Enhanced thermophilic high-solids anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste with spatial separation from conductive materials in a single reactor volume.

Despite benefits such as lower water and working volume requirements, thermophilic high solids anaerobic digestion (THSAD) often fails due to the rapid build-up of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and the associated drop in pH. Use of conductive materials (CM) can promote THSAD through stimulation of direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), while the need for their constant dosing due to poor separation from effluent impairs economic feasibility. This study used an approach of spatially separating magnetite and granular activated carbon (GAC) from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) in a single reactor for THSAD.

Recent advances in bio-based production of top platform chemical, succinic acid: an alternative to conventional chemistry.

Succinic acid (SA) is one of the top platform chemicals with huge applications in diverse sectors. The presence of two carboxylic acid groups on the terminal carbon atoms makes SA a highly functional molecule that can be derivatized into a wide range of products. The biological route for SA production is a cleaner, greener, and promising technological option with huge potential to sequester the potent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.

Recovery of green phenolic compounds from lignin-based source: Role of ferulic acid esterase towards waste valorization and bioeconomic perspectives.

The production of chemicals/products so far relies on fossil-based resources with the creation of several environmental problems at the global level. In this situation, a sustainable and circular economy model is necessitated to mitigate global environmental issues. Production of biowaste from various processing industries also creates environmental issues which would be valorized for the production of industrially important reactive and bioactive compounds.

Unveiling the microwave heating performance of biochar as microwave absorber for microwave-assisted pyrolysis technology.

Microwave (MW) heating has gained significant attention in food industries and biomass-to-biofuels through pyrolysis over conventional heating. However, constraints for promoting MW heating related to the use of different MW absorbers are still a major concern that needs to be investigated. The present study was conducted to explore the MW heating performance of biochar as a low-cost MW absorber for performing pyrolysis.

Food-Energy-Water Nexus in compliance with Sustainable Development Goals for integrating and managing the core environmental verticals for sustainable energy and circular economy.

Food, energy, and water resources are intricately interconnected, and nexus provides a holistic approach for addressing these complex links to minimize inefficiencies and waste. Nexus approach and circular economy are considered as effective solutions for sustainability. Quantification of these relations is the first step towards incorporating nexus modeling which helps sustainable production and consumption.