Role of Green Nanotechnology to Manage the Agricultural and Food Waste via Advanced Anaerobic Digestion Technology

Abstract

Energy crisis and environmental pollution are serious problems of sustainable development in the world. The problem is acute in developing economies like India, where there is significant pressure on available natural sources of energy. One of effective approaches to solve these energy problems is developing biomass energy such as biogas and biofuel. Biogas production is a well-established conversion technology i.e., anaerobic digestion, to obtain energy from biomass that is alternative to fossil fuel. Nanotechnology can contribute to the improvement of biogas production through the use of nanocatalysts. These catalysts can enhance bioconversion strategies, facilitate better breakdown of substrates, and optimize output delivery. Generally, nanoparticles can be prepared through a variety of chemical and physical methods, some of which can be expensive and potentially hazardous to the environment. These methods often involve the use of toxic chemicals that pose various biological risks. This may be the reason for the increasing interest in the biosynthesis of nanoparticles through a green route, which avoids the use of toxic chemicals. Such environment friendly processes are gaining momentum. Therefore, in this article, the green synthesized plant derived various metal nanoparticles which can be used for enhancement of biogas production from cattle dung, will be discussed.