Abstract
Significant part of not cultivated area of Hungary is not suitable for agricultural utilization because of industrialpollution. Technologies of biorefinery make reutilization of contaminated areas possible. Biomass of plantsproduced on polluted soils can be raw material of valuable products. Applicability of biorefinery was tested on aheavy metal polluted soil, where the contamination originated from previous mining activity. Complete biomassutilization was aimed to obtain cosmetic ingredients, pharmaceutical agents, and precursors. During our researchwork 88 plant species and varieties were produced and tested for potential utilizable components. Levels ofpossible contaminants in these plants were monitored, and amounts of carbohydrates, protein, organic acid andcellulose were determined as well. Different plant extracts were tested as potential sources of biologically effectivecomponents or as raw materials for lactic acid fermentation. Our results show that biorefinery is a real possibilityfor utilization of polluted areas. Numerous plants could be cultivated on contaminated areas without increasedlevels of contaminants in their tissues, thus they can be sources of valuable compounds.
Highlights
Biorefinery is a complex technology where biomass can be converted to useful materials or energy carriers in an integrated manner, thereby it can maximize the economic value of the biomass used while reducing the waste streams produced [8, 3]
With the purpose of fulfillment of our scientific program regarding to utilization of heavy metal polluted fields a pot experiment (Fig. 1) was carried out at Gyöngyösoroszi in 2008
We established that the following plant species and varieties could tolerate the unfavorable chemical, hydrological and microclimatic conditions of the heavy metal polluted trial site: each sweet sorghum hybrid, castor-oil plant, chicling vetch, amaranth, lozenge, coriander, millet, facelia, bluebottle, oenothera, evening star, red poppy, Arundo donax, onion, French marigold, bean, dill, white clover
Summary
Biorefinery is a complex technology where biomass can be converted to useful materials (e.g. fuels, solvents, plastics, cosmetic and pharmaceutical materials) or energy carriers in an integrated manner, thereby it can maximize the economic value of the biomass used while reducing the waste streams produced [8, 3]. Accumulation of heavy metal ions in plants is limited by their phytotoxicity at levels safe for humans and animals Various plants, such as lavender contain lots of effective compounds, which can be utilized for different industrial purposes, like isolation of antimicrobial agents [2]. The main goal of the project was to elaborate a new complex technology, which can guarantee the proper treatment and the profitable utilization of polluted fields. For this purpose biomass production ability and potential availability for industrial utilization of numerous plant species and varieties were tested in a field experiment and in a pot trial on a soil extremely polluted by heavy metals. Some results of the pot experiment are demonstrated in this paper to illustrate our research work and our screening technologies
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