A review on pollutants remediation competence of nanocomposites on contaminated water.

Clean freshwater has been required for drinking, sanitation, agricultural activities, and industry, as well as for the development and maintenance of the eco - systems on which all livelihoods rely. Water contamination is currently a significant concern for researchers all over the world; hence it is essential that somehow this issue is resolved as soon as possible. It is now recognised as one of the most important research areas in the world. Current wastewater treatment techniques degrade a wide range of wastewaters efficiently; however, such methods have some limitations. Recently, nanotechnology has emerged as a wonderful solution, and researchers are conducting research in this water remediation field with a variety of potential applications. The pollutants remediation capability of nanocomposites as adsorbents, photocatalysts, magnetic separation, and so on for contaminant removal from contaminated water has been examined in this study. This study has spotlighted the most significant nanocomposites invention reported to date for contaminated and effluent remediation, as well as a research gap as well as possible future perspectives.

A perspective on the interaction between biochar and soil microbes: A way to regain soil eminence.

Soil ecosystem imparts a fundamental role in the growth and survival of the living creatures. The interaction between living and non-living constituents of the environment is important for the regulation of life in the ecosystem. Biochar is a carbon rich product present in the soil that is responsible for various applications in diversified fields. In this review, we focused on the collaboration between the soil, biochar and microbial community present in the soil and consequences of it in the ecosystem. Herein, it primarily discusses on the different approaches of the production and characterization of biochar. Furthermore, this review also discusses about the optimistic interaction of biochar with soil microbes and their role in plant growth. Eventually, it reveals the various physio-chemical properties of biochar, including its specific surface area, porous nature, ion exchange capacity, and pH, which aid in the modification of the soil environment. Furthermore, it elaborately discloses the impact of the biochar addition in the soil focusing mainly on its interaction with microbial communities such as bacteria and fungi. The physicochemical properties of biochar significantly interact with microbes and improve the beneficial microbes growth and increase soil nutrients, which resulting reasonable plant growth. The main focus remains on the role of biochar-soil microbiota in remediation of pollutants, soil amendment and inhibition of pathogenicity among plants by promoting resistance potential. It highlights the fact that adding biochar to soil modulates the soil microbial community by increasing soil fertility, paving the way for its use in farming, and pollutant removal.

Advancement of fermentable sugars from fresh elephant ear plant weed for efficient bioethanol production.

Bioethanol is considered one of the most promising next-generation automotive fuels, as it is carbon neutral and can be produced from renewable resources, like lignocellulosic materials. The present research investigation aimed to utilize the elephant ear plant, a hazardous plant (weed) also considered an invasive species, as a font of non-edible lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production. The freshly collected elephant ear plant (leaves and stalk) was chopped into small pieces (1-2 cm) and then homogenized to a paste using a mechanical grinder. The sample pretreatment was done by flying ash for three different time durations (T1 = 0 min, T2 = 15 min, and T3 = 30 min) with 3 replications. All treatment samples were measured for total sugar and reducing sugar content. The concentration of reducing sugar archived was T1 = 0.771 ± 0.1 mg/mL, T2 = 0.907 ± 0.032 mg/mL, and T3 = 0.895 ± 0.039 mg/mL, respectively. The results revealed that the chemical composition was different among treatments. The hydrolysis was performed using cellulase enzymes at 35 °C for the hydrolysis process. The hydrolysate was inoculated with 1% of S. cerevisiae and maintained at room temperature without oxygen for 120 h. Bioethanol concentration was measured by using an ebulliometer. The efficient ethanol percentage was 1.052 ± 0.03 mg/mL achieved after the fermentation. Therefore, the elephant ear plant invasive weed could be an efficient feedstock plant for future bioethanol production.

Microalgae cultivation in wastewater effluent from tilapia culture pond for enhanced bioethanol production.

