Nucleating and reinforcing effects of nanobiochar on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxhexanoate) bionanocomposites.

This study promotes the use of nanobiochar (NBC) as an environmentally friendly substitute to conventional fillers to improve various properties of biopolymers such as their mechanical strength, thermal stability and crystallization properties. TGA analysis showed a slight increase in onset thermal degradation temperature of the composites by up to 5 °C with the addition of 4 wt% NBC. Non-isothermal DSC analysis determined that the addition of NBC into PHBHHx increases the crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity of PHBHHx while isothermal DSC analysis demonstrated higher crystallization rate in PHBHHx/NBC composited by up to 54%. PHBHHx incorporated with NBC also exhibited superior tensile strength and modulus versus neat PHBHHx. Increase in mechanical strength was further proven via DMA where PHBHHx/NBC composites maintained higher storage modulus at higher temperatures when compared to neat PHBHHx. PHBHHx/NBC also exhibited no cytotoxicity effect against HaCat cells. This study demonstrates the ability of biochar to act as both nucleating agents and reinforcing agents in biodegradable polymers such as PHBHHx, which could be suitable for packaging application.

Environmental impact assessment of rice mill waste valorisation to glucose through biorefinery platform.

Environmental impact assessment of glucose production from paddy milling waste, known as empty and partially filled paddy grain (EPFG) in Malaysia, was performed using life cycle assessment (LCA). Three scenarios were conducted based on system expansion of the process. The LCA was conducted using ReCiPe methodology at midpoint and endpoint levels. The results indicate that enzymatic hydrolysis phase is the hotspot in the conversion system due to enzyme production. In addition, the agriculture phase also contributed to negative impacts, especially towards climate change. An improved environmental load was observed in scenario 2 when all EPFG fractionation was utilised to replace fossil-based electricity. Sensitivity analysis showed an increase in glucose yield leads to reduced environmental impact. Thus, the LCA study suggests that the conversion process of EPFG could further benefit and improve the paddy industry waste management with low impact contribution to the environment compared to other feedstock used for glucose production.

Characterisation and Colour Response of Smart Sago Starch-Based Packaging Films Incorporated with Brassica oleracea Anthocyanin.

To meet the need for food products to be safe and fresh, smart food packaging that can monitor and give information about the quality of packaged food has been developed. In this study, pH-sensitive films with sago starch and various anthocyanin concentrations of Brassica oleracea also known as red cabbage anthocyanin (RCA) at 8, 10, 12, and 14% (w/v) were manufactured using the solvent casting process. Investigation of the physicochemical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological characteristics of the films was performed and analysed. The response of these materials against pH changes was evaluated with buffers of different pH. When the films were exposed to a series of pH buffers (pH 3, 5, 9, 11, and 13), the RCA-associated films displayed a spectacular colour response. In addition, the ability of the starch matrix to overcome the leaching and release of anthocyanins was investigated. Higher concentrations of RCA can maintain the colour difference of films after being immersed in a series of buffer solutions ranging from acidic to basic conditions. Other than that, incorporating RCA extracts into the starch formulation increased the thickness whereas the water content, swelling degree, tensile strength, and elongation at break decreased as compared to films without RCA. The immobilisation of anthocyanin into the film was confirmed by the FTIR measurements. The surface patterns of films were heterogeneous and irregular due to the presence of RCA extract aggregates, which increased as the extract concentration enhanced. However, this would not affect the properties of films. An increase in thermal stability was noted for the anthocyanin-containing films at the final stage of degradation in TGA analysis. It is concluded that RCA and sago starch formulation has great potential to be explored for food packaging purposes.

High-Energy Ball Milling for High Productivity of Nanobiochar from Oil Palm Biomass.

