Behavior of Heavy Metals during the Agro-Industrial Wastes Gasification

The characterization analysis of three agro-industrial wastes was performed in order to study its thermal gasification. Some analyses such as determination of Ca, K and Mg concentration and determination of three representative toxic metals concentration Cd, Cr and Pb in all its oxidation states and the fundamental state, were carried out. The heavy metals concentration was also determined in the ashes obtained during the gasification process. The mobility of these elements was studied through three leaching tests. The behavior of heavy metals, sulfur and chlorine compounds, was predicted considering the presence of water vapor, syngas, Ca, Mg, K, Si, Al and other ash components. The heavy metals are not more concentrated in the gasification ash;these pollutants are released during this process. Ca, Mg and K presence in these residues would promote the pollutants retention. The ash of the studied waste can be disposed in controlled landfills or used in road construction, according to the obtained results during the leaching test DIN-DEV S4. The obtained results in the leaching test EPA 1311 TLCP classify these gasification ashes as no toxic waste.

Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Agro-Industrial By-Products in Ruminant Nutrition

This study was carried out to determine the chemical composition and in situ degradability of agro-industrial by-products found in Eritrea. Three categories of by-products were evaluated and were the milling industry (wheat bran;WB, short;WS, and middling;WM), brewery (brewers’ dry grain;BDG, hops;BDH, and yeast;BDY) and sesame cakes (sesame cake machine extracted;SCM and manually extracted;SCT). The dry matter (DM) varied between 88.46% in BDY to 92.39% in SCT. The lowest (P < 0.05) crude protein (CP) content was recorded in WM at 10.11% while the highest was from the BDY at 48.20%. The metabolisable energy (ME) value of the agro-industrial by-products ranged from 8.72 to 11.18 MJ per kg DM with the BDH recording the lowest value (P The sesame cakes (SCM and SCT) recorded higher values of 11.17 and 11.18 MJ per kg DM respectively. The SCT recorded the highest ash content at 10.93% followed by BDY at 10.16% with the least being obtained from WM at 2.48%. The ether extract and acid detergent lignin contents were generally low in all cases for all the by-products. Generally, the results indicated that there was no clear pattern in terms of nutrients content amongst the by-products. The in situ DM, organic matter (OM) and CP degradability differed amongst and within the sesame cakes, milling and brewery by-products. The wide variation in chemical composition, DM, OM, CP degradability, and ME obtained from this study offer farmers huge flexibility in formulating rations according to the productive performance of target animals.

Agro-Industrial Waste Materials as Substrates for the Production of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyric Acid)

Accumulation of recalcitrant plastics in the environment has become a world-wide problem in today’s societies. Rapid depletion of natural resources for synthetic plastics along with environmental concerns has directed research towards finding alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. Poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) P(3HB), as one of these alternatives, have attracted much attention in recent years due to their varied mechanical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability. The aim of this study was to identify an agro-industrial waste resource economically suitable for large-scale production of P(3HB), to optimize the production using Response Surface Methodology in small-scale and subsequently, to test the production in a continuously stirred tank reactor. Among a range of agro-industrial waste, orange peel was selected as the most suitable for P(3HB) production. P(3HB) concentration of 1.24 g P(3HB)/L culture broth with 41% P(3HB)/dcw yield was obtained using orange peel as the sole carbon source in optimized medium with a modified strain of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis OK2).

Design of a Hybrid Wind-Solar Energy System for an Agro-industrial Residential Area in Bota-Limbe, Cameroon

This paper proposes the most feasible technical and environmentally friendly hybrid power system configuration;a stand-alone hybrid wind-solar energy system with battery storage for a residential area of an Agro-industrial Company, Cameroon Development Cooperation (CDC), with headquarters in Bota-Limbe, south west region, Cameroon. The power network of the CDC Bota-Limbe Camp amongst other camps, which accommodates plantation workers, is plagued with challenges such as reliance on grid power which is unreliable, poor power quality which endangers home appliances and a spider webbed transmission system that poses as a threat to the lives of plantation workers. This paper addresses those concerns by designing a modular hybrid solar-wind renewable energy system for the camp. Limbe is a coastal area with proven existence of wind and solar resources. It is expected that the proposed system, if adopted and well implemented, will provide huge opportunities for the CDC in several other locations in Cameroon where there is adequate supply of renewable energy resources.