The large number of wastewaters are generated because of the various production processes. Vegetable and fish processing can be considered an important industry for wastewater generation. The essential method for completing this waste is to digest the organic matter using anaerobic digestion followed by aerobic wastewater treatment processes; however, wastewater from tilapia culture pond retains considerable quantities of inorganic substances, particularly nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. The optimal conditions for cultivating Chlorella vulgaris from wastewater treatment effluent from tilapia culture pond were investigated in this study. The appropriate conditions were found to be 10% initial stock suspension, 20 cm depth, and 12 days of culture conditions. C. vulgaris had an optical density of 0.649, a cell density of 17.68 × 105 cells/mL, and biomass of 0.376 ± 94.21 mg/L after cultivation. Discharged wastewater from the fishpond was utilized for the improved growth of microalgae and obtained biomass was used for bioethanol production. This study verified that fishpond wastewater is the best source of nutrients for algal mass production and biofuel applications.

Biomass generation and biodiesel production from macroalgae grown in the irrigation canal wastewater.

The wastewater concentration is commonly acceptable for macroalgae growth; this process consumes water and is applicable for bioremediation. This study evaluated biodiesel's potential production from freshwater macroalga, Nitella sp., using batch experiment. Algae were collected from wastewater saturated from irrigation canals. Water quality and algae growth environment characteristics were monitored and analyzed. COD and BOD values were 18.67 ± 4.62 mg/L and 5.40 ± 0.30 mg/L, respectively. The chemical composition contents were high, demonstrating that water quality and sufficient nutrients could support algae growth. Oil extraction was estimated by the room temperature and heat extraction methods. The biodiesel in room temperature treatment was 0.0383 ± 0.014%, and in heat, extraction treatment was 0.0723 ± 0.029%. Results confirmed that the heat extraction treatment gave a high amount of oil and biodiesel yield. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Results revealed that 9-octadecane was a major portion of the substance. The obtained results confirmed that the wastewater contains many elements that can be utilized for dual-mode, like bioremediation and enhanced macroalgae growth for biodiesel production. Therefore, macroalgae grown in canal wastewater were highly feasible for use in sustainable biodiesel production.

Effect of Photoperiod and White LED on Biomass Growth and Protein Production by Spirulina.

The constant increase in demand for food, valued bio-based compounds and energy demand has prompted the development of innovative and sustainable resources. New technologies and strategies must be implemented to boost microalgae biomass production, such as using different photoperiods along with (LED) light-emitting diodes to stimulate biomass production and boost profits. This work investigates the cultivation of blue-green microalgae (Spirulina) in a closed lab condition. The current study aims to boost Spirulina biomass production by creating ideal growth conditions using different photoperiods (12:12; 10:14; 14:10) light/dark with a constant light intensity of 2000 lx from White LED lights. The obtained optical density and protein content was highest for photoperiod 14L: 10D and values were 0.280 OD, with a protein content of 23.44 g/100 g, respectively. This study is a crucial first step in identifying the best photoperiod conditions to help S. platensis produce more biomass. The study results showed that increasing photoperiod for S. platensis farming can improve the quality and amount of biomass generated in those cultures without negatively affecting growth.

Spirulina Cultivation Under Different light-emitting Diodes for Boosting Biomass and Protein Production.

Microalgae biomass and pigments have a high economic value due to their many biological and commercial applications. In this sense, Spirulina platensis was grown under different (LEDs) light-emitting diodes. The current examination aims to increase the biomass production of S. platensis by formulating an optimal growth condition under different LED lights. Light-emitting diodes have a precise wavelength that has an encouraging effect on microalgae biomass production. For this purpose, the light intensity of 3000 lx was used to illuminate the culture medium, resulting in enhanced S. platensis biomass production. The highest optical density of 0.576 and dry cell weight of 0.343 g/L was recorded for the white light-emitting diode, and the red light-emitting diode, the optical density of 0.479 and dry cell weight of 0.321 g/L was recorded. The highest protein content of 66.10 ± 0.44% was registered with a blue light-emitting diode, followed by a white light-emitting diode with a protein content of 60.86 ± 0.39%. This research is an essential step in defining the light condition that might be useful to increase the biomass production of S. platensis. The study's findings demonstrated that exposure to various light-emitting diode colors could enhance both the quality and quantity of biomass produced in S. platensis cultures and encourage the use of light-emitting diodes as a light source for S. platensis farming without any undesirable effects on growth.

