Abstract More than 27 million tonnes of waste plastics are generated in Europe each year representing a considerable potential resource. There has been extensive research into the production of liquid fuels and aromatic chemicals from pyrolysis-catalysis of waste plastics. However, there is less work on the production of hydrogen from waste plastics via pyrolysis coupled with catalytic steam reforming

Abstract Along with the growing development of countries around the world, there are huge amounts of construction and demolition works which produce large volumes of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and these are increasing over the past few decades. One of the more practical ways to manage the RCA wastes is through re-using them as aggregate to produce concrete. In this paper, 5–10 mm crushed RCA

Abstract The transition of the automotive industry towards a circular economy requires viable solutions for end-of-life vehicle (ELV) reuse, recycling and recovery. This study tested the feasibility of two recycling processes intended, the first, to produce recycled plastic composite goods from selected plastic fractions extracted from ASRs, through a conventional mechanical process; the second, to

Abstract Purpose To isolate, identify and characterize an anaerobic strain from in natura CPW, in relation to the consumption of different carbon sources, growth kinetics and H2 production after bioaugmentation. Methods Several substrates were evaluated (glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose, starch, cellobiose, cellulose and lactose), and its optimal concentration was evaluated by Experimental Design

Abstract The growing interest in industrial applications of the hemp plant requires alternative solutions for disposing of hemp waste. At the same time, the concrete industry is seeking ways to reduce its environmental impact, which could be realized by partially replacing Portland cement with more sustainable materials. In this study, a two-step valorization strategy of hemp waste is explored, including

Abstract Purpose This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of whey permeate, bacterial inoculant and periods of fermentation and aerobic exposure on some characteristics of Pennisetum purpureum silage. Methods The experimental design was completely randomized with three factors: whey permeate (0, 25, 50 and 100 g kg−1 of fresh matter—FM), bacterial inoculation with Lactobacillus buchneri (inoculated

Abstract An experimental evolution system with a wood-rotting microbial consortium (BOS08) has demonstrated the acquisition of a new ability to exploit a previously untapped carbon source, such as the recalcitrant carbamazepine (CBZ). The improved extraction method has provided an accurate CBZ depletion rate from BOS08 of \(2.14 \pm 0.42 \times 10^{-3}\;\text{ h }^{-1}\). The consortium did not use

Abstract The demands placed on global agricultural production arising out of population and income has grown almost tripled. In order to meet the increasing demand, it is mandatory to elevate the production by avoiding the usage of chemical fertilizers that makes the soil barren, unfertile and pollutes the environment as well as harmful to the consumers, where the biofertilizers came in to play. Microalgae

Abstract Wood/polymer composites are elegant strategies to produce materials with good performance and reduced cost. However, the addition of a lignocellulosic fiber is often responsible for the decreased thermal stability, decreasing their appeal as building materials. Here, we aimed to improve the thermal stability of wood/polypropylene composites through addition of unmodified, low-cost, abundant

Abstract We conducted a study for immobilization of cellulase produced by Aspergillus tubingensis-IMMIS2 through pre-optimized solid-state fermentation of corn stover. Incredible increment in stability and catalytic activity of the immobilized cellulase was observed. Thermostability of the immobilized cellulase was increased to 82% at 75 °C as compared to that of free cellulase after 26 h of incubation

Abstract Purpose Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is one of the main waste streams of olive processing and its disposal can represent a relevant environmental issue in Mediterranean countries. OMW is characterised by high pollutant load, salinity and phytotoxic levels of polyphenols, but also by a high amount of organic compounds and plant mineral nutrients. This study aimed to investigate the OMW reuse

Abstract This study aims to utilize tuna condensate as a renewable resource for production of antifungal compounds by Streptomyces philanthi RL-1-178 against aflatoxingenic B1 (AFB1) Aspergillus flavus. Among ten isolates of A. flavus tested, the strain PSRDC-4 was the most toxigenic strain (1432 ppb of AFB1) and aggressive to S. philanthi (85.9% inhibition). The effective dose (100% inhibition) of

Abstract The alternative municipal solid waste (MSW) management is directly linked to the reduction of the biodegradable fraction and total waste mass disposed to landfill sites. Nowadays, the design and implementation of flexible plants with thermal or biological treatment methods are recommended by European and National legislations as an extremely sustainable waste management strategy in terms of

Abstract Rosemary oil was extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) as a solvent. The parameters of pressure, temperature, and ethanol as co-solvent were evaluated through a Taguchi experimental design. Extraction yield of rosemary oil increased with high pressure (350 bar) and mid-range temperature (40 °C), while the addition of ethanol as co-solvent did not improve the extraction yield. Palmitic

