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Application of Biotechnology in Waste Treatment and Valorization for Energy Recovery

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2024 | Viewed by 7591

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ioanna Ntaikou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Foundation for Research and Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ ICE-HT), Patra, Greece
Interests: fermentation; biofuels and biomolecules production via microbial processes (biohydrogen, bioethanol, polyhydroxyalkanoates, antioxidants), biological and thermochemical fractionation of lignocellulose; recovery of nutrients from wastes; risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yi Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Interests: waste treatment; biological processes; renewable energy and material; resource efficiency; interdecinplinary studies involving the above areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Hashem

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
2. Assiut Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science University, Assiut 71516, Egypt
Interests: microbiology; microbial biotechnology; bioenergy; waste treatment; fermentation; bioethanol; single cell protein; enzymology; biotreatments; fungal and yeast taxonomy; biofertilizers; biocontrol of plant diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

For many decades, economic development had been based on a linear model of mindless production and overconsumption of goods, which has eventually resulted in the depletion of natural resources and energy reserves, and the accumulation of huge amounts of hardly manageable wastes. Consequently, the degradation of the natural environment and insufficient energy supply is looming in the near future. Deeper understanding, however, on the consequences of such a producer–consumer culture has lately created a global trend for the adoption of new practices and measures, aiming at facilitating the transition from a linear to a circular economy, in which wastes can be reintegrated into the cycle of the production chain, serving as an alternative and valuable resource.

The application of biotechnological approaches for the management of solid wastes and wastewaters may contribute greatly to that circular sustainability movement, since it may integrate treatment, i.e., the removal of pollutants, with the production of energy, the recovery of nutrients and clean water, and also the generation of high added value bio-products.

In this context, this Special Issue aspires to gather novel research and review papers covering the topic of simoultaneous treatment and valorization of different types of wastes (solid, liquid and gaseous) via biotechnological approaches. These may include the use of organisms, whole cells, enzymes and molecular analogues, governed by the principles of sustainability, whereas the main focus is on the simultaneous removal of pollutants and generation of energy and energy carriers.