Utilization of Agro-Industrial Residues and Municipal Waste of Plant Origin for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Today’s search for alternative sources of energy to reduce the use of fossil fuels is motivated by environmental, socioeconomic and political reasons. The use of agro-industrial and municipal wastes of plant origin for ethanol production appears to be the best option to solve the dilemma of using food sources to produce biofuels, since it adds value to these wastes in eco-efficient processes. This paper highlights the potential of agro-industrial and municipal wastes for cellulosic ethanol production.

Valorization of agro-industrial fruit peel waste to fluorescent nanocarbon sensor:Ultrasensitive detection of potentially hazardous tropane alkaloid

Millions of tonnes of agro-industrial waste are generated each year globally,with the vast majority of it going untreated,underutilized,and disposed of by burning or landfilling,causing severe environmental distress and economic downturn.A practical solution to this global issue is to use green chemistry to convert this waste into value-added products.Accordingly,in the present study,agro-industrial orange peel waste was valorized into fluorescent nanodiamond-like carbon sensor via a green route involving hydrothermal treatment of microwave carbonized orange peel waste.The developed sensor,used for the fluorescence detection of potentially hazardous drug atropine sulfate,exhibits unique dual linearity over concentration ranges of 300 nM to 1 M and from 1 M to 10 M,as well as ultra-low sensitivity of 34.42 nM and 356.46 nM,respectively.Additionally,the sensor demonstrates excellent reproducibility,high stability,and satisfactory recovery when used to identify and quantify atropine sulfate in biological samples and commercially available pharmaceuticals,indicating promising multidisciplinary applications.

Palm Red Mite Management with Soursop Seed Plant Residue Extracts

Raoiella indica Hirst, 1924 (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae), is one of the leading pest mites in palm and banana trees, however, there are few control methods available for this pest species. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the acaricidal effect of soursop seed extract (Annona muricata L.) on R. indica adults. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design using soursop seed extract with 7 replicates and 12 individuals of R. indica per replicate. The experimental units consisted of discs of coconut palm leaves (4 cm in diameter), with cotton moistened at the bottom of the Petri dish (10.0 × 1.2 cm) and around the disc to maintain turgor and prevent mites from escaping. The application was performed using an airbrush, connected to a calibrated compressor with a constant pressure of 1.3 psi and 1 mL of solution per repeat plate. The acaricidal effect was evaluated 24, 48, and 72 hours after spraying. Mortality data were corrected and submitted to Probit analysis (p ≤ 0.05) using the statistical program R, with the LC50 and LC90 calculated for the extract. At the maximum concentration (15%), the soursop seed extract showed mortality of 70% of individuals of R. indica, and the LC50 was 6.58%. It was concluded that the soursop seed extract showed acaricidal potential on R. indica in the laboratory.

Direct Solid-State Fermentation of Soybean Processing Residues for the Production of Fungal Chitosan by Mucor rouxii

The feasibility of utilizing soybean-processing residues such as soybean meal and hulls as substrates for chitosan production by the fungus Mucor rouxii ATCC 24905 via solid-state fermentation (SSF) was investigated. The effects of the type of soybean-based substrate, length of cultivation period, substrate moisture content, substrate pH, incubation temperature and extraction conditions on chitosan yield were determined. The results showed that a maximum fungal chitosan yield of up to 3.44% by dry substrate weight (34.4 g/kg) could be achieved using a pure soybean meal substrate with an initial moisture content of 50% (w/w) and pH of 5 - 6 incubated for six days at 25&degC. A more severe heat treatment (autoclaving vs. refluxing) resulted in higher chitosan extraction yields regardless of the strength of extraction reagents. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of the fungal chitosan revealed its degree of deacetylation (DDA) to be between 55% and 60%.