Abstract Two varieties of grain sorghum, including Chuannuo (CN) and Luzhouhong (LZH), were attempted on heavy metal (HM−) contaminated farmland. HMs distribution in the harvested biomasses, including grain and stover (leaf + stalk), were analyzed. The mostly HM-accumulated part was anaerobically digested to check the biogas releasing performances, and the fates of HMs in digestion. Results indicated

Abstract Silica fume is the most performing siliceous product among the pozzolanic materials. This is mainly related to his high content (around of 90%) of amorphous silica. However, this residue has a high cost and the quantities available are limited. This limits its use in the modern construction industry, particularly in developing countries. For this reason it is motivating to look for an alternative

Abstract One of the major factors that influences the economic feasibility of biogas production is the availability of digestible feedstocks. There is little research on the influence of the chemical composition of biomass on biogas synthesis, especially with regard to the content of lignocellulosic materials. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate how differences in the content of cellulose

Abstract Hydrochar derived from Argan nut shell (ANS) was synthesized and applied to remove bisphenol A (BPA) and diuron. The results indicated that the hydrochar prepared at 200 °C (HTC@ANS-200) possessed a higher specific surface area (42 m2/g) than hydrochar (HTC@ANS-180) prepared at 180 °C (17 m2/g). The hydrochars exhibited spherical particles, which are rich in functional groups. The HTC@ANS-200

Abstract Baker’s Yeast Industry (BYI) effluent was one of the strongest wastewaster type that contains high amount of organic matter, salinity, nitrogen and sulphate. These characteristics were unfavorable for the application of wastewater treatment. For this reason, a recovery-oriented approach was applied for the appropriate conditions to increase the Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA) production potential

Abstract Carbon rich natural agricultural wastes are outstanding potential candidates as microwave absorbing materials for new technological developments in electronics and telecommunication, radar and satellite systems. Fast developments in the field of electronics and telecommunication increases electromagnetic pollution due to electromagnetic interference resulting in new technological issues for

Abstract The objective of this study was to recover valuable elements such as iron and silicon from iron ore tailings and convert them into value-added mesoporous materials such as MCM-41 and Fe-loaded MCM-41 (Fe/MCM-41). The synthesized samples were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption measurements

Abstract In this work, three types of agricultural waste: olive stones (OS), date seed (DS) and wheat bran (WB) were applied as potential lignocellulosic fillers in poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) based biocomposites. Differences in composites’ performance were related to the higher content of proteins, noted for WB comparing to other fillers applied, which enhanced plasticization of PCL matrix. The mechanical

Abstract Purpose Pyrogenic char (PC) materials derived from the pyrolysis of dairy processing sludge (DPS) could be a cost effective option to develop carbonaceous adsorbent for phosphorus (P) removal from wastewater. The main objectives of the present work were to: (1) determine the efficacy of DPS derived PC (DPS-PC) to remove P from synthetic and dairy wastewater samples, (2) identify possible P

Abstract Before wastewater (WW) can be emitted into the municipal treatments plants, its organic matter content has to be assessed and found to comply with legislations. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) are among the most commonly used methods for such analysis. However, volatile organic compounds (VOC) present in the WW might hinder a correct organic matter estimation

Abstract A novel multistage water-based process was evaluated for the production of sap and other liquid fractions from frozen Sargassum muticum in an attempt to propose an integral and yearly-around utilization of this invasive alga. Three aqueous extracts including (i) the defrosting liquid phase, (ii) the sap liquid obtained by pressing and (iii) the autohydrolysis extract from the solid residue

Abstract Shoe manufacturing waste (SMW) was combusted in a 2.5 MWth pilot-scale circulating fluidized bed combustor (CFBC) to demonstrate the feasibility of energy recovery and provide useful information for a fluidized bed combustor design specifically for this waste. The experimental results confirmed that the stable combustion could be achieved in this CFBC with a constant feed flow rate of 400 kg/h

Abstract Conversion and reuse of furfural residues are of great significance as the furfural residues are pollution-carrying biomass waste resources. However, the furfural residues must be pretreated to remove the lignin so as to improve the conversion efficiency. Here, we firstly reported an efficient pretreatment method which integrated uses ionic liquid and alkaline peroxide and found the synergic

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are a potentially valuable source of lipids for sustainable production of biofuels. However, there are several feedstock properties and solvent extraction parameters that can impact on the oil yield and quality, potentially reducing the possible environmental benefits of deriving oils from this waste stream. This study presents results of laboratory and pilot plant scale

The present study focused on fermentative butyric acid production by Clostridium tyrobutyricum from pre-treated and hydrolysed wheat straw (PHWS) based on continuous operation mode and in situ acids extraction by reverse electro enhanced dialysis (REED). Different dilutions of PHWS in a synthetic medium (60-100 % v/v) were tested. It was found that continuous fermentation of PHWS greatly enhanced the