Dr. Ioanna Ntaikou
Dr. Yi Zhang
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Hashem
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • waste management
  • wastewaters
  • resource recovery
  • biohydrogen
  • biogas
  • bioethanol
  • biolelectricity
  • biodiesel
  • biogas upgrade
  • methanation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 8577 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Anaerobic Digestion of Seasonal Fruit and Vegetable Waste Using a Leach-Bed Reactor Coupled to an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed Reactor
by Achilleas Kalogiannis, Vasileios Diamantis, Alexandros Eftaxias and Katerina Stamatelatou
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010050 - 20 Dec 2023
Viewed by 725
Abstract
Fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) generated locally in open (public or wholesale) markets is a valuable resource and should not be considered as waste. The anaerobic digestion (AD) of FVW can minimize landfill disposal and generate renewable energy, thus decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. [...] Read more.
Fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) generated locally in open (public or wholesale) markets is a valuable resource and should not be considered as waste. The anaerobic digestion (AD) of FVW can minimize landfill disposal and generate renewable energy, thus decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the digestate after the AD of FVW, devoid of antibiotics and animal fats in manure and food waste, may have a high fertilizing value. In this study, FVW mixtures were composed to mimic the real FVW generated in Mediterranean open markets annually. The first goal was to evaluate the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of different size fractions resulting from FVW grinding. Indeed, the FVW was ground and separated into two size fractions, 0–4 mm and 4–10 mm, respectively. The 0–4 mm fraction exhibited a lower BMP but a higher rate constant than the 4–10 mm fraction. The second goal was to first evaluate the BMP of the lumped fraction of FVW after grinding (0–10 mm) via BMP assays and then feed it to a mesophilic two-stage leaching-bed reactor (LBR)-upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) system for almost one year. The BMP of the FVW ranged between 406 and 429 L kg−1 of volatile solids (VS) independently of the FVW production season. The system received an average organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.1 ± 0.7 g VS L−1 d−1. During operation, the LBR gradually transited from acidogenic to methanogenic, and the overall methane yield of the system increased from 265–278 to 360–375 L kg−1 VS, respectively. The proposed technology does not require water addition or liquid digestate removal. Compared to the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) digester technology, the LBR/UASB system is suitable for the anaerobic digestion of FVW. The results of this study can be further used to upscale the proposed technology and contribute to the societal need for affordable and clean energy included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biotechnology in Waste Treatment and Valorization for Energy Recovery)
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14 pages, 5074 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Onsite Treatment of Domestic Wastewater Using an Integrated Settler-Based Biofilm Reactor with Efficient Biogas Generation
by Surya Pratap Singh, Meena Kumari Sharma, Shatrudhan Pandey, S. M. Mozammil Hasnain, Fahad M. Alqahtani and Faisal M. Alessa
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12220; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612220 - 10 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1297
Abstract
The growing population and increasing urbanization have led to a surge in domestic wastewater generation, posing significant challenges for effective and sustainable treatment. The present study demonstrates a novel and sustainable approach for the onsite treatment of domestic wastewater using an integrated settler-based [...] Read more.
The growing population and increasing urbanization have led to a surge in domestic wastewater generation, posing significant challenges for effective and sustainable treatment. The present study demonstrates a novel and sustainable approach for the onsite treatment of domestic wastewater using an integrated settler-based biofilm reactor (ISBR) with efficient biogas generation. The ISBR provides an optimized environment for the growth of biofilm, facilitating the removal of organic pollutants and pathogens. Moreover, the ISBR enables the recovery of a valuable resource in the form of biogas, thus enhancing the overall utility of the treatment process. The performance of the ISBR was comprehensively evaluated at laboratory scale through treating the actual domestic wastewater generated from the hostel of Manipal University Jaipur. The ISBR system was operated under an ambient environment at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h. The results demonstrated remarkable efficiency in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and coliforms removal, with average removal efficiency being more than 90%. According to the COD mass balance analysis, 48.2% of the influent COD was recovered as bioenergy. The chromatogram revealed a high percentage of methane gas in the collected biogas sample. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis of the accumulated sludge in the ISBR system depicted the morphology of methanogenic bacteria. Both the experimental and theoretical results confirmed the feasibility and sustainability of the ISBR system at the onsite level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biotechnology in Waste Treatment and Valorization for Energy Recovery)
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19 pages, 1499 KiB  
Article
Development of Hybrid Systems by Integrating an Adsorption Process with Natural Zeolite and/or Palygorskite into the Electrocoagulation Treatment of Sanitary Landfill Leachate
by Christiana Genethliou, Irene-Eva Triantaphyllidou, Dimitrios Chatzitheodorou, Athanasia G. Tekerlekopoulou and Dimitris V. Vayenas
