Agricultural Biowastes Research Articles

Utilisation of agricultural residues for antioxidant exopolysaccharide production by Bacillus spp.

This study tested the antioxidant activities of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by eight Bacillus spp. from Thai milk kefir utilising four agricultural by-products in Thailand; copra meal, mangosteen peel, sorghum, and para rubber sawdust as carbon sources. Sorghum showed the highest starch and sugar content of 73.33% while copra meal showed the lowest (13.08%). B. tequilensis PS21 produced the highest dry weight EPS, followed by B. amyloliquefaciens KW1 and B. tequilensis PS22 from four substrates. B. tequilensis PS21 generated the most EPS with sorghum (0.75 ± 0.09 g DW/100 mL culture), followed by mangosteen peel (0.61 ± 0.07 g). EPS from B. amyloliquefaciens KW1 using copra meal displayed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity of 33.39 ± 1.34% and EPS from the same bacteria using sorghum displayed the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of 49.78 ± 0.86%. This approach demonstrated a bio-circular green economy paradigm in converting agricultural biowastes into valuable EPS biomaterials with potential applications.

Assessment of the grindability and component variation of torrefied agricultural wastes for industrial furnace application

The utilization of agricultural solid biowastes is essential for resource saving and bioenergy conversion. By this way, the demand of industrial furnace for biomass would be compensated, and the energy structure would also be greener. Among them, torrefaction is a hopeful technology for solid biofuel production. This study investigates the grinding performance of torrefied biochar to achieve the grindability and component variation analysis of torrefied agricultural wastes for fluidized bed boiler, and thus realize pulverized biochar injection for industrial application. Totally crystallinity index (CrI), average particle size distribution, energy input for grinding process, component analysis, and elemental carbon state are adopted and analyzed around Hardgrove grindability index (HGI). The values of HGI are in the range of 45–120, 45–105, 60–120, and 60–135, respectively. The results indicate that torrefaction is conducive for biochar properties upgrading, especially for a higher temperature, and thus contributes to a higher HGI, lower particle size and grinding energy input, as well as better elemental carbon state. The produced powder from torrefied biochar is highly correlated to torrefaction temperature and biochar component, and thus leads to an excellent industrial application potential. Overall, this study is conducive for the agricultural biowastes conversion and solid biofuel production.

Recovery of agricultural waste biomass: A path for circular bioeconomy

Circular bio-economy is a significant approach to resolving global issues elevated by environmental pollution. The generation of bioenergy and biomaterials can withstand the energy–environment connection as well as substitute petroleum-based materials as the feed stock production, thereby contributing to a cleaner and low-carbon-safe environment. Open discarding of waste is a major cause of environmental pollution in developing and under developed countries. Agricultural bio-wastes are obtained through various biological sources and industrial processing, signifying a typical renewable source of energy with ample nutrients and readily biodegradable organic substances. These waste materials are competent to decompose under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The projected global population, urbanization, economic development, and changing production and consumption behavior result in bounteous bio-waste production. These bio-wastes mainly contain starch, cellulose, protein, hemicellulose, and lipids, which can operate as low-cost raw materials to develop new value-added products. Thus, this review discussed specifically the agricultural waste and valorization processes used to convert this waste into value-added products (biofuel, enzymes, antibiotics, ethanol and single cell protein). These value added products are used in the supply chain and enhance the overall performance of agriculture waste management, execution of circular bio-economy has attained significant importance and it explains a closed-loop system in which the potential resources remain in the loop, allowing them to be sustained into a new value.

The good, the bad, and the nobody: Exploring diversity of perceptions of anaerobic digestion plants in Central and Eastern Europe

Anaerobic digestion (AD) plants fed by agricultural biowastes are highly relevant renewable energy producers supporting the transition towards sustainable waste management. However, local support for the operation of individual AD plants seems to be highly diverse, case specific and generally insufficient. Following this challenge visible especially in Central and Eastern Europe, our research aims to detect and explain commonalities and discordances in the perception of AD plants in their host communities in Slovakia. Three types of rural communities in the western part of the country were selected for a set of comparative surveys as the illustrative case studies. We have selected: (i) the community where planning, building, and operation of AD plant did not cause any significant issues, (ii) the community, where significant controversies around operating AD plant occurred, and (iii) the community, where the AD plant project was stopped during the planning phase due to community resistance. We ascertained that in all three types of host communities, respondents claimed that AD plants worsen the local quality of life. In communities with the issues-free planning and operation of AD plants or where the project was stopped, the attitudes towards AD plants are rather constant. However, if community experienced issues with the AD plant operation, the overall support for biogas energy significantly worsened. Interestingly, a positive local experience with biogas supports further development of AD plants, however, only if these are located out of the host communities. Thus our findings enrich knowledge about the NIMBY effect with an Eastern European perspective.