Protein enrichment of cassava pulp by solid-state fermentation using Aspergillus niger

This study aimed to assess protein enrichment of sterile and non-sterile cassava pulp using four strains of Aspergillus niger-AN1,AN2,AN3,AN4.First,studies were conducted to evaluate nutritional requirements of A.niger strains and their suitability for protein enrichment of cassava pulp.Second,sterile and non-sterile cassava pulps were inoculated with spores of A.niger strains and incubated under conditions of solid-state fermentation for 8 days using standard methods.Protein contents of sterile and non-sterile cassava pulps were determined by the Kjeldahl method.Initial nutritional requirements studies showed that A.niger strains grew at rates between 2.0 cm and 8.5 cm over 10 days on potato dextrose agar medium of different pH.The dry weight of mycelia of A.niger strains varied in liquid media separately supplemented with different concentrations of thiamine,ammonium nitrate and sodium chloride.A.niger strains also showed different levels of sporulation when cultured in growth media supplemented with different concentrations of sodium chloride.Increases in protein contents of sterile cassava pulp by AN1,AN2,AN3 and AN4 were 15.65%,22.61%,18.30%and 19.13%,respectively.On non-sterile cassava pulp,the increases in protein content by AN1,AN2,AN3 and AN4 were 15.40%,21.54%,10.80%and 3.85%,respectively.A.niger strain AN2 was the most suitable strain for the enrichment of protein content of cassava because it sparsely produced spores,it had the highest mycelial growth and resulted in the greatest increase in protein content of both sterile and non-sterile cassava pulp.

The biotechnological potential of using mono-and co-cultures of Aspergillus niger van Tieghem and Trichoderma viride Pers ex Fr.to enhance the protein content of cassava(Manihot esculenta Crantz)peels by solid substrate fermentation

The application of fungal biotechnology for nutrient value addition and improvement of agro-industrial wastes is critical in the development of protein-rich feed for livestock.This study evaluated conventional methods for protein enrichment of cassava peels by solid substrate fermentation using mono-and co-cultures of Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride.Sterile and non-sterile cassava peels inoculated with mono-cultures of A.niger or T.viride and co-cultures of A.niger and T.viride were spontaneously fermented for 21 days at 24℃.Fermented substrates were harvested at 0,7,14,and 21 days intervals,then oven-dried at 60℃,milled in a blender and further assayed for ash,carbohydrate,crude fibre,fat,and protein contents.Results showed that percentage increase in protein contents after 21 days incubation of sterile cassava peels were 71.02%(for mono-culture of A.niger)and 71.64%(for mono-culture of T.viride);co-culture of A.niger and T.viride yielded a 129.00%increase in protein.Enhanced percentage increase in protein content of the non-sterile cassava peels was 126.80%(for mono-culture of A.niger)and 168.34%(for mono-culture of T.viride)in contrast with 63.47%obtained for the co-culture of A.niger and T.viride in non-sterile cassava peels,which was attributable to possible antibiosis due to microbial competition.Ash content significantly(p≤0.05)increased for 21 days while carbohydrate,crude fibre and fat contents in both sterile and non-sterile cassava peels decreased over the same period.These findings underscore the fact that protein content of cassava peels can be significantly(p≤0.05)enriched through fungal biotechnology to produce value-added feed supplement for livestock.The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Strategic Agricultural Commodity Value Chains in Africa for Increased Food: The Regional Approach for Food Security