The current production method of nanobiochar (NBC), an emerging, environmentally friendly nanocarbon material, is tedious and lengthy. Therefore, in this study we aimed to improve the productivity of NBC via high-energy ball milling by manipulating the grinding media and processing time. The particle size distribution of the resulting NBC measured using dynamic light scattering showed that grinding media with steel balls of different sizes were more effective at producing NBC than small uniform steel balls, which failed to produce NBC even after 90 min of milling. Average NBC particles of around 95 nm were achieved after only 30 min of ball milling, and the size was further reduced to about 30 nm when the milling was prolonged to 150 min. Further prolonging the milling duration led to agglomeration, which increased the size of the biochar nanoparticles. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data showed that the duration of milling and particle size did not cause noticeable differences in the thermal stability of the NBC. Based on the FTIR analysis, the chemical structure of the NBC was not affected by the ball milling. The results showed that 60 min of high-energy ball milling is sufficient to produce NBC particles of 75 nm, with a large surface area and high thermal stability. This could prove beneficial in a myriad of applications, ranging from agriculture to composite fabrication.

Emerging application of biochar as a renewable and superior filler in polymer composites.

Biochar is conventionally and widely used for soil amendment or as an adsorbent for water treatment. Nevertheless, the need for transition to renewable materials has resulted in an expansion of biochar for use as a filler for polymer composites. The aim is to enhance the physical, chemical, mechanical and rheological properties of the polymer composite. The reinforcement of biochar into a polymer matrix however is still new, and limited reports are focusing on the effects of biochar towards polymer composite properties. Hence, this review highlights the unique properties of biochar and its effect on the crystallization, thermal, flammability, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of polymer composites. This review does not solely summarize recent studies on biochar-polymer-based composites, but also offers insights into a new direction of biochar as a renewable and superior polymer filler in the future.

Indigenous cellulolytic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacterial community enhanced the composting of rice straw and chicken manure with biochar addition.

Microbial degradation of organic matters is crucial during the composting process. In this study, the enhancement of the composting of rice straw and chicken manure with biochar was evaluated by investigating the indigenous cellulolytic bacterial community structure during the composting process. Compared with control treatment, composting with biochar recorded higher temperature (74 °C), longer thermophilic phase (> 50 °C for 18 days) and reduced carbon (19%) with considerable micro- and macronutrients content. The bacterial community succession showed that composting with biochar was dominated by the cellulolytic Thermobifida and Nocardiopsis genera, which play an important role in lignocellulose degradation. Twenty-three cellulolytic bacterial strains were successfully isolated at different phases of the composting with biochar. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing similarity showed that they were related to Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus aerius, and Bacillus haynesii, which were known as cellulolytic bacteria and generally involved in lignocellulose degradation. Of these isolated bacteria, Bacillus licheniformis, a facultative anaerobe, was the major bacterial strain isolated and demonstrated higher cellulase activities. The increase in temperature and reduction of carbon during the composting with biochar in this study can thus be attributed to the existence of these cellulolytic bacteria identified.

Promotion of a green economy with the palm oil industry for biodiversity conservation: A touchstone toward a sustainable bioindustry.

Palm oil is a representative and important biomass, not only as the most edible vegetable oil consumed worldwide, but also as a material for chemicals and biofuels. Despite the potential sustainability of the palm oil industry, it has conventionally emitted excess greenhouse gases, waste materials, and wastewater, brought land use change, thus affecting the natural environment. Therefore, the successful development of a sustainable palm oil industry is a touchstone for promoting the bioeconomy. Here, we first review the concept of the bioeconomy and the positive and negative aspects of the palm oil industry. Then, we consider solutions for introducing a green economy into the palm oil industry, such that it may coexist with biodiversity and environmental conservation toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Combined Effects of Cellulose Nanofiber Nucleation and Maleated Polylactic Acid Compatibilization on the Crystallization Kinetic and Mechanical Properties of Polylactic Acid Nanocomposite.

This work investigated the combined effects of CNF nucleation (3 wt.%) and PLA-g-MA compatibilization at different loadings (1-4 wt.%) on the crystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA). A crystallization kinetics study was done through isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. It was shown that PLA-g-MA had some effect on nucleation as exhibited by the value of crystallization half time and crystallization rate of the PLA/PLA-g-MA, which were increased by 180% and 172%, respectively, as compared to neat PLA when isothermally melt crystallized at 100 °C. Nevertheless, the presence of PLA-g-MA in PLA/PLA-g-MA/CNF3 nanocomposites did not improve the crystallization rate compared to that of uncompatibilized PLA/CNF3. Tensile strength was reduced with the increased amount of PLA-g-MA. Contrarily, Young's modulus values showed drastic increment compared to the neat PLA, showing that the addition of the PLA-g-MA contributed to the rigidity of the PLA nanocomposites. Overall, it can be concluded that PLA/CNF nanocomposite has good performance, whereby the addition of PLA-g-MA in PLA/CNF may not be necessary for improving both the crystallization kinetics and tensile strength. The addition of PLA-g-MA may be needed to produce rigid nanocomposites; nevertheless, in this case, the crystallization rate of the material needs to be compromised.

