counties, Huaibin and Xixian have the best performance of resource utilization of crop straw, and Shangcheng is the worst performer.

Bioengineering to Accelerate Biodiesel Production for a Sustainable Biorefinery

Biodiesel is an alternative, carbon-neutral fuel compared to fossil-based diesel, which can reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. Biodiesel is a product of microorganisms, crop plants, and animal-based oil and has the potential to prosper as a sustainable and renewable energy source and tackle growing energy problems. Biodiesel has a similar composition and combustion properties to fossil diesel and thus can be directly used in internal combustion engines as an energy source at the commercial level. Since biodiesel produced using edible/non-edible crops raises concerns about food vs. fuel, high production cost, monocropping crisis, and unintended environmental effects, such as land utilization patterns, it is essential to explore new approaches, feedstock and technologies to advance the production of biodiesel and maintain its sustainability. Adopting bioengineering methods to produce biodiesel from various sources such as crop plants, yeast, algae, and plant-based waste is one of the recent technologies, which could act as a promising alternative for creating genuinely sustainable, technically feasible, and cost-competitive biodiesel. Advancements in genetic engineering have enhanced lipid production in cellulosic crops and it can be used for biodiesel generation. Bioengineering intervention to produce lipids/fat/oil (TGA) and further their chemical or enzymatic transesterification to accelerate biodiesel production has a great future. Additionally, the valorization of waste and adoption of the biorefinery concept for biodiesel production would make it eco-friendly, cost-effective, energy positive, sustainable and fit for commercialization. A life cycle assessment will not only provide a better understanding of the various approaches for biodiesel production and waste valorization in the biorefinery model to identify the best technique for the production of sustainable biodiesel, but also show a path to draw a new policy for the adoption and commercialization of biodiesel.

Life-cycle assessment of pyrolysis processes for sustainable production of biochar from agro-residues

Net carbon management of agro-residues has been an important pathway for reducing the environmental burdens of agricultural production. Converting agro-residues into biochar through pyrolysis is a prominent management strategy for achieving carbon neutrality in a circular economy, meeting both environmental and social concerns. Based on the latest studies, this study critically analyzes the life cycle assessment (LCA) of biochar production from different agro-residues and compares typical technologies for biochar production. Although a direct comparison of results is not always feasible due to different functional units and system boundaries, the net carbon sequestration potential of biochar technology is remarkably promising. By pyrolyzing agro-residues, biochar can be effectively produced and customized as: (i) alternative energy source, (ii) soil amendment, and (iii) activated carbon substitution. The combination of life cycle assessment and circular economy modelling is encouraged to achieve greener and sustainable biochar production.

Mapping the scientific structure and evolution of renewable energy for sustainable development

The integration of renewable energy and sustainable development (RE&SD) can help overcome existing obstacles and create opportunities for renewable energy deployment to achieve sustainable development goals. In view of the limited research on science mapping and visualization analyses of RE&SD, this study sought to determine the scientific structure and evolution based on longitudinal and mapping change analysis. As an entity in the knowledge base, keyword and subject were considered essential information of documents. The co-word network was generated using SciMAT to reveal the dynamic aspects of the scientific research in the five subperiods. The thematic evolutionary analysis identified two main RE&SD thematic areas, with the current research hotspots that involved technological, environmental, sustainable energy innovation, and sustainable biofuel contributions. The alluvial diagram using MapEquation revealed significant structural changes from subject data. Clusters of subjects continued to grow, and more interdisciplinary integration was undergoing. This study provides a systematic study of RE&SD research, and the future research of RE&SD may inevitably consider renewable energy investment and renewable energy perspective approaches to achieve sustainable development goals.

Food Quality, Drug Safety, and Increasing Public Health Measures in Supply Chain Management

Over the last decade, there has been an increased interest in public health measures concerning food quality and drug safety in supply chains and logistics operations. Against this backdrop, this study systematically reviewed the extant literature to identify gaps in studying food quality and drug safety, the proposed solutions to these issues, and potential future research directions. This study utilized content analysis. The objectives of the review were to (1) identify the factors affecting food quality and possible solutions to improve results, (2) analyze the factors that affect drug safety and identify ways to mitigate them through proper management; and (3) establish integrated supply chains for food and drugs by implementing modern technologies, followed by one another to ensure a multi-layered cross-verification cascade and resource management at the different phases to ensure quality, safety, and sustainability for the benefit of public health. This review investigated and identified the most recent trends and technologies used for successfully integrated supply chains that can guarantee food quality and drug safety. Using appropriate keywords, 298 articles were identified, and 205 were shortlisted for the analysis. All analysis and conclusions are based on the available literature. The outcomes of this paper identify new research directions in public health and supply chain management.

Rice Straw Utilisation for Bioenergy Production: A Brief Overview

Unsustainable rice straw management causes environmental impacts; hence, utilisation of rice straw for bioenergy is a promising strategy for sustainable rice straw management. Although rice straw has a high potential for bioenergy generation, the whole production cycle and application may cause environmental damage that is not fully understood. Hence, environmental performance studies are required to determine the most effective rice straw utilisation options. A comprehensive approach, such as life-cycle assessment (LCA), can give comprehensive information on the possible environmental effects of rice straw utilisation for bioenergy. Therefore, this study briefly overviews the LCA of rice straw utilisation for bioenergy production. It is found that utilisation of rice straw for bioenergy could reduce global warming potential compared to energy production from fossil fuels. However, it is suggested that other impact categories in LCA be evaluated in the bioenergy production from rice straw research to determine the overall sustainability of the production.

Analysing the Impact of Human Capital on Renewable Energy Penetration: A Bibliometric Reviews

In contributing to reducing the adverse effects of non-renewable energy sources, this paper researched how human capital can enhance the penetration level of renewable energy, which is highly abundant in Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper, using qualitative research methodology through Bibliometric analysis, reviewed three hundred and three (303) papers published between the year 2000 and March 2022. The bibliometric study covered publications per author, publications per country, research focus based on co-occurrence keywords, and research thread. The findings revealed that publications on how human capital can aid renewable energy penetration have been slow and in an infant stage in the past two decades. It also shows that there have been eighteen (18) papers on the subject papers in the last twenty years, showing the low level of human capital development in the energy sector. The intellectual patterns via the co-occurrence of keywords shows five (5) clusters, which are economics of renewable energy sources, human capital factors in environmental management, economic factors in energy supply and demand, sustainable energy factors, and human capital development and economy. These cluster areas revealed how human capital could be developed to increase the penetration level of the abundant renewable energy in the world. Thus, this paper recommends intensive efforts in optimizing human capital through inter-organizational collaboration on renewable energy technologies and periodic training.

Life cycle assessment of rice bran oil production: a case study in China

Environmental problems caused by the food processing industry have always been one of the concerns for the public. Herein, for the first time, a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was employed to evaluate the environmental impact of rice bran oil production. Four subsystems, namely, transportation of the raw rice bran to oil factory, crude oil extraction, oil refining, and oil storage, were established. The product sustainability software GaBi and the method CML 2001-Jan. 2016 were used to calculate and analyze the environmental burdens at each stage of the rice bran oil production chain. The results show the oil refining stage had the greatest environmental impact, followed by the oil extraction stage. High demands for coal and electricity make a critical difference in generating vast majority of environmental impacts. Modifying the electricity source and replacing traditional fuels with cleaner ones will do bring benefits to the sustainable development of the industry.

Life Cycle Thinking for the environmental and financial assessment of rice management systems in the Senegal River Valley

Rice is a staple food in Senegal, which however imports more than 70% of the rice consumed annually to meet its domestic demand. Despite governmental efforts to increase rice self-sufficiency, both rice supply and yields remain low. Senegalese farmers face challenges related to irrigation infrastructure and fertiliser access, besides those derived from climate change. This study applies Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) combined with financial Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to evaluate alternative scenarios for rice management in the Senegal River Valley and identify sustainability hotspots and potential improvements. Specifically, rice cultivation in Ross Béthio (Saint Louis, Senegal) is assessed based on the observed agricultural practices during the dry seasons of 2016 and 2017. Two scenarios capturing conventional (CONV) and intensive (INT) practices are compared to two reference scenarios (SAED scenarios) according to the recommendations of the official agricultural advisory service. The INT scenario generates the lowest impacts per kg of paddy rice in seven out of thirteen impact categories, including climate change, freshwater and marine eutrophication, ozone depletion and water scarcity. This is due to the higher yields (7.4 t ha^-1) relative to CONV (4.8 t ha^-1) and the two reference SAED scenarios (6.0 t ha^-1). The two latter scenarios show the lowest values in the remaining categories, although they also generate slightly lower profits than INT (138 € t^-1 vs. 149 € t^-1) due to increased labour costs for additional fertilisation treatments. The results from both LCA and LCC underline the importance of increasing yields to decrease environmental impacts and production costs of rice when estimated per kg of product. Well-designed fertiliser application doses and timing and increased mechanisation can deliver further environmental benefits. Additional improvements (e.g. in irrigation, crop rotations, straw management) could be considered to promote the long-term sustainability and profitability of rice production in Senegal. LCA in combination with financial LCC is identified as a decision-support tool for evaluating the sustainability of alternative crop management practices. Life Cycle Thinking can still benefit from experiential learning based on information exchange between farmers, researchers and extension agents to contribute to a sustainable agriculture and ultimately to food security in Africa.

Consolidated microbial production of four-, five-, and six-carbon organic acids from crop residues: Current status and perspectives

The production of platform organic acids has been heavily dependent on petroleum-based industries. However, petrochemical-based industries that cannot guarantee a virtuous cycle of carbons released during various processes are now facing obsolescence because of the depletion of finite fossil fuel reserves and associated environmental pollutions. Thus, the transition into a circular economy in terms of the carbon footprint has been evaluated with the development of efficient microbial cell factories using renewable feedstocks. Herein, the recent progress on bio-based production of organic acids with four-, five-, and six-carbon backbones, including butyric acid and 3-hydroxybutyric acid (C4), 5-aminolevulinic acid and citramalic acid (C5), and hexanoic acid (C6), is discussed. Then, the current research on the production of C4-C6 organic acids is illustrated to suggest future directions for developing crop-residue based consolidated bioprocessing of C4-C6 organic acids using host strains with tailor-made capabilities.

A negative-carbon footprint process with mixed biomass feedstock maximizes conversion efficiency, product value and CO2 mitigation

The great variety of biomass species offers unique features for synergistic optimization of process outcomes. In this work, spent mushroom substrate and bagasse with optimize ratio were processed to produce value-added products of activated carbon and biofuel yet achieve negative CO₂ emission. By integrating experimental characterization, this work uses process simulation, techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment to evaluate the techno-economic viability and CO₂ footprint of processes with single or dual-/mixed-biomass feedstocks. The combination of biomass species provides unique match of the production of flue gas and primary carbon that is critical for the optimization of mass and energy flow. Such combination has been demonstrated effective to improve product yield and energy efficiency. Results show that mixed biomass feedstock offers favourable figures such as high carbon efficiency of 66.74%, short payback period of 3.16 years, considerable net present value of 80.48 million dollars, and low GWP of -2.37 kg CO₂-eq.

Energy Potential and Sustainability of Straw Resources in Three Regions of Ghana

Anthropogenic global warming and the depletion of nonrenewable resources necessitate a transition towards bioenergy to accelerate sustainable development and carbon neutrality. This study quantified the availability and energy potential of crop (cereals, legumes, roots and tubers) straws based on data from the Northern, North East and Savannah regions in Ghana. The annual technical straw potential was 2,967,933 tonnes, whilst the crop straws with the highest technical potential were yam (935,927 tonnes), groundnut (485,236 tonnes), maize (438,926 tonnes) and soybean (374,564 tonnes). The technical energy potential of all the crop straws was 42,256 TJ, although the energy potential of yam, groundnut, maize and soybean was 13,922 TJ, 7611 TJ, 5704 TJ and 5409 TJ, respectively. There was a linear correlation between the straw produced and the energy potential per region. The Northern region (28,153 TJ) recorded the highest energy potential followed by the Savannah (8330 TJ) and North East (5773 TJ) regions. To serve as context, the research placed an emphasis on the sustainability of crop straws for bioenergy and added a brief analysis of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of bioenergy scenarios to explore the environmental sustainability of crop straw-based power generation. This study will serve as a reference in understanding LCA inference on practicable research of crop straw-based, power plant expansion in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Influence of microbial inoculants on co-composting of lignocellulosic crop residues with farm animal manure: A review

The rapidly developing agro-industry generates huge amounts of lignocellulosic crop residues and animal manure worldwide. Although co-composting represents a promising and cost-effective method to treat various agricultural wastes simultaneously, poor composting efficiency prolongs total completion time and deteriorates the quality of the final product. However, supplementation of the feedstock with beneficial microorganisms can mitigate these negative effects by facilitating the decomposition of recalcitrant materials, enhancing microbial enzyme activity, and promoting maturation and humus formation during the composting process. Nevertheless, the influence of microbial inoculation may vary greatly depending on certain factors, such as start-up parameters, structure of the feedstock, time of inoculation, and composition of the microbial cultures used. The purpose of this contribution is to review recent developments in co-composting procedures involving different lignocellulosic crop residues and farm animal manure combined with microbial inoculation strategies. To evaluate the effectiveness of microbial additives, the results reported in a large number of peer-reviewed articles were compared in terms of composting process parameters (i.e., temperature, microbial activity, total organic carbon and nitrogen contents, decomposition rate of lignocellulose fractions, etc.) and compost characteristics (humification, C/N ratio, macronutrient content, and germination index). Most studies confirmed that the use of microbial amendments in the co-composting process is an efficient way to facilitate biodegradation and improve the sustainable management of agricultural wastes. Overall, this review paper provides insights into various inoculation techniques, identifies the limitations and current challenges of co-composting, especially with microbial inoculation, and recommends areas for further research in this field.

Valorization of agro-industrial wastes for biorefinery process and circular bioeconomy: A critical review

Energy recovery from waste resources is a promising approach towards environmental consequences. In the prospect of environmental sustainability, utilization of agro-industrial waste residues as feedstock for biorefinery processes have gained widespread attention. In the agro-industry, various biomasses are exposed to different unit processes for offering value to various agro-industrial waste materials. Agro-industrial wastes can generate a substantial amount of valuable products such as fuels, chemicals, energy, electricity, and by-products. This paper reviews the methodologies for valorization of agro-industrial wastes and their exploitation for generation of renewable energy products. In addition, management of agro-industrial wastes and products from agro-industrial wastes have been elaborated. The waste biorefinery process using agro-industrial wastes does not only offer energy, it also offers environmentally sustainable modes, which address effective management of waste streams. This review aims to highlight the cascading use of biomass from agro-industrial wastes into the systemic approach for economic development.

Preparation and applications of chitosan and cellulose composite materials

Chitosan is a natural fiber, chemically cellulose-like biopolymer, which is processed from chitin. Its use as a natural polymer is getting more attention because it is non-toxic, renewable, and biocompatible. However, its poor mechanical and thermal strength, particle size, and surface area restrict its industrial use. Consequently, to improve these properties, cellulose and/or inorganic nanoparticles have been used. This review discusses the recent progress of chitosan and cellulose composite materials, their preparation, and their applications in different industrial sectors. It also discusses the modification of chitosan and cellulose composite materials to allow their use on a large scale. Finally, the recent development of chitosan composite materials for drug delivery, food packaging, protective coatings, and wastewater treatment are discussed. The challenges and perspectives for future research are also considered. This review suggests that chitosan and cellulose nano-composite are promising, low-cost products for environmental remediation involving a simple production process.

Agro-forestry waste management- A review

Agroforestry, an integration of farming system with woody perennials leads to the generation of potential agroforestry residues. The conventional treatment of agroforestry waste includes landfilling, thermal management, and decomposition which is accompanied with their own share of disadvantages. The ample amount of residues and products needs effective management to reap the economic and environmental benefits. The channel of waste collection, transportation, and recycle or valorization into products like biofuel, fertilizers, biochar, industrial chemicals is essential to maintain a circular sustainable bioeconomy. Global market value of biowaste to bioenergy (BtB) technology is roughly US $25.32 billion and is projected to enhance to US $40 billion by 2023. Employment of an appropriate pretreatment technology such as fermentation, hydrolysis, gasification etc. is going to elevate the degree of valorization along with surpassing the mobilization barrier. The sustainability assessment of the management process can be achieved with multiple models including technoeconomic analysis, life cycle assessment and multi criteria approach which are dependent on both hard and soft indices. Additionally, the loopholes of the agroforestry sectors would be managed by the introduction of appropriate policies which are undertaken globally by the Orlando and Lugo declarations, food and agriculture organization, Millennium Development Goals, Global Research Alliance and Guidelines for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. The present review envisaged the agroforestry waste management strategy and its sustainability assessment primarily based upon Social, Economic and Environmental parameters without tormenting the future generations.

Multidimensional approaches of biogas production and up-gradation: Opportunities and challenges

The expanding interest towards biogas generation from biowaste via complex anaerobic digestion (AD) opened new avenues in the improvement of biogas production processes and their up-gradation. The adsorption/removal of impurities particularly hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the biogas stream will significantly improve the efficiency of biogas for its further use as a renewable energy fuel. The production and up-gradation of biogas rely upon the types of feedstocks, AD condition, microbial diversity, purification methods along with the application of various additives. In that context, this review aims to emphasize the current state of the art in the field of biogas production via AD using diverse bio-waste. Further, this review will critically explore the biogas up-gradation technologies adopted so far and their pros and cons. Finally, techno-economic and environmental impact assessment of the biogas production process will be underlined to make the process cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.

Operational Parameters of a Diesel Engine Running on Diesel–Rapeseed Oil–Methanol–Iso-Butanol Blends

This contribution focuses on utilizing blended biofuels of rapeseed oil and methanol with diesel. Rapeseed is one of the most cultivated energy crops in Europe, and its purpose in the blends is to increase the bio-content in test fuels. The purpose of methanol in the blends is to increase bio-content and compensate for the higher viscosity of the rapeseed oil. As methanol is almost insoluble in diesel and rapeseed oil, iso-butanol is used as a co-solvent. The fuel blends were tested in volumetric concentrations of diesel/rapeseed oil/methanol/iso-butanol 60/30/5/5, 50/30/10/10, and 50/10/20/20. Diesel was used as a reference. The measurements were performed on a turbocharged diesel engine Zetor 1204, loaded using the power-takeoff shaft of the Zetor Forterra 8641 tractor. In this paper, the effect of the blended fuels on performance parameters, engine efficiency, production of soot particles, and regulated and unregulated emissions are monitored and analyzed. It was found that engine power decreased by up to 27%, efficiency decreased by up to 5.5% at full engine load, emissions of NOX increased by up to 21.9% at 50% engine load, and production of soot particles decreased; however, the mean size of the particles was smaller.

Towards Comparable Carbon Credits: Harmonization of LCA Models of Cellulosic Biofuels

Decarbonization programs are being proposed worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models or tools. Although such models are broadly accepted, varying results are often observed. This study describes similarities and differences of key decarbonization programs and their GHG calculators and compares established LCA models for assessing 2G ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstock. The selected LCA models were GHGenius, GREET, JRC’s model, and VSB, which originated calculators for British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Renewable Energy Directive, and RenovaBio, respectively. We performed a harmonization of the selected models by inserting data of one model into other ones to illustrate the possibility of obtaining similar results after a few harmonization steps and to determine which parameters have higher contribution to closing the gap between default results. Differences among 2G ethanol from wheat straw were limited to 0.1 gCO2eq. MJ−1, and discrepancies in emissions decreased by 95% and 78% for corn stover and forest residues, respectively. Better understanding of structure, calculation procedures, parameters, and methodological assumptions among the LCA models is a first step towards an improved harmonization that will allow a globally accepted and exchangeable carbon credit system to be created.

Emerging technologies for biofuel production: A critical review on recent progress, challenges and perspectives

Due to increasing anthropogenic activities, especially industry and transport, the fossil fuel demand and consumption have increased proportionally, causing serious environmental issues. This attracted researchers and scientists to develop new alternative energy sources. Therefore, this review covers the biofuel production potential and challenges related to various feedstocks and advances in process technologies. It has been concluded that the biofuels such as biodiesel, ethanol, bio-oil, syngas, Fischer-Tropsch H_2, and methane produced from crop plant residues, micro- and macroalgae and other biomass wastes using thermo-bio-chemical processes are an eco-friendly route for an energy source. Biofuels production and their uses in industries and transportation considerably minimize fossil fuel dependence. Literature analysis showed that biofuels generated from energy crops and microalgae could be the most efficient and attractive process. Recent progress in the field of biofuels using genetic engineering has larger perspectives in commercial-scale production. However, its large-scale production is still challenging; hence, to resolve this problem, it is essential to convert biomass in biofuels by developing novel technology to increase biofuel production to fulfil the current and future energy demand.

Life cycle energy-carbon-water footprints of sugar, ethanol and electricity from sugarcane

Sugarcane is an important cash crop used for producing sweeteners and also some bioproducts (alcohol and bioenergy). The current study assesses life cycle energy, carbon and water footprint of sugarcane based sugar, ethanol and electricity in India. A farm to factory gate attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted to assess the energy and carbon footprints whereas the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) CropWat model is used to estimate the water footprint (green, blue and grey). For the base case, electricity has the highest energy return on investment (EROI), lowest carbon and water footprints among the bioproducts. The choice of allocation method (economic, mass, and energy) impacts the energy and environmental outcomes of the bioproducts. The comparison among four different sugarcane seasons shows that bioproducts available from Adsali sugarcane have the highest EROI, lowest carbon and water footprints. The findings could lead to improved sustainability of sugarcane bioproducts in India.

Lignocellulose Biomass as a Multifunctional Tool for Sustainable Catalysis and Chemicals: An Overview

Today, the theme of environmental preservation plays an important role within the activities of the scientific community and influences the choices of politics and the common population. In this context, the use of non-fossil substances should be promoted for different reasons: to avoid the depletion and damage of the areas involved in the fossil fuel extraction, decrease the impact of emissions/by-products related to the industrial transformation of fossil-based products and possibly exploit residual biomasses as sources of carbon. This latter aspect also can be viewed as a way to revalorize lignocellulose waste, generally destined to dump as putrescible matter or to be incinerated. In this review, we are aiming to present a concise overview of the multiple functions of lignocellulose biomass in the broad field of catalysis for a sustainable development. The originality of the approach is considering the lignocellulose-derived matter in three different aspects: (i) as a precursor to convert into platform molecules, (ii) as an active material (i.e., humic-like substances as photosensitizers) and (iii) as a green support for catalytic applications. We find that this perspective can widen the awareness level of scientists involved in the catalysis field for the exploitation of residual biomass as a valuable and complementary resource.

Environmental profile of thermoelectrics for applications with continuous waste heat generation via life cycle assessment

Over the past few decades, rigorous efforts have been undertaken to develop novel thermoelectrics (TEs) with high conversion efficiencies. However, poor TE device efficiencies and use of scarce and toxic constituent elements in major TEs raises valid questions about their ecological effectiveness. We evaluate this efficacy by investigating environmental performance of seven TE modules, spanning five different TEs, on a diverse range of impacts (including toxicity and scarcity) over their life cycle (cradle-to-grave). Exhaustive inventory is developed for all modules, particularly their production and end-of-life stages, in the first-ever exercise of its kind till date, to assess their benefits for applications involving constant waste heat emission. Three end-of-life scenarios are considered to determine ecological benefits and pitfalls of recycling TEs, a first in LCA literature on thermoelectrics. The results show the dominance of specific constituent elements and large processing-related electricity consumption on impacts caused by production for all modules. Over their life cycle, TE modules are seen to exhibit large positive environmental benefits, barring some exceptions, highlighting their substantial eco-credentials independent of the TE used. Also, barring circular economy approach in some cases, no end-of-life treatment is observed to significantly influence modular environmental impacts. Subsequent calculations show ecological benefits from TEs to be comparable with those from commonly used renewables like solar and wind energy, with the findings repeated under scenario-based sensitivity analysis despite 50% reduction in conversion efficiency and 15% lowering in usage duration, further validating their ecofriendly potential. Simultaneously, two key challenges that hinder large-scale application of TEs - marginal ecological benefits (even on converting high fraction of waste heat to electricity) and high costs - are pointed out. This work concludes by highlighting the urgent need for addressing major negative contributors to production-related impacts of this platform to boost its prospects for commercial application and transform its ecofriendly potential into reality.

Environmental and economic performance analysis of recycling waste printed circuit boards using life cycle assessment

Recycling precious elements from the electronic waste could be an environmental friendly way to avoid likely ecological damages caused by leaching of heavy metals and toxic elements as well as an economically attractive option to recover valuable materials that would otherwise be wasted. This research assessed the environmental and economic performance of recovering nine metal elements (aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), gold (Au), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe)) and two non-metal materials (resin and glass-fiber) from the waste printed circuit boards (PCBs), one of the vital components of electronic-waste (e-waste). SimaPro software was used to assess the environmental performance of recycling waste PCBs. Data were collected from recycling plants in Taichung City, Taiwan, and Eco-invent database was also used in the study. The impacts of metal recycling from PCBs were compared with the impacts caused by the mining of respective metals from their natural ores. Among the analyzed elements, only the recovery of Au from waste PCBs proved to have less environmental impacts than the mining from the natural ore. Among 16 environmental impact categories (ILCD midpoint 2011+ method of impact analysis) considered in the present study, cancer and non-cancer human toxicity were the most affected categories followed by minerals, fossils, and resource extraction. However, the economic analysis showed that the recycling of all elements from waste PCBs had a net positive benefit. When considering both the environment and economic performance, the recycling of Au proved to be a beneficial option.

A myxobacterial LPMO10 has oxidizing cellulose activity for promoting biomass enzymatic saccharification of agricultural crop straws

Myxobacteria are soil microorganisms with the ability to break down biological macromolecules due to the secretion of a large number of extracellular enzymes, but there has been no research report on myxobacterial lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). In this study, two LPMO10s, ViLPMO10A and ViLPMO10B, from myxobacterium Vitiosangium sp. GDMCC 1.1324 were characterized. Of which, ViLPMO10B is a C1-oxidizing cellulose-active LPMO. Moreover, ViLPMO10B could decrease the degree of polymerization of crop straws cellulose and synergize with commercial cellulase to promote the saccharification. When the weight ratio of commercial cellulase to ViLPMO10B was 9:1, the conversion efficiency of corn stalk, sugarcane bagasse, and rice straw into reducing sugar was improved by 17%, 16%, and 22%, respectively, compared with commercial cellulase without ViLPMO10B. These results indicate that ViLPMO10B has the potential to be a component of a high-efficient cellulase cocktail and has application value in the saccharification of agricultural residual biomasses.

Technical Aspects of Biofuel Production from Different Sources in Malaysia—A Review

Due to the depletion of fossil fuels, biofuel production from renewable sources has gained interest. Malaysia, as a tropical country with huge resources, has a high potential to produce different types of biofuels from renewable sources. In Malaysia, biofuels can be produced from various sources, such as lignocellulosic biomass, palm oil residues, and municipal wastes. Besides, biofuels are divided into two main categories, called liquid (bioethanol and biodiesel) and gaseous (biohydrogen and biogas). Malaysia agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45% by 2030 as they signed the Paris agreement in 2016. Therefore, we reviewed the status and potential of Malaysia as one of the main biofuel producers in the world in recent years. The role of government and existing policies have been discussed to analyze the outlook of the biofuel industries in Malaysia.

Techno-Economic Assessment of Three Modes of Large-Scale Crop Residue Utilization Projects in China

In China, the non-exploitation of bioenergy poses major problems and challenges. To solve bioenergy problems, considerable efforts have been made to expedite the construction of large-scale crop residue utilization projects. In this study, three principal supported modes of large-scale crop residue utilization projects were taken as empirical cases in Hubei province bioenergy planning. In terms of the overall benefit and sustainable development, a third-grade evaluation index system was established. The analysis was carried out using the analytical hierarchy process, principal component projection, and grey relational analysis. The conclusion indicates that according to the evaluation values, the sequence from best to worst was crop residue biogas project, crop residue briquette fuel project, and crop residue gasification project. Nevertheless, there was no remarkable difference in the overall evaluation values. The biogas project had certain advantages in terms of the production cost, soil improvement, and expenditure saving, whereas the gasification project was comparatively insufficient in environmental efficiency, product benefit, by-product disposal, and technical rationality. According to actual evaluation results, the unilateral determination approach of the single weight index can be seen as being overcome through the unified adaptation of the evaluation methods. The research results can serve as a reference for making investment decisions to build large-scale crop residue utilization projects.

Valorization of agricultural waste for biogas based circular economy in India: A research outlook

Environmental deterioration and the need for energy security are intrinsic problems linked with the linear economy based on fossil fuels. Recently, a transformation to a sustainable circular bio-economy is being experienced where biomass waste is being valorized for energy production as well as minimization of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The agricultural waste, generated in vast quantities in India is a prospective feedstock for biogas production. Agri-waste to biogas based circular economy requires an integration of agri-waste management, biogas production and utilization and policy support. This paper comprehensively discusses the potential of biogas production from agricultural waste, its upgradation and utilization along with the government initiatives, policy regulations. In addition, barriers that impede the development of an efficient agri-waste to biogas based circular economy, and the future research opportunities to meet the growing needs for agri-waste management, energy production and climate change mitigation are discussed.