The challenge Africa faces the most is how to feed the 2.4 billion people in 2050. This will require a transformational agriculture. Africa doesn’t need subsistence agriculture, but rather agriculture linked to the market where market demand and the consuming habits are taken in consideration. Agriculture evolves in an environment where small holders are linked to markets (national and regional), where economies of complementarity and economies of scale are taken advantage of by producers and private sector. In short, Africa will need a paradigm shift to industrialise and commercialise its agriculture sector in order to increase food production, and income and to create jobs in and outside the sector. Africa needs agribusiness and agro-industries to domesticate the benefits of the sector, to create wealth in the sector and retain that wealth in the continent. Agricultural commodities regional value chains for increased food should be the target for Africa. The continent remains the region with the highest prevalence of under-nourishment. Since agriculture remains the mainstay of most African economies except the mineral producers, the sector deserves a close attention from leaders. It accounts for 65% of employment and 40% of Africa’s export earnings and accounts for 17% of the GDP. This shows how important the sector is. Agriculture needs to be seen as a conduit for farmers to get connected to markets, a conduit for revenue, for jobs and for transformation. Africa needs to come back on the international scene as food sufficient continent and even food exporter. This can be achieved only with a stable, productive agricultural resource base. Thus, achieving and sustaining food security and economic prosperity in Africa will require significant efforts to modernize the continent’s agriculture sector through injection of agribusiness and agro-industries and through the application of science and technology in agriculture. In essence, agriculture needs to be viewed as knowledge based entrepreneurial activity. Smart investments in agriculture will have multiplier effects for the whole economy and hence induce prosperity to other sectors. In recent years, a renewed focus on agriculture has been evident in policy and development agendas across the African continent. This paper outlines the status of agriculture, agribusiness and agro-industries in Africa, their role in the agenda of agricultural transformation and economic transformation and the focus on regional value chain to increase food production, transformation and trade. The paper adopts a new thinking in agriculture, which reflects a regional value chain approach. The author covers such issues as: need for agricultural transformation, the role of value chain in agricultural sector, the need for regional value chain for increased income and increased food, the role of markets and the common denominator of all, the regional integration to push forward the African agriculture agenda. Evidence shows that it is agricultural growth, through its leverage effects on the rest of the economy that typically enables poor countries, poor regions and ultimately poor households to take the first steps toward economic transformation. Therefore agricultural productivity, at the small holder’s level, has the potential to lift millions of Africa’s vulnerable out of poverty and provide sustainable jobs. Other factors, namely “the rapid urbanization” and “increased population growth”, are quoted to be of critical importance. Africa population is projected to double, attaining the 2.3 billion people mark over the next 40 years representing half of the globe’s total population. This could trigger competition for resources and can have devastating effects on natural resources if not rightly channelled.

Influence of agricultural activities,forest fires and agro-industries on air quality in Thailand

Annual and monthly-based emission inventories in northern, central and north-eastern provinces in Thailand, where agriculture and related agro-industries are very intensive,were estimated to evaluate the contribution of agricultural activity, including crop residue burning, forest fires and related agro-industries on air quality monitored in corresponding provinces. The monthly-based emission inventories of air pollutants, or, particulate matter（PM）, NOx and SO2, for various agricultural crops were estimated based on information on the level of production of typical crops： rice, corn, sugarcane, cassava, soybeans and potatoes using emission factors and other parameters related to country-specific values taking into account crop type and the local residue burning period. The estimated monthly emission inventory was compared with air monitoring data obtained at monitoring stations operated by the Pollution Control Department, Thailand（PCD） for validating the estimated emission inventory. The agro-industry that has the greatest impact on the regions being evaluated, is the sugar processing industry, which uses sugarcane as a raw material and its residue as fuel for the boiler. The backward trajectory analysis of the air mass arriving at the PCD station was calculated to confirm this influence. For the provinces being evaluated which are located in the upper northern, lower northern and northeast in Thailand, agricultural activities and forest fires were shown to be closely correlated to the ambient PM concentration while their contribution to the production of gaseous pollutants is much less.