Removal behaviour of residual pollutants from biologically treated palm oil mill effluent by Pennisetum purpureum in constructed wetland.

The reason for such enormous efforts in palm oil mill effluent research would be what has been singled out as one of the major sources of pollution in Malaysia, and perhaps the most costly and complex waste to manage. Palm oil mill final discharge, which is the treated effluent, will usually be discharged to nearby land or river since it has been the least costly way to dispose of. Irrefutably, the quality level of the treated effluent does not always satisfy the surface water quality in conformity to physicochemical characteristics. To work on improving the treated effluent quality, a vertical surface-flow constructed wetland system was designed with Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass) planted on the wetland floor. The system effectively reduced the level of chemical oxygen demand by 62.2 ± 14.3%, total suspended solid by 88.1 ± 13.3%, ammonia by 62.3 ± 24.8%, colour by 66.6 ± 13.19%, and tannin and lignin by 57.5 ± 22.3%. Heat map depicted bacterial diversity and relative abundance in life stages from the wetland soil, whereby bacterial community associated with the pollutant removal was found to be from the families Anaerolineaceae and Nitrosomonadaceae, and phyla Cyanobacteria and Acidobacteria.

Survivability of Alcaligenaceae and Chromatiaceae as palm oil mill effluent pollution bioindicators under fluctuations of temperature, pH and total suspended solid.

Alcaligenaceae and Chromatiaceae were previously reported as the specific pollution bioindicators in the receiving river water contaminated by palm oil mill effluent (POME) final discharge. Considering the inevitable sensitivity of bacteria under environmental stresses, it is crucial to assess the survivability of both bacteria in the fluctuated environmental factors, proving their credibility as POME pollution bioindicators in the environment. In this study, the survivability of Alcaligenaceae and Chromatiaceae from facultative pond, algae (aerobic) pond and final discharge were evaluated under varying sets of temperature (25-40°C), pH (pH 7-9) and low/high total suspended solid (TSS) contents of POME collected during low/high crop seasons of oil palm, respectively. Following treatment, the viability status and compositions of the bacterial community were assessed using flow cytometry-based assay and high-throughput Illumina MiSeq, respectively, in correlation with the changes of physicochemical properties. The changes in temperature, pH and TSS indeed changed the physicochemical properties of POME. The functionality of bacterial cells was also shifted where the viable cells and high nucleic acid contents reduced at elevated levels of temperature and pH but increased at high TSS content. Interestingly, the Alcaligenaceae and Chromatiaceae continuously detected in the samples which accounted for more than 0.5% of relative abundance, with a positive correlation with biological oxygen demand (BOD5) concentration. Therefore, either Alcaligenaceae or Chromatiaceae or both could be regarded as the reliable and specific bacterial indicators to indicate the pollution in river water due to POME final discharge despite the fluctuations in temperature, pH and TSS.

Performance Evaluation of Cellulose Nanofiber with Residual Hemicellulose as a Nanofiller in Polypropylene-Based Nanocomposite.