Unlocking the benefits of split gill mushroom: Chemical analysis and prebiotic properties of schizophyllan extract.

The edible split gill mushroom is considered both a nutritive and therapeutic superfood, as well as rich in schizophyllan and protein. Prebiotic properties and other biological effects distinguish the schizophyllan (ß-glucan). Thus, this research investigates the identity of the mushroom strain, the nutritional composition of this mushroom, and the schizophyllan extract for further analysis, including its prebiotic activity and so on. The experimental results revealed that this mushroom was identified as Schizophyllum commune, comprising more excellent carbohydrates, protein, crude fiber, lower fat, and no heavy metal detection. Moreover, this extract consisted of pharmaceutical hydrophobin (14.0-18.5 kDa), lectin protein (21-35 kDa), bioactive purpurin or red pigment, including the prebiotic ß-glucan stimulating the proliferation of probiotic bacteria isolated from yogurt. Therefore, both S. commune and the schizophyllan extract can be used as a prebiotic candidate, functional food, and nutraceutical product.

Recent advances in biowaste management towards sustainable environment.

Bio-wastes and their utilization has been increasing enormously, due to its generation and management practices towards making the clearner environment. Bio-waste disposal that follow the emerging global human population has commended the hunt to certain methods sustainably for the bio-waste management to overwhelmed the ecological issues, prompted by means of the collection of such waste materials. The bio-conversion process of the various bio-wastes into high value added products seems to be practicable in various venues in terms of technological and financial supports. Thereby, this preface presentat about of bio-wastes management and new trends towards circular economy and challenges to acheive it by considering the Virtual Special Issue (VSI) dedicated in Bioresourse Technology Journal.

Biorefining and biotechnology prospects of low-cost fish feed on Red tilapia production with different feeding regime.

This study aimed to decrease the production cost and increase tilapia yield with a feeding regime. The trial was divided into four treatments with three replications followed by the feeding frequency in monosex male Nile tilapia with an average initial weight of 17.86-18.40 g/fish cultured on a net cage in the earth pond for three months. Fish fed with 18% protein supplemented with 5% protein concentrate. The first month was used by 32% protein feed twice per day (T1, control), fish were fed twice per day every other week (T2), fish were fed twice per day per week (T3), and fish were fed twice per day per week (T3). Fish fed twice per day per week are now fed twice per day (T4). These results revealed that T2 fish had the highest growth performance and most protein consumption (P < 0.05). Moreover, fish in T2 has the lowest production cost and highest benefit-cost ratio (B/C ratio) (P < 0.05). The highest percentage of edible meat in T2 was P < 0.05, but the proximate analysis was close for all three groups (P > 0.05). As a result, it is necessary to ensure that Nile Tilapia culture has sufficient protein and nutrition control. This will allow for both high growth and low cost. Fish health and quality were positively affected by a perfect protein-containing feeding regimen. In fish fed with 18% protein and 5% protein concentrate for the first month, followed by 32% protein feed twice every other day and then with 18% protein.

Effect of biogas sludge meal supplement in feed on growth performance molting period and production cost of giant freshwater prawn culture.