Property-performance relationship of core-shell structured black TiO_(2) photocatalyst for environmental remediation

Understanding the relationship between the properties and performance of black titanium dioxide with core-shell structure(CSBT)for environmental remediation is crucial for improving its prospects in practical applications.In this study,CSBT was synthesized using a glycerol-assisted sol-gel approach.The effect of different water-to-glycerol ratios(W:G=1:0,9:1,2:1,and 1:1)on the semiconducting and physicochemical properties of CSBT was investigated.The effectiveness of CSBT in removing phenolic compounds(PHCs)from real agro-industrial wastewater was studied.The CSBT synthesized with a W:G ratio of 9:1 has optimized properties for enhanced removal of PHCs.It has a distinct coreshell structure and an appropriate amount of Ti3+cations(11.18%),which play a crucial role in enhancing the performance of CSBT.When exposed to visible light,the CSBT performed better:48.30%of PHCs were removed after 180 min,compared to only 21.95%for TiO_(2) without core-shell structure.The CSBT consumed only 45.5235 kWh/m^(3) of electrical energy per order of magnitude and cost$2.4127 per unit volume of treated agro-industrial wastewater.Under the conditions tested,the CSBT demonstrated exceptional stability and reusability.The CSBT showed promising results in the treatment of phenols-containing agro-industrial wastewater.

Second generation biorefining in Ecuador:Circular bioeconomy,zero waste technology,environment and sustainable development:The nexus

The projection of world population growth with concurrent generation of large volumes of agroindustrial waste that negatively affect the environment is of great concern.Therefore,this review article describes the nexus between concepts of Circular Bioeconomy,Zero Waste Technology,Sustainable Development,Biorefineries,and alternatives and research efforts to generate less environmental impact.A brief analysis of the Ecuadorian industry and exports is described,emphasizing the fact that,to improve the Ecuadorian trade balance,it is necessary to increase industrial competitiveness.It is important to have emerging technologies and innovation in order to promote the replacement of fossil-derived raw materials with renewable raw materials and develop more environmentally friendly processes and industries.This paper analyses the state of biomass research and its transformation in Ecuador,together with current pretreatment research on biomass to obtain bioproducts and biofuels in a biorefinery that promotes clean production for the extraction of phytochemicals using green solvents,such as deep eutectic solvents;and technologies to recover high-value added materials with enhanced properties.In conclusion,the need to develop technologies and markets to commercialize high value-added products coming from biorefineries is highlighted,as this will increase the income both in rural and urban areas and will strengthen the productivity and profitability of the Ecuadorian agroindustry.Our goal through this analysis is to improve Ecuador’s trade balance while also contributing to the circular bioeconomy that promotes sustainable development.

Microbial lipases:Propitious biocatalysts for the food industry

Lipases(triacylglycerol acylhydrolases,EC 3.1.1.3)are one of the largest groups of enzymes and are used in various industrial processes.Lipases of microbial origin are currently receiving increased attention for industrial application as microorganisms grow quickly and are easily genetically manipulated.Furthermore,they offer several advantages,such as catalysis of diverse reactions,high specificity,high yields,low energy consumption and reduced processing time and production costs.There is a relentless ongoing effort to optimise the production of microbial lipases for potential application in the food industry.In this context,this review highlights the most promising techniques for producing microbial lipases and the recent applications of these lipases in dairy,oils and fats,bakery and confectionery,meat,flavours and aromas and other food industries.Microbial lipases are normally obtained by fermentation,but the high costs of carbon and nitrogen sources limit the process.To overcome this problem,low-cost agro-industrial residues in the lipase production process are explored.To obtain lipases with high yields and improved characteristics,the technique of protein engineering is described as promising,and the immobilization method that allows the recycling of lipases to improve their catalytic performance is focused.Due to their catalytic properties and versatility,lipases of microbial origin are considered extremely important catalysts in the food industry,meeting the demand for tastier foods with pleasant aromas and textures.Therefore,microbial lipases are considered safe and sustainable biocatalysts.