Residual hemicellulose could enhance cellulose nanofiber (CNF) processing as it impedes the agglomeration of the nanocellulose fibrils and contributes to complete nanofibrillation within a shorter period of time. Its effect on CNF performance as a reinforcement material is unclear, and hence this study seeks to evaluate the performance of CNF in the presence of amorphous hemicellulose as a reinforcement material in a polypropylene (PP) nanocomposite. Two types of CNF were prepared: SHS-CNF, which contained about 11% hemicellulose, and KOH-CNF, with complete hemicellulose removal. Mechanical properties of the PP/SHS-CNF and PP/KOH-CNF showed an almost similar increment in tensile strength (31% and 32%) and flexural strength (28% and 29%) when 3 wt.% of CNF was incorporated in PP, indicating that hemicellulose in SHS-CNF did not affect the mechanical properties of the PP nanocomposite. The crystallinity of both PP/SHS-CNF and PP/KOH-CNF nanocomposites showed an almost similar value at 55-56%. A slight decrement in thermal stability was seen, whereby the decomposition temperature at 10% weight loss (Td10%) of PP/SHS-CNF was 6 °C lower at 381 °C compared to 387 °C for PP/KOH-CNF, which can be explained by the degradation of thermally unstable hemicellulose. The results from this study showed that the presence of some portion of hemicellulose in CNF did not affect the CNF properties, suggesting that complete hemicellulose removal may not be necessary for the preparation of CNF to be used as a reinforcement material in nanocomposites. This will lead to less harsh pretreatment for CNF preparation and, hence, a more sustainable nanocomposite can be produced.

Effect of oil palm biomass cellulosic content on nanopore structure and adsorption capacity of biochar.

The influence of biomass cellulosic content on biochar nanopore structure and adsorption capacity in aqueous phase was scarcely reported. Commercial cellulose (100% cellulose), oil palm frond (39.5% cellulose), and palm kernel shell (20.5% cellulose) were pyrolyzed AT 630 °C, characterized and tested for the adsorption of iodine and organic contaminants. The external surface area and average pore size increased with cellulosic content, where commercial cellulose formed biochar with external surface area of 95.4 m2/g and average pore size of 4.1 nm. The biochar from commercial cellulose had the largest adsorption capacities: 371.40 mg/g for iodine, 86.7 mg/L for tannic acid, 17.89 mg/g for COD and 60.35 mg/g for colour, while biochar from palm kernel shell had the least adsorption capacities. The cellulosic content reflected the differences in biochar nanopore structure and adsorption capacities, signifying the suitability of highly cellulosic biomass for producing biochar to effectively treat wastewater.

Ecotoxicological assessment of palm oil mill effluent final discharge by zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonic assay.

Most palm oil mills adopted conventional ponding system, including anaerobic, aerobic, facultative and algae ponds, for the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME). Only a few mills installed a bio-polishing plant to treat POME further before its final discharge. The present study aims to determine the quality and toxicity levels of POME final discharge from three different mills by using conventional chemical analyses and fish (Danio rerio) embryo toxicity (FET) test. The effluent derived from mill A which installed with a bio-polishing plant had lower values of BOD, COD and TSS at 45 mg/L, 104 mg/L, and 27 mg/L, respectively. Only mill A nearly met the industrial effluent discharge standard for BOD. In FET test, effluent from mill A recorded low lethality and most of the embryos were malformed after hatching (half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) = 20%). The highest toxicity was observed from the effluent of mill B and all embryos were coagulated after 24 h in samples greater than 75% of effluent (38% of half-maximal lethal concentration (LC50) at 96 h). The embryos in the effluent from mill C recorded high mortality after hatching, and the survivors were malformed after 96 h exposure (LC50 = 26%). Elemental analysis of POME final discharge samples showed Cu, Zn, and Fe concentrations were in the range of 0.10-0.32 mg/L, 0.01-0.99 mg/L, and 0.94-4.54 mg/L, respectively and all values were below the effluent permissible discharge limits. However, the present study found these metals inhibited D. rerio embryonic development at 0.12 mg/L of Cu, and 4.9 mg/L of Fe for 96 h-EC50. The present study found that bio-polishing plant installed in mill A effectively removing pollutants especially BOD and the FET test was a useful method to monitor quality and toxicity of the POME final discharge samples.

Valorization of biodiesel side stream waste glycerol for rhamnolipids production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa RS6.

Biodiesel side stream waste glycerol was identified as a cheap carbon source for rhamnolipids (RLs) production which at the same time could improve the management of waste. The present study aimed to produce RLs by using Pseudomonas aeruginosa RS6 utilizing waste glycerol as a substrate and to evaluate their physico-chemicals properties. Fermentation conditions such as temperature, initial medium pH, waste glycerol concentration, nitrogen sources and concentrations resulted in different compositions of the mono- and di-RLs produced. The maximum RLs production of 2.73 g/L was obtained when P. aeruginosa RS6 was grown in a basal salt medium supplemented with 1% waste glycerol and 0.2 M sodium nitrate at 35 °C and pH 6.5. At optimal fermentation conditions, the emulsification index (E24) values of cooking oil, diesel oil, benzene, olive oil, petroleum, and kerosene were all above E24=50%. The surface tension reduction obtained from 72.13 mN/m to 29.4-30.4 mN/m was better than the surface activity of some chemical-based surfactants. The RLs produced possessed antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with values ranging from 37% to 77% of growth inhibition when 1 mg/mL of RLs was used. Concentrations of RLs below 1500 µg/mL did not induce phytotoxicity effects on the tested seeds (Vigna radiata) compared to the chemical-based- surfactant, SDS. Furthermore, RLs tested on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos only exhibited low acute toxicity with an LC50 value of 72.97 µg/mL at 48 h of exposure suggesting a green and eco-biochemical worthy of future applications to replace chemical-based surfactants.

Improving the decolorization of glycerol by adsorption using activated carbon derived from oil palm biomass.

This study provides insight into the decolorization strategy for crude glycerol obtained from biodiesel production using waste cooking oil as raw material. A sequential procedure that includes physico-chemical treatment and adsorption using activated carbon from oil palm biomass was investigated. The results evidenced decolorization and enrichment of glycerol go hand in hand during the treatment, achieving >89% color removal and > 98% increase in glycerol content, turning the glycerol into a clear (colorless) solution. This is attributed to the complete removal of methanol, free fatty acids, and triglycerides, as well as 85% removal of water, and 93% removal of potassium. Properties of the resultant glycerol met the quality standard of BS 2621:1979. The economic aspects of the proposed methods are examined to fully construct a predesign budgetary estimation according to chemical engineering principles. The starting capital is proportionate to the number of physical assets to acquire where both entail a considerable cost at USD 13,200. Having the benefit of sizeable scale production, it reasonably reduces the operating cost per unit product. As productivity sets at 33 m3 per annum, the annual operating costs amount to USD 79,902 in glycerol decolorization. This is translatable to USD 5.38 per liter glycerol, which is ~69% lower compared to using commercial activated carbon.

Functionality of Cellulose Nanofiber as Bio-Based Nucleating Agent and Nano-Reinforcement Material to Enhance Crystallization and Mechanical Properties of Polylactic Acid Nanocomposite.

Polylactic acid (PLA), a potential alternative material for single use plastics, generally portrays a slow crystallization rate during melt-processing. The use of a nanomaterial such as cellulose nanofibers (CNF) may affect the crystallization rate by acting as a nucleating agent. CNF at a certain wt.% has been evidenced as a good reinforcement material for PLA; nevertheless, there is a lack of information on the correlation between the amount of CNF in PLA that promotes its functionality as reinforcement material, and its effect on PLA nucleation for improving the crystallization rate. This work investigated the nucleation effect of PLA incorporated with CNF at different fiber loading (1-6 wt.%) through an isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics study using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Mechanical properties of the PLA/CNF nanocomposites were also investigated. PLA/CNF3 exhibited the highest crystallization onset temperature and enthalpy among all the PLA/CNF nanocomposites. PLA/CNF3 also had the highest crystallinity of 44.2% with an almost 95% increment compared to neat PLA. The highest crystallization rate of 0.716 min-1 was achieved when PLA/CNF3 was isothermally melt crystallized at 100 °C. The crystallization rate was 65-fold higher as compared to the neat PLA (0.011 min-1). At CNF content higher than 3 wt.%, the crystallization rate decreased, suggesting the occurrence of agglomeration at higher CNF loading as evidenced by the FESEM micrographs. In contrast to the tensile properties, the highest tensile strength and Young's modulus were recorded by PLA/CNF4 at 76.1 MPa and 3.3 GPa, respectively. These values were, however, not much different compared to PLA/CNF3 (74.1 MPa and 3.3 GPa), suggesting that CNF at 3 wt.% can be used to improve both the crystallization rate and the mechanical properties. Results obtained from this study revealed the dual function of CNF in PLA nanocomposite, namely as nucleating agent and reinforcement material. Being an organic and biodegradable material, CNF has an increased advantage for use in PLA as compared to non-biodegradable material and is foreseen to enhance the potential use of PLA in single use plastics applications.

Adsorption mechanism and effectiveness of phenol and tannic acid removal by biochar produced from oil palm frond using steam pyrolysis.

In order to meet the growing demand for adsorbents to treat wastewater effectively, there has been increased interest in using sustainable biomass feedstocks. In this present study, the dermal tissue of oil palm frond was pyrolyzed with superheated steam at 500 °C to produce nanoporous biochar as bioadsorbent. The effect of operating conditions was investigated to understand the adsorption mechanism and to enhance the adsorption of phenol and tannic acid. The biochar had a microporous structure with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 422 m2/g containing low polar groups. The adsorption capacity of 62.89 mg/g for phenol and 67.41 mg/g for tannic acid were obtained using 3 g/L biochar dosage after 8 h of treatment at solution pH of 6.5 and temperature of 45 °C. The Freundlich model had the best fit to the isotherm data of phenol (R2 of 0.9863), while the Langmuir model best elucidated the isotherm data of tannic acid (R2 of 0.9632). These indicated that the biochar-phenol interface was associated with a heterogeneous multilayer sorption mechanism, while the biochar-tannic acid interface had a nonspecific monolayer sorption mechanism. The residual concentration of 26.3 mg/L phenol and 23.1 mg/L tannic acid was achieved when treated from 260 mg/L three times consecutively with 1 g/L biochar dosage, compared to a reduction to 72.3 mg/L phenol and 69.9 mg/L tannic acid using 3 g/L biochar dosage in a single treatment. The biochar exhibited effective adsorption of phenol and tannic acid, making it possible to treat effluents that contain varieties of phenolic compounds.

Well-Dispersed Cellulose Nanofiber in Low Density Polyethylene Nanocomposite by Liquid-Assisted Extrusion.

Two different liquid assisted processing methods: internal melt-blending (IMB) and twin-screw extrusion (TWS) were performed to fabricate polyethylene (PE)/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) nanocomposites. The nanocomposites consisted maleic anhydride-grafted PE (PEgMA) as a compatibilizer, with PE/PEgMA/CNF ratio of 97/3/0.5-5 (wt./wt./wt.), respectively. Morphological analysis exhibited that CNF was well-dispersed in nanocomposites prepared by liquid-assisted TWS. Meanwhile, a randomly oriented and agglomerated CNF was observed in the nanocomposites prepared by liquid-assisted IMB. The nanocomposites obtained from liquid-assisted TWS exhibited the best mechanical properties at 3 wt.% CNF addition with an increment in flexural strength by almost 139%, higher than that of liquid-assisted IMB. Results from this study indicated that liquid feeding of CNF assisted the homogenous dispersion of CNF in PE matrix, and the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were affected by compounding method due to the CNF dispersion and alignment.

The effect of Palm Oil Mill Effluent Final Discharge on the Characteristics of Pennisetum purpureum.

Phytoremediation is one of the environmental-friendly and cost-effective systems for the treatment of wastewater, including industrial wastewater such as palm oil mill effluent final discharge (POME FD). However, the effects of the wastewater on the phytoremediator plants, in term of growth performance, lignocellulosic composition, and the presence of nutrients and heavy metals in the plants are not yet well studied. In the present work, we demonstrated that POME FD increased the growth of P. purpureum. The height increment of P. purpureum supplied with POME FD (treatment) was 61.72% as compared to those supplied with rain water (control) which was 14.42%. For lignocellulosic composition, the cellulose percentages were 38.77 ± 0.29% (treatment) and 34.16 ± 1.01% (control), and the difference was significant. These results indicated that POME FD could be a source of plant nutrients, which P. purpureum can absorb for growth. It was also found that the heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni and Pb) inside the plant were below the standard limit of the World Health Organization (WHO). Since POME FD was shown to have no adverse effects on P. purpureum, further research regarding the potential application of P. purpureum following phytoremediation of POME FD such as biofuel production is warranted to evaluate its potential use to fit into the waste-to-wealth agenda.

Author Correction: A highly thermostable crude endoglucanase produced by a newly isolated Thermobifida fusca strain UPMC 901.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.