Recycling of agricultural (orange and olive) bio-wastes into ecofriendly fertilizers for improving soil and garlic quality

Agricultural waste material even if free from toxic compounds or pathogens can cause environmental problems and their unsustainable use can lead to health and environmental risks. Orange and olive food processing wastes are rich in chemical compounds and could offer many opportunities of use, especially for the high level of nutritional components. This paper proposes to validate anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, and raw agricultural waste management as possible ecofriendly methods to turn these wastes into fertilizers. The byproducts obtained by these three different processes, have been chemically analyzed and assessed on soil, growth and antioxidant properties of garlic (Allium sativum). Results evidenced that the chemical properties of the soil treated with all the byproducts were positively influenced, even if the effects were different and depended on the type of the byproduct used and on the organic wastes from which the byproducts came from. The byproducts coming from orange wastes (pastazzo) were a bit more effective than those coming from olive pomace and among the byproducts the compost was the best one. Results evidenced that garlic increased its growth and antioxidant capacity when cultivated with all byproducts. The results of this study evidenced that all the byproducts obtained can be used in agriculture with success and the transformation methods used even if differently, are environmentally, economically and/or agriculturally valid.

Eco-friendly synthesis of carbon nanotubes and their cancer theranostic applications.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with attractive physicochemical characteristics such as high surface area, mechanical strength, functionality, and electrical/thermal conductivity have been widely studied in different fields of science. However, the preparation of these nanostructures on a large scale is either expensive or sometimes ecologically unfriendly. In this context, plenty of studies have been conducted to discover innovative methods to fabricate CNTs in an eco-friendly and inexpensive manner. CNTs have been synthesized using various natural hydrocarbon precursors, including plant extracts (e.g., tea-tree extract), essential oils (e.g., eucalyptus and sunflower oil), biodiesel, milk, honey, and eggs, among others. Additionally, agricultural bio-wastes have been widely studied for synthesizing CNTs. Researchers should embrace the usage of natural and renewable precursors as well as greener methods to produce various types of CNTs in large quantities with the advantages of cost-effectiveness and environmentally benign features. In addition, multifunctionalized CNTs with improved biocompatibility and targeting features are promising candidates for cancer theranostic applications owing to their attractive optical, chemical, thermal, and electrical properties. This perspective discusses the recent developments in eco-friendly synthesis of CNTs using green chemistry-based techniques, natural renewable resources, and sustainable catalysts, with emphasis on important challenges and future perspectives and highlighting techniques for the functionalization or modification of CNTs. Significant and promising cancer theranostic applications as well as their biocompatibility and cytotoxicity issues are also discussed.

PROMANCOA Modular Technology for the Valorization of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) and Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Agricultural Biowastes

PROMANCOA modular technology (PMT) aims at the development of modular agricultural biowaste valorization of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivars within the concept of circular economy in agriculture management. The modular design includes four modules: (1) green raw material (GRM) selection and collection, (2) GRM processing, (3) GRM extraction, in order to obtain bioactive green extracts (BGE) and bioactive green ingredients (BGI), and (4) quality control, which lead to formula components for food, feed, nutraceutical and/or cosmeceutical products. PMT was applied to mango stem bark and tree branches, and cocoa pod husk and bean shells, from cultivars of mango and cocoa in provinces of the Dominican Republic (DR). PMT might be applied to other agricultural biowastes, where a potential of value-added BGE/BGI may be present. Alongside the market potential of these bioactive ingredients, the reduction of carbon dioxide and methane emissions of agricultural biowastes would be a significant contribution in order to reduce the greenhouse effect of these residuals.