The worldwide prawn industry strives for better production and environmental sustainability. Shrimp feed is one of the most expensive aquaculture inputs; therefore, it must be cost-effective and environmentally safe. Fish meals in aquaculture are becoming unsustainable due to the cost and environmental concerns. The effects of a biogas sludge meal supplement in feed on freshwater prawn productivity were studied. This study aimed to examine the growth, survival rate, yield, feed conversion ratio, and molting period of giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) fed with and without biogas sludge a low-cost resource. The four treatments were T1 (0% biogas sludge), T2 (10% biogas sludge), T3 (20% biogas sludge), and T4 (30% biogas sludge). Protein content ranged from 26.7 to 27.4% in the experimental diets. The experiment was conducted in 3 × 3x1.5 m cages in an earthen pond for 80 days. The data shows that freshwater prawn growth performance did not differ significantly across treatments (P > 0.05). Biogas sludge has been demonstrated to be a low-cost feed component for freshwater prawns. Regarding survival, productivity, and feed conversion ratio, T2 (10% biogas sludge) outperformed the other two. As a result of the research, it was determined that 10% of biogas sludge might be used as a low-cost freshwater prawn feed option. The molting period of freshwater prawns fed biogas-containing feed was investigated at various levels. Freshwater prawns grown in baskets in a pond at 32.2 °C for a trial period of 90 days were molted differently (P > 0.05). The molting periods for Tl, T2, T3, and T4 were 19, 18, 19.8, and 20.8, respectively. In addition, the research suggests efficient and long-term methods for supplying nutrient-dense prawn feed to aquaculture production systems.

Development of aeration devices and feeding frequencies for oxygen concentration improvement in 60-tones freshwater recirculating aquaculture and biofloc ponds of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) rearing.

This research aimed to improve the technique to maintain the oxygen content of two freshwater Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) culture systems (recirculating aquaculture system; RAS; and biofloc system; Floc). The dissolved oxygen content was increased by using a blower with flexible rubber hose aerators. For the first study, the effectiveness of oxygenation was investigated. As a result, the aerator and flexible rubber hose are appropriate for increasing oxygen levels in the fish pond. An air pump with a flexible aeration tube (400 W), one set of ejector aerators (250 W), and two sets of ejector aerators (250 × 2 W) were used to test the efficiency of oxygenation. In addition, the performance of the RAS and Floc systems, off-flavor (geosmin and MIB) in taints, and economic returns were assessed. This study found that after monitoring two 60-tonne concrete ponds with one set of blowers (RAS1) and two sets of blowers (RAS2) connected by a flexible rubber tube; feeding frequency (2 and 6 times/day). However, daily dissolved oxygen fluctuated in the RAS, and this value went to its lowest after post-feeding. Dissolved oxygen was higher than the two-meal pack per day when the feeding was expanded to six meals. This aeration device could provide dissolved oxygen enough for 900 kg fish/400 W. Seabass raised in the freshwater RAS system had higher yields and growth rates than those raised in the biofloc pond systems. In addition, low off-flavors trained was observed. Therefore, this research could improve aeration management by aeration devices and increase feeding frequency while developing freshwater-adapted Asian seabass production.

Iodine adsorption isotherms on Matamba fruit shell stemmed biochar for wastewater re-use strategy in rural areas owing to climate change.

Remote communities in developing countries are facing ever-increasing water scarcities, due to cumulative demand induced by the climate change and global warming impacts. For the socio-economic and health well-being of the local communities, sufficient, efficient, and affordable water supply is fundamental from local-based adsorbents. Matamba Fruit shell was obtained and pyrolyzed to obtain well-transformed biochar, which exhibited enough capacity to remove Iodine from aqueous solution. The maximum capacity of adsorption of the Matamba Fruit shell was 2.122 mmol L-1 and 2.12 mmol L-1 from conventional and Bayesian statistics correspondingly. The difference was insignificant. The surface morphology was evaluated by the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX) which revealed porous structures with irregular openings enough to purge wastewater pollutants. The material surface area was 267.0 m2 g-1, as estimated by both approaches, making the Matamba Fruit shell an emerging potential candidate for environmental pollution control and use in bioremediation practices. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that surface functional groups of Matamba Fruit shell biochar have enough peak variations in intensity and position due to vibration variations of the surface. The Fruit shell has different functional groups including the hydroxyl (-OH) and the carbonyl groups (CO), CC stretches of aromatic rings, and the carboxylate (C-O-O-) groups. The biochar understudy unveiled its capability for wastewater-treatment reuse in local and urban communities of developing countries to safeguard their health and access to water-supply as the climate change reverberations are affecting the developing countries more pronounced than before.

