Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ingolf Seick, Monica Vergara-Araya, Juergen Wiese
Summary: A process for more efficient heat utilization in biogas plants is tested under real operational conditions, using controlled temperature variations and suitable process monitoring. The validation tests show adaptability to temperature changes depending on specific conditions, with stability achieved at a maximum temperature of 54 degrees C. Case-specific experiments are necessary before significant changes are made to anaerobic digestion systems.
CLEAN-SOIL AIR WATER
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Asma Musfira Shabbirahmed, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Pinaki Dey, Anil Kumar Patel, Reeta Rani Singhania, Cheng-Di Dong, Mihir Kumar Purkait
Summary: This article provides an in-depth review of environmentally acceptable thermochemical and biological pretreatment techniques for sugarcane bagasse (SB). It discusses the conversion processes for the formation of industrially relevant products, such as biofuels, bioplastics, and bio adsorbents, and provides insights into practical applications and scientific developments.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Samarjeet Singh Siwal, Qibo Zhang, Nishu Devi, Adesh Kumar Saini, Vipin Saini, Bhawna Pareek, Sergejs Gaidukovs, Vijay Kumar Thakur
Summary: The theory of converting biomass waste into energy has attracted attention from academics and professionals, but faces obstacles in its development. Thermochemical methods show promise in reducing greenhouse gases and have a comparative advantage in efficiency and adaptability.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xuan Luo, Yuhuan Liu, Luyao Lei, Jiali Shen, Qi Zhang, Yunpu Wang, Roger Ruan, Xian Cui
Summary: The effects of co-ensiling distillers grains and rice straw on methane production were evaluated in this study. The results showed that the group with higher distillers grains content had enriched Lactobacillus, lower pH and organic dry matter loss, and higher methane yield and energy output.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ikram Mehrez, K. Chandrasekhar, Woojoong Kim, Sang-Hyoun Kim, Gopalakrishnan Kumar
Summary: This study investigated the impact of alkali and ionic liquid pretreatment on the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of different types of date palm waste biomass. The results showed that ionic liquid pretreated Palm and Fruit bunch had the highest BMP and substrate conversion efficiency, indicating their potential for bioenergy production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Robert Czubaszek, Agnieszka Wysocka-Czubaszek, Wendelin Wichtmann, Piotr Banaszuk
Summary: The study evaluated the methane yield of wetland plants under wet and dry anaerobic digestion, finding that different plant species and AD technologies significantly affected methane production. Higher methane yield was observed in Carex acutiformis with wet and dry fermentation technology, highlighting the effectiveness of wet fermentation. The study suggests that wetland plants could be a promising source of feedstock for biogas production.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mahyar Mahdavi, Mohsen Mirmohammadi, Majid Baghdadi, Shokouh Mahpishanian
Summary: This study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of lignin using magnetically removable Fe3O4@g-C3N4 under visible light. The optimal conditions for lignin degradation were determined, and the results showed that Fe3O4@g-C3N4 can decompose lignin by 90% after 3 hours of visible light irradiation at pH 7. The synthesized photocatalyst demonstrated stable activity after seven cycles. The anaerobic digestion of the degraded lignin resulted in a 30% increase in methane production compared to untreated lignin.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Isha Sharma, Darryn Rackemann, Jerome Ramirez, Dylan J. Cronin, Lalehvash Moghaddam, Jorge N. Beltramini, Junior Te'o, Kai Li, Changrong Shi, William O. S. Doherty
Summary: In order to achieve a cleaner and healthier planet, industries must transition to circular economies. Hybrid anaerobic digestion and hydrothermal gasification technology is an attractive solution that can effectively manage waste, optimize methane production, and demonstrate economic feasibility.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jaewon Byun, Oseok Kwon, Hoyoung Park, Jeehoon Han
Summary: This study compares four types of green vehicle operations using green fuel from food waste and finds that fuel cell vehicles are the most sustainable option due to their high potential driving distance, low economic cost, and high greenhouse gas reduction potential.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
G. I. Romero-Villegas, V. A. Burboa-Charis, E. Navarro-Lopez, M. C. Ceron-Garcia, F. G. Acien-Fernandez, M. I. Estrada-Alvarado, N. P. Rout, L. A. Cira-Chavez
Summary: This study demonstrates that Chlorella sorokiniana can produce biomass using centrate from municipal wastewater as the sole nutrient source, with the highest biomass yield achieved at 35 degrees Celsius. The microalgal strain showed tolerance to excess ammonium and achieved high productivity levels.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yeqing Li, Yinjun Liu, Ximeng Wang, Sen Luo, Dongfang Su, Hao Jiang, Hongjun Zhou, Junting Pan, Lu Feng
Summary: This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using syngas as the sole carbon source for biomethanation. The results showed that under thermophilic conditions, the microbial community was able to adapt to high concentrations of CO in syngas. These findings strengthen the theoretical basis of syngas biomethanation and support its potential industrialization.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sachankar Buragohain, Pinakeswar Mahanta, Kaustubha Mohanty
Summary: Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass has been studied with duckweed, switchgrass, and rice straw under mesophilic conditions. Co-digestion at a 1:1 ratio yielded better results than other ratios, especially in community-scale biogas digesters. Daily biogas production was highest for digesters containing rice straw and cattle dung, showing potential for practical applications.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ali Mohammad Rahmani, Pallavi Gahlot, Konstantinos Moustakas, A. A. Kazmi, Chandra Shekhar Prasad Ojha, Vinay Kumar Tyagi
Summary: Agro-waste, particularly wheat straw, is an effective material for energy recovery through anaerobic digestion. However, the complex lignocellulosic structure hinders their conversion and is a limiting factor in the AD process. Physical and chemical pretreatments can overcome these barriers, with ionic liquids emerging as a renewable and efficient option. Bacterial pretreatment is superior to fungal and algal pretreatments for biological pretreatment.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Shuaishuai Ma, Hongliang Wang, Binshou Wang, Xiaohui Gu, Wanbin Zhu
Summary: The study demonstrated that pretreatment with CO2 and liquid digestate from anaerobic digestion can improve the glucose and xylose content of corn straw, reduce cellulose crystallinity, and increase methane yield. However, high temperature pretreatment resulted in the production of inhibitors that decreased methane production during subsequent anaerobic digestion. The changes in microbial community in the pretreated slurry at lower temperature were found to enhance the overall performance of anaerobic digestion.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yogesh Kumar, Samandeep Kaur, Ankan Kheto, Mohona Munshi, Ayan Sarkar, Hari Om Pandey, Ayon Tarafdar, Raveendran Sindhu, Ranjna Sirohi
Summary: Microalgae are photosynthetic microbes that can produce therapeutic compounds for various industries. Recent research has focused on finding economical substrates for their cultivation, with food waste being a popular choice. However, there are challenges such as pretreatment, dilution, and mixing of waste streams. This review discusses the advances and challenges in cultivating microalgae on food waste.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lenno van den Berg, Mario Pronk, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Merle K. de Kreuk
Summary: This study compared four methods to measure the density of granular sludge in a full-scale plant treating domestic sewage, and assessed the effect of salinity on granule density. Most methods yielded reliable results, as long as the effect of salinity was considered.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
V Kouba, D. Vejmelkova, E. Zwolsman, K. Hurkova, K. Navratilova, M. Laureni, P. Vodickova, T. Podzimek, J. Hajslova, M. Pabst, M. C. M. van Loosdrecht, J. Bartacek, P. Lipovova, D. G. Weissbrodt
Summary: This study compares the effect of gradual temperature decrease and cold shocks on the metabolic activity of anammox bacteria. The results show that cold shocks can significantly increase the activity of anammox bacteria and maintain the relative content of nitrogen respiration proteins. Cold shocks also induce the more efficient expression of potential cold shock proteins and contribute to the adaptation of anammox bacteria to low temperatures through changes in membrane lipid structure.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Aina Soler-Jofra, Lisbeth Schmidtchen, Lluc Olmo, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Julio Perez
Summary: This study investigates the short and long term impact of hydroxylamine on partial nitritation granular sludge. The results indicate that dissolved oxygen is the main factor determining the impact of hydroxylamine. Short term hydroxylamine feeding with low dissolved oxygen leads to higher hydroxylamine accumulation and N2O production, while long term hydroxylamine feeding reduces ammonium consumption rate.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
T. Prot, L. Korving, M. C. M. Van Loosdrecht
Summary: In a wastewater treatment plant, the composition of sludge streams in the liquid phase varies with time and place. This study aims to evaluate the potential for the formation of precipitates and equilibria for weak acids/bases by determining the ionic strength and chemical composition. Based on a literature review, the concentration ranges for the major constituents of the liquid phase in different streams are proposed, and the reasons for concentration evolution and exceptional cases are discussed. The ionic strength and the contribution of its constituents are calculated, and the utilization of ionic strength in literature is also examined.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
V. Kouba, Ch. Bachmannova, T. Podzimek, P. Lipovova, M. C. M. van Loosdrecht
Summary: This study reviewed the mechanisms of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria adaptation to low temperatures, which include synthesizing molecular chaperones and chemical chaperones, reducing biosynthesis, and preserving energy for core metabolism. The study proposed biomarkers to assess the extent of bacteria adaptation and predict the decomposition of biofilms/granules or slower growth.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Xingyu Chen, Yu-Jen Lee, Tian Yuan, Zhongfang Lei, Yasuhisa Adachi, Zhenya Zhang, Yuemei Lin, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht
Summary: This review provides an overview of the current research and future directions in the recovery and utilization of high value-added biopolymers from conventional and advanced biological wastewater treatment systems. It discusses the recent developments in the understanding and functionality of extracellular biopolymers, as well as the factors influencing their yield, quality, and functionality. The review also explores potential practical applications of extracellular biopolymers and suggests research priorities for future prospects.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Vojtech Kouba, Kamila Hurkova, Klara Navratilova, Dana Kok, Andrea Benakova, Michele Laureni, Patricie Vodickova, Tomas Podzimek, Petra Lipovova, Laura van Niftrik, Jana Hajslova, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, David Gregory Weissbrodt, Jan Bartacek
Summary: In the study of the performance of anammox reactions under low-temperature conditions, membrane composition and cultivation temperature were found to be closely related to the activity of anammox biomasses. The adaptation of mesophilic cultures to low-temperature conditions may take several months or even up to 5 years. An interesting finding in these studies is that biomass enriched in the marine genus Candidatus Scalindua showed outstanding potential for nitrogen removal from cold streams.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
A. Culcasi, R. Ktori, A. Pellegrino, M. Rodriguez-Pascual, M. C. M. van Loosdrecht, A. Tamburini, A. Cipollina, D. Xevgenos, G. Micale
Summary: This paper proposes an innovative brine recovery system for obtaining high purity chemicals by integrating Eutectic Freeze Crystallization and Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membrane technologies. The experiments show that the integrated system effectively minimizes waste, promotes sustainability, and provides potential economic return.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaodi Hao, Xiangyang Wang, Chen Shi, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Yuanyuan Wu
Summary: Sludge incineration and seawater desalination are two approaches of waste activated sludge disposal and obtaining fresh water, which are of great significance in resource recovery and water purification. The synthesized liquid poly-aluminum chloride (PAC) has the potential to reduce effluent turbidity of wastewater treatment plants, providing feasibility for the establishment of a circular/blue economy.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Vicente Monje, Mikolaj Owsianiak, Helena Junicke, Kasper Kjellberg, Krist Gernaey, Xavier Flores-Alsina
Summary: The use of mathematical models in wastewater engineering is an established procedure to assess the feasibility of process modifications. This study evaluates retrofitting options using analysis tools and verifies model predictions with full-scale data. The results demonstrate the potential for increased revenue and reduced costs through selective treatment of bio-solids and improved management strategies.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Laurence Strubbe, Edward J. H. van Dijk, Pascalle J. M. Deenekamp, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Eveline I. P. Volcke
Summary: In the pursuit of reducing carbon footprint and energy costs, energy efficiency is crucial. This study focused on aerobic granular sludge reactors and found that they consume up to 50% less energy compared to conventional activated sludge systems. The study also investigated the dynamic behavior of the alpha factor and identified exchange ratio and temperature as the main influencing factors on its rate of increase during the aeration phase.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sadiye Kosar, Onur Isik, Busra Cicekalan, Hazal Gulhan, Seyma Cingoz, Mustafa Yoruk, Hale Ozgun, Ismail Koyuncu, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Mustafa Evren Ersahin
Summary: Achieving a neutral/positive energy balance without compromising discharge standards is a key goal in wastewater treatment plants. This study explores the coupling of high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) process with aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process as an energy-efficient pre-treatment option. The results show that feeding the AGS process with a mixture of HRAS process effluent and raw municipal wastewater can increase energy recovery potential and maintain high effluent quality.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Amir Tabakovic, Jeremy Lemmens, Jelmer Tamis, Dave van Vliet, Sayeda Nahar, Willem Suitela, Mark van Loosdrecht, Greet Leegwater
Summary: Bitumen is essential in asphalt pavements for its binding properties and ability to restore damage caused by traffic loading. With the decline in crude oil production, there is a need to find environmentally sustainable alternatives for bitumen modifiers. This paper investigates the potential use of the bio-based co-polymer PHBV as an alternative bitumen modifier and presents positive results from various tests.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Navid Ahmadi, Mona Abbasi, Ali Torabian, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Joel Ducoste
Summary: The transformation of four pharmaceuticals in a moving bed biofilm reactor was investigated under different COD/N ratios. Changes in the COD/N ratio influenced the competition between heterotrophic and nitrifying communities, resulting in shifts in microbial populations and composition in the biofilms. Autotrophic conditions exhibited higher transformation rates, indicating the importance of nitrification.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Nam Kyeun Kim, Debes Bhattacharyya, Mark van Loosdrecht, Yuemei Lin
Summary: This research developed a bio-based flame retardant using a biopolymer derived from wastewater sludge to enhance the fire performance of polypropylene (PP). The study found that the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from wastewater sludge played a significant role in improving the char formation of PP composite. The incorporation of the bio-based flame retardant restricted the vertical burning characteristics of PP and improved its tensile moduli.