Effects of Wheat Straw Hydrochar and Its Modified Product on Rice Yield and Ammonia Volatilization from Paddy Fields

Hydrochar can mitigate ammonia volatilization when applied in paddy fields due to its acidity and adsorption property. To realize the recycling of agricultural biowaste as well as the control of nutrient loss from paddy fields, a simulation soil-column experiment with wheat straw hydrochar (WHC) and water-washed hydrochar (W-WHC) was conducted to evaluate the performance of rice yield and ammonia volatilization from paddy fields. The results showed that WHC and W-WHC applied in paddy fields both increased the rice yield and the increased effect at low application rate (0.5%) was higher than that at high application rate (1.5%). In comparison with the control treatment (CKU), the rice yields achieved from low application rate treatments for WHC and W-WHC increased by 17.16% and 20.20% respectively. Except for the equal emission rate between W-WHC with low application rate and CKU treatments, hydrochar (WHC, W-WHC) addition reduced the ammonia volatilization from paddy fields when compared with the CKU. Among them, the ammonia volatilization levels from low-application WHC and high-application W-WHC treatments were significantly lower than that from the CKU treatment, reduced by 31.01% and 17.40%, respectively. Based on the analysis of ammonia volatilization during different fertilization stages, the control effect of hydrochar addition on ammonia volatilization was mainly benefited from tillering and panicle fertilizer stages. The change in the nitrogen concentration of surface water at the tillering fertilizer stage and in pH at the panicle fertilizer stage with the addition of hydrochar was the main driving factor for the reduction in ammonia volatilization. The results show that sufficient amounts of hydrochar derived from wheat straw application can increase crop yield while reducing ammonia volatilization from paddy fields. This method provides an effective route for recycling agricultural biowastes.

Straw-Based Activated Carbon: Optimization of the Preparation Procedure and Performance of Volatile Organic Compounds Adsorption.

Straw is one of the largest agricultural biowastes and a potential alternative precursor of activated carbon. Activated carbon prepared from different types of straw have great differences in structure and adsorption performance. In order to explore the performance of different straw-based activated carbon in volatile organic compounds adsorption, five common straws were selected as potential source materials for the preparation of SAC. The straw-based activated carbons were prepared and characterized via a thermo-gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscope and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. Among the five straw-based activated carbons, millet straw-derived activated carbon exhibited superior properties in SBET, Smic and adsorption capacities of both toluene and ethyl acetate. Furthermore, the preparation process of millet straw activated carbon was optimized via response surface methodology, using carbonization temperature, carbonization time and impregnation ratio as variables and toluene adsorption capacity, ethyl acetate adsorption capacity and activated carbon yield as responses. The optimal preparation conditions include a carbonization temperature of 572 °C, carbonization time of 1.56 h and impregnation ratio (ZnCl2/PM, w/w) of 1.60, which was verified experimentally, resulting in millet straw activated carbon with a toluene adsorption capacity of 321.9 mg/g and ethyl acetate adsorption capacity of 240.4 mg/g. Meanwhile, the adsorption isothermals and regeneration performance of millet straw activated carbon prepared under the optimized conditions were evaluated. The descriptive ability of the isothermals via the Redlich–Peterson equation suggests a heterogeneous surface on millet straw activated carbon. Recyclability testing has shown that millet straw activated carbon maintained a stable adsorption capacity throughout the second to fifth cycles. The results of this work indicate that millet straw activated carbon may be a potential volatile organic compound adsorbent for industrial application.

Sunflower biomass power plant by-products: Properties and its potential for water purification of organic pollutants

The present study explores possibility of using sunflower seed husk agricultural biowastes from industrial pyrolysis power plant as a feedstock for preparation of activated carbon (AC). Sunflower biomass by-products contain up to 70 % of carbon with residual seed husk components, have low specific surface area (less than 21 m2 g−1) and smaller number of oxygen-containing groups in comparison with wood-based biochars. The main process parameters of AC preparation, namely a type of an activation agent (organic solvent, HNO3, NaOH), temperature and duration of the carbonization step, were optimized in respect to adsorption efficiency. We found that simple pre-treatment of sunflower biomass with tetrahydrofuran easily converts it into biochar precursor having large number of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups. Further thermal and chemical activation of the biochar precursor results in formation of AC products with specific surface area in the range from 625 to 980 m2 g−1 and from 1000 to 1755 m2 g−1, respectively. Methylene blue (MB) was used as a test molecule for characterization of adsorption properties of the obtained AC. Kinetics studies showed that MB adsorption on AC is fast and follows pseudo-second-order model. MB adsorption on biochar and AC is well described by Langmuir isotherm, assuming monolayer formation of MB on the surface of adsorbents via chemical interactions. Adsorption capacity of AC towards MB achieved by nitric acid activation is higher (379.0 mg g−1) than capacity of benchmark commercial activated carbon from Norit. The study opens up possibilities for the development of by-product-based adsorbents via the straightforward, eco-friendly approach, with specific focus on the economic effect achieved with these materials.