An assessment of agricultural waste cellulosic biofuel for improved combustion and emission characteristics.

The need for an alternative fuel has been growing swiftly owing to the extravagant use of fossil fuels as a sole energy source for all purposes. This paper investigates the performance, emission and noise characteristics of cellulosic biofuel. A series of tests were conducted in a single cylinder, four stroke DI engine to determine the performance measuring factors such as brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake power (BP), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and emission factors such as CO emission, NO emission, CO2 emission and smoke and then, the HC emission rates were also measured. All tests were carried out at different load conditions of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% with the constant speed of 1500 rpm. The fuel blends taken for the tests were diesel, E5, E10, E15 and E20. The E20 comparatively showed lower performance than all other fuel blends. However, when considering CO and smoke emission, the E20 fuel blends produced better reduced emission. The lower-level ethanol diesel blend showed better BT as well as BTE and BSFC. From the above findings, it is clear and evident that cellulosic biodiesel blends can be an optimal solution to meet the ongoing energy demands.

Appropriateness of waste jasmine flower for bioethanol conversion with enzymatic hydrolysis: sustainable development on green fuel production.

Utilized and waste jasmine flower contains a high portion of organic carbohydrate and other organic acids, making it a suitable substrate for bioethanol production. This study was designed to estimate the prospective of waste jasmine flower biomass applied with chemical (alkaline) and thermal pretreatment applied on samples through bioethanol production efficiencies. Therefore, pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis are directed to disrupt the complex cell wall layer and improve the accessibility towards polysaccharide fraction. Also, applying response surface methodology tools during fermentative bioethanol production to study the interactive effects of different bioprocess variables for higher bioethanol yield in batch small and large scale model is discussed. The immobilized yeast between jasmine found that jasmine sugar utilization was 50%. The jasmine flower's ethanol production was 6.54 g/L and after distillation of jasmine was 31.40 g/L at pH 4.5. Results showed that this immobilized yeast method could be successfully used for bioethanol production from waste jasmine flower.

Stimulation of natural enzymes for germination of mimosa weed seeds to enhanced bioethanol production.

Depleting fossil fuels target plant weeds which have the potential to be converted into efficient biofuels. In this study, mimosa seeds were utilized as a substrate for bioethanol production. This investigation was divided into three parts: breaking dormancy of seeds, mimosa seeds germination, and bioethanol production from mimosa seeds. Seed dormancy breaking was initiated by seeds soaked in hot distilled water to analyze the sugar quantity. Sugar content was measured relevance with root length results. According to results, root length obtained revealed that at 0.5-1.0 cm for root size has the most sugar availability. It was revealed that the total sugar 548.21 g/L and reducing sugar has a concentration of 248.67 g/L. Therefore, the broken dormancy of seeds using hot water at 95 °C for 10 min with a root length of 0.5-1 cm was used for ethanol fermentation. Ethanol fermentation was done by free yeast cell and immobilized yeast by injecting yeast directly. The ethanol yield was measured on the 3rd day of every fermentation. Results showed that the free cell yeast during the 1st day of fermentation afforded an ethanol production of 57.574 g/L, while the yield for immobilized yeast was 60.714 g/L. Consequently, the ethanol yield on the 2nd day of fermentation from the directly injected immobilized yeast was 60.088 g/L. Results revealed that the immobilization of yeast cells in fermentation provided a higher probability for bioethanol yield and could be utilized as a baseline for future bioethanol production. Stimulation of natural enzymes by germination of seeds for enhanced bioethanol production will be a novel approach towards next-generation biofuels.