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8344; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108344 - 21 May 2023
Viewed by 1153
Abstract
The effectiveness of a hybrid approach comprising electrocoagulation (EC) and adsorption (AD) (using natural zeolite and/or palygorskite) processes to treat raw sanitary landfill leachate (SLL) was investigated in terms of color, dissolved chemical oxygen demand (d-COD), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) and [...] Read more.
The effectiveness of a hybrid approach comprising electrocoagulation (EC) and adsorption (AD) (using natural zeolite and/or palygorskite) processes to treat raw sanitary landfill leachate (SLL) was investigated in terms of color, dissolved chemical oxygen demand (d-COD), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) removal. Optimal EC conditions were found with a current density of 30 mA cm−2, Fe electrode material and pH 8. Implementation of the AD process using zeolite (ADzeo) as pre- or post-treatment for EC significantly increased the NH4+-N removal efficiency. The ADzeo-EC sequential treatment showed considerably higher color removal compared to the EC-ADzeo sequential treatment and was therefore determined to be the optimal sequential treatment. Integration of the AD process using palygorskite (ADpal) into the first or middle stage of the ADzeo-EC treatment system enhanced the overall NO3−-N removal efficiency. The hybrid ADzeo-ADpal-EC treatment system exhibited the highest simultaneous removal efficiencies of color, d-COD, NO3−-N and NH4+-N, corresponding to 95.06 ± 0.19%, 48.89 ± 0.89%, 68.38 ± 0.93% and 78.25 ± 0.61%, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the ADzeo-ADpal-EC hybrid system is a promising and efficient approach for treating raw landfill leachate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biotechnology in Waste Treatment and Valorization for Energy Recovery)
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20 pages, 6295 KiB  
Article
Phenol Biodegradation and Bioelectricity Generation by a Native Bacterial Consortium Isolated from Petroleum Refinery Wastewater
by Sara Shebl, Nourhan N. Hussien, Mohab H. Elsabrouty, Sarah M. Osman, Bassma H. Elwakil, Doaa A. Ghareeb, Safaa M. Ali, Nevine Bahaa El Din Ghanem, Yehia M. Youssef, Essam El Din A. Moussad and Zakia A. Olama
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12912; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912912 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1597
Abstract
Phenolic compounds are highly toxic, along with being one of the most persistent substances in petroleum refinery effluents. The most potent solution is through phenol bioremediation to produce demi-water and bioenergy, which are two effective outcomes for a single process. Fifteen genetically identified [...] Read more.
Phenolic compounds are highly toxic, along with being one of the most persistent substances in petroleum refinery effluents. The most potent solution is through phenol bioremediation to produce demi-water and bioenergy, which are two effective outcomes for a single process. Fifteen genetically identified native bacterial strains were isolated from the effluents of the petrochemical industry plant (AMOC, Egypt) and were investigated for potential phenol biodegradation activity and energy bioproduction individually and as a consortium in a batch culture. Successful and safe phenol biodegradation was achieved (99.63%) using a native bacterial consortium after statistical optimization (multifactorial central composite design) with bioelectricity generation that reached 3.13 × 10−6 mW/cm3. In conclusion, the native consortium was highly potent in the bioremediation process of petroleum refinery wastewater, protecting the environment from potential phenol pollution with the ability to generate an electrical current through the bioremediation process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biotechnology in Waste Treatment and Valorization for Energy Recovery)
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22 pages, 2379 KiB  
Article
Household Food Waste to Biogas in Västerås, Sweden: A Comprehensive Case Study of Waste Valorization
by Tingting Liu, Qian Zhang, Xiaowen Kang, Jiaqi Hou, Tao Luo and Yi Zhang
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11925; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911925 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2046
Abstract
Sustainable large-scale household food waste (HFW) reutilization is difficult worldwide. This study presents a systematic and in-depth analysis of the case of Västerås, Sweden, where biogas has been produced from HFW for years and utilized as renewable vehicle fuel. Various aspects are covered, [...] Read more.
Sustainable large-scale household food waste (HFW) reutilization is difficult worldwide. This study presents a systematic and in-depth analysis of the case of Västerås, Sweden, where biogas has been produced from HFW for years and utilized as renewable vehicle fuel. Various aspects are covered, including the logistic flow, energy recovery, environmental benefits, cost-benefit analysis, and social survey. In 2017, 8879 tons of food waste were collected from Västerås city, which could generate 590,000 Nm3 biomethane and support 21 biogas-powered buses. A reduction of 1052.9–1541.2 tons of CO2-eq was estimated by replacing fossil fuels in vehicles and centralized composting units for HFW. The actual operating profit of this process amounted to 6.604 million Swedish Krona (SEK), and the maximized environmental economic benefit was estimated to be 3.15–3.73 million SEK/year. The active participation of the residents to source-separate their HFW was crucial to the success of the project, and the driving factors were tentatively identified as value orientation and facility convenience. With information pooled from various sectors, this study constructs a comprehensive reference case for industrial, academic, and municipal entities that are interested in similar practices in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biotechnology in Waste Treatment and Valorization for Energy Recovery)
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