Evaluation of the adsorptive removal of cationic dyes by greening biochar derived from agricultural bio-waste of rice husk

In this study, biochar derived from agricultural bio-wastes of rice husk was used as a biosorbent for dye sequestration of Basic Blue 41 (BB41) and Basic Red 09 (BR09) from the aqueous solution. The structural characteristics of the biochar were performed through TGA, BET, SEM, EDX, and FTIR. The experimental conditions proved that 80% of dye removal was attained in the optimal operating conditions (dosage of 6 g L−1 (BB41), 1 g L−1 (BR09), pH of 7 (BB41) and 8 (BR09), temperature of 35 °C, and initial dye concentration of 50 mg L−1). Four different isotherms models were used to describe the adsorption process. Based on the correlation coefficient and percentage of error values, BB41 and BR09 sorption revealed that Langmuir model has better fit when compared to other models. The maximum adsorption capacities of BB41 and BR09 on rice husk biochar are 17.596 mg g−1 and 168.49 mg g−1, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters △H < 0 and △G < 0 indicated that the whole adsorption process of rice husk biochar to BB41 and BR09 is exothermic and spontaneous at low temperature. The regeneration studies were carried out with different elutants to confirm the elution efficiency of the sorbent. The results indicate the biochar derived from agricultural bio-waste of rice husk was a potentially greening biosorbent for the dye sequestration from wastewater.

Transformation of Biowaste for Medical Applications: Incorporation of Biologically Derived Silver Nanoparticles as Antimicrobial Coating.

Nanobiotechnology has undoubtedly influenced major breakthroughs in medical sciences. Application of nanosized materials has made it possible for researchers to investigate a broad spectrum of treatments for diseases with minimally invasive procedures. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been a subject of investigation for numerous applications in agriculture, water treatment, biosensors, textiles, and the food industry as well as in the medical field, mainly due to their antimicrobial properties and nanoparticle nature. In general, AgNPs are known for their superior physical, chemical, and biological properties. The properties of AgNPs differ based on their methods of synthesis and to date, the biological method has been preferred because it is rapid, nontoxic, and can produce well-defined size and morphology under optimized conditions. Nevertheless, the common issue concerning biological or biobased production is its sustainability. Researchers have employed various strategies in addressing this shortcoming, such as recently testing agricultural biowastes such as fruit peels for the synthesis of AgNPs. The use of biowastes is definitely cost-effective and eco-friendly; moreover, it has been reported that the reduction process is simple and rapid with reasonably high yield. This review aims to address the developments in using fruit- and vegetable-based biowastes for biologically producing AgNPs to be applied as antimicrobial coatings in biomedical applications.

Comparative Study on the Treatment of Leachate from a Mine Waste Dump with Two Agricultural Biowastes

Mining waste dumps are present all over the world. One of the main problems of these solid deposits is the migration of heavy metals present in them due to the aqueous solutions flowing through them. The comparison of the removal of heavy metals from an aqueous solution of a real mining waste leachate under different conditions by two different agricultural wastes has been investigated. The effect of pH, contact time and dosage was studied using coffee grounds (CG) and walnut shells (WS), without pretreatment. The results obtained in the study showed the potential use of CG and WS for the removal of heavy metals, although the coffee grounds are the best adsorbents than the walnut shell.

Use of agricultural bio-wastes to remove arsenic from contaminated water.

Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic metalloid. High As levels have been recorded in groundwater aquifers at a global scale. This study investigated As level in groundwater of District Vehari and assessed the potential of different agricultural by-products (sugarcane bagasse, cottonseed hulls, soybean hulls, corncobs and rice husk) to remove As from water. The study was carried out in two steps. In the first step, a total of 38 groundwater samples were obtained from Vehari. Groundwater samples were analyzed for total As contents and physicochemical parameters. Results indicated that As content ranged from below detection limit to 49µg/L in the groundwater samples. The values of hazard quotient and cancer risk were up to 1.5 and 0.0004, respectively, which delineated severe risk of As poisoning. During the second step, six As-contaminated groundwater samples (total As contents: 49, 40, 29, 24, 18, 16µg/L) were selected to remove As using agricultural by-products. Furthermore, four As solutions (200, 100, 50 and 25µg/L) were prepared in the laboratory. Results revealed that corncobs and soybean hulls removed, respectively, 98% and 71% As from aqueous mediums after 120min. Moreover, agricultural by-products were less effective in removing As from groundwater samples than synthetic solutions. The adsorption/removal capacity of by-products was lower at low initial As concentration compared to high initial levels, which needs further studies to explore the underlying mechanisms. Overall, the As removal efficiency of agriculture by-products differed significantly with respect to initial As level, contamination category, type of agricultural by-products and interaction duration. Therefore, these aspects need to be optimized before the possible use of an agricultural by-product as a potential biosorbent.

