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Khounani Z, Abdul Razak NN, Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha H, Madadi M, Sun F, Mohammadi P, Mahlia TMI, Aghbashlo M, Tabatabaei M. Biphasic pretreatment excels over conventional sulfuric acid in pinewood biorefinery: An environmental analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 248:118286. [PMID: 38280524 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
This study assesses the environmental impact of pine chip-based biorefinery processes, focusing on bioethanol, xylonic acid, and lignin production. A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is employed, comparing a novel biphasic pretreatment method (p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH)/pentanol, Sc-1) with conventional sulfuric acid pretreatment (H2SO4, Sc-2). The analysis spans biomass handling, pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, yeast fermentation, and distillation. Sc-1 yielded an environmental impact of 1.45E+01 kPt, predominantly affecting human health (96.55%), followed by ecosystems (3.07%) and resources (0.38%). Bioethanol, xylonic acid, and lignin contributed 32.61%, 29.28%, and 38.11% to the total environmental burdens, respectively. Sc-2 resulted in an environmental burden of 1.64E+01 kPt, with a primary impact on human health (96.56%) and smaller roles for ecosystems (3.07%) and resources (0.38%). Bioethanol, xylonic acid, and lignin contributed differently at 22.59%, 12.5%, and 64.91%, respectively. Electricity generation was predominant in both scenarios, accounting for 99.05% of the environmental impact, primarily driven by its extensive usage in biomass handling and pretreatment processes. Sc-1 demonstrated a 13.05% lower environmental impact than Sc-2 due to decreased electricity consumption and increased bioethanol and xylonic acid outputs. This study highlights the pivotal role of pretreatment methods in wood-based biorefineries and underscores the urgency of sustainable alternatives like TsOH/pentanol. Additionally, adopting greener electricity generation, advanced technologies, and process optimization are crucial for reducing the environmental footprint of waste-based biorefineries while preserving valuable bioproduct production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Khounani
- Department Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering (CoE), Institute of Energy Infrastructure (IEI), Universiti Tenega Nasional (UNITEN), Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Normy Norfiza Abdul Razak
- Department Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering (CoE), Institute of Energy Infrastructure (IEI), Universiti Tenega Nasional (UNITEN), Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | | | - Meysam Madadi
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Fubao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Pouya Mohammadi
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - T M Indra Mahlia
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2220, Australia
| | - Mortaza Aghbashlo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Meisam Tabatabaei
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, 600 077, India.
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