Sustainable development of feed formulation for farmed tilapia enriched with fermented pig manure to reduce production costs.

Aquaculture is often referred to as "livestock production" with a proper "future-facing" strategy. Fish productivity varies greatly, and feeding is a significant expense for farmers. Despite the increased interest in waste valorization, a biorefinery strategy to reduce feed costs has been developed. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in cement ponds fed with feed formulas containing fermented pig manure in various ratios and to verify the digestibility of Nile tilapia fed with fermented pig dung-based diets. The 120-days experiments were conducted in 20 cement ponds to determine the nutritional content of pig manure collected from a fermented system and the permissible level of digested manure to be utilized as a raw material to formulate alternative tilapia feed. Fermented pig manure (diet) has a high protein content and other nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, and zinc. Furthermore, the quantities of phytoplanktons in cement pond water associated with manure diets of 0, 5, 10, and 15% are estimated. The diet with 15% manure produced the most weight gain and yield (75.3 g and 1002.80 g, respectively). The findings of this study emphasize the new technique of feeding fermented pig manure to fish, opening up a wide range of possibilities for achieving a sustainable protein source for aquaculture.

Optimization of pretreatment condition for ethanol production from Cyperus difformis by response surface methodology.

This study investigated the potential of a new material, so-called small-flowered nutsedge, for bioethanol production. This plant causes the huge loss of rice yield as it competes nutrients, sunlight and other necessary elements with rice plant to grow. The project plans to transform its biomass into valuable product and bring profitable for famers. The powered raw sample was treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as followed the design experiment. The use of response surface method is helping researcher to save time and effort but still gain meaningful predicted value that closed to the actual value. The highest total sugar was given when the pretreatment condition is solid to liquid ratio of 0.05, 1% NaOH, 1% H2O2 for 72 h. The efficiency of hydrolysis can reach 47% after 24 h with cellulase enzyme at 50 °C, 150 rpm and highest ethanol concentration was obtained on the fifth day of fermentation.

Impact and significance of alkaline-oxidant pretreatment on the enzymatic digestibility of Sphenoclea zeylanica for bioethanol production.

Gooseweed (Sphenoclea zeylanica Gaertn.) is a pest on the rice field that has a potential to be a promising substrate for bioethanol production. Dry powdered gooseweed was firstly pretreated with 1% NaOH, following 1% H2O2 at variety conditions. The hydrolysis process was set at 50°C for 24-72h with enzyme cellulase (ß-glucosidase) while the fermentation process was carried using Saccharomyces cerevisiae TISTR 5020 at 33°C for nine days. The ethanol concentration was recorded for three, five, seven, and nine days using an ebulliometer. The results showed that the treatment with only 1% NaOH for 24h has the highest sugar performance. In regard with hydrolysis, the optimum retention time was at 24h. Lastly, the highest ethanol concentration was achieved at 11.84g/L after five days and a rapid decreasing after seven to nine days was also observed.

Potential improvement of biogas production from fallen teak leaves with co-digestion of microalgae.

Biogas production from anaerobic co-digestion of fallen teak leaves (Tectona grandis) and microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) were investigated. In this study, teak leaves and algae mixtures with or without pretreatment were used as the substrates and digested in 1-L of anaerobic fermenter, then optimal conditions were performed in 6-L fermenter. Pretreatment was performed using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution (w/v) at different conditions (0, 2, 3 and 4%), with different total solid (TS) ratios (10, 15 and 20%). The digesters were placed in an incubator at 34-36 °C for 45 days. The results showed that the co-digestion of pretreated (10% TS with 2% NaOH) of teak leaves and algae was significantly higher in terms of biodegradability of TS, VS, COD along with biogas yield, methane potential and highest yield was achieved 71.90% than those obtained by mono-digestion. Thus, results demonstrated that anaerobic fermentation of teak leaves and microalgae in digester system could get as high methane yield.