Preparation and characterization of high value-added activated carbon derived from biowaste walnut shell by KOH activation for supercapacitor electrode

Walnut shell, a renewable and easy-accessible agricultural biowaste, was utilized as a precursor for the preparation of activated carbon materials with KOH activation in this study. After a series of activation processes, therefore, the activated carbon derived from walnut shells achieved a specific surface area of 1016.4 m2/g. With the advantage of low cost and environmental friendly, the prepared carbon materials have superior electrochemical performance and excellent prospects in the application of supercapacitor electrodes. The morphology and textural properties of the AC samples were examined by N2 adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and FTIR spectra. All the electrode samples exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. The AC-650 electrode achieved a maximum specific capacitance of 169.2 F/g at current density of 0.5 A/g in 6 M KOH electrolyte. This work provided an effective approach for the treatment and utilization of agricultural biowastes, which was worthwhile for economic, environmental, and societal viewpoints.

Potential of Jackfruit Waste for Biogas, Briquettes and as a Carbondioxide Sink-A Review

One of the key aspects of a green economic development model of a country is to develop indigenous resources and local expertise while utilizing sustainable technologies. This review explored the possibilities of utilizing jackfruit waste for production of biogas, briquettes and biochar. In many of the developing countries, there is huge potential for organic waste conversion into appropriate energy solutions. These can contribute to developing rural areas especially small holder farmers and diversifying the available energy sources. Biomass waste like jackfruit waste when managed well can produce bio-energy, but also the GHG emissions need to be reduced from unmanaged, decomposing organic material. When put to use, agricultural biowastes like jackfruit waste could be used as raw materials in the production of bio-products (biofuels, biochar, bio pesticides), briquettes, among others. The biochar can be mixed with the soil producing carbon-rich soils and contribute to CO2 sequestration and soil fertility. This paper reviews works focused on using jackfruit waste for anaerobically producing of biogas, briquettes and biochar for improved crop production. The paper concluded that jackfruit waste can anaerobically decompose to produce biogas and it can also be used for briquette production. It was further concluded that jackfruit waste can undergo decomposition at high temperatures to produce biochar which can be incorporated into the soil creating a CO2 sink hence helping in mitigating the effects of the climate change.

Bio-Based Substances from the Compost of Bio-Waste for Decontamination of Waste Water

A literature survey shows that the valorization of urban and/or agricultural biowastes into chemicals has caught the attention of experts and is gradually becoming quite an important issue. This review presents the application of the Bio-Based Substances (BBS) isolated from the compost of bio-wastes from urban gardening and park trimming residues. The non-cost BBS has been well studied in the literature. BBS are biological macromolecules with a complex lignin-derived structure containing several functional groups, viz., the acid and basic functional groups. These functional groups are bonded to aromatic and aliphatic chains. BBS are mainly acidic in nature, and therefore it is possible to employ them for the surface functionalization of specific inorganic oxides to produce new hybrid materials having a different surface charge. The surface character (surface charge) of new hybrid materials has been modified and developed through an easy and green way for the removal of pollutants from waste water.

Formation and regulatory mechanisms of N-containing gaseous pollutants during stage-pyrolysis of agricultural biowastes

Abstract Process control of fuel-bound nitrogen conversion into N-containing gaseous pollutants was essential for thermal utilization of agricultural biowastes. In this study, decisive formation pathways and regulatory mechanisms of two N-containing gaseous pollutants (NH3 and HCN) were probed via stage pyrolysis of three typical ones involving bean straw, rice straw and wheat straw. Formation characteristics of N-containing gaseous pollutants for single-stage and two-stage pyrolysis were quantitatively compared. Results indicated that consistent formation pathways of N-containing gaseous pollutants were elucidated by direct and indirect conversion of similar types of fuel-bound nitrogen - amide-N/amine-N/amino-N in agricultural biowastes. Specifically, two N-containing gaseous pollutants were hardly associated with primary pyrolysis of amide-N/amine-N/amino-N types (direct conversion) while dominantly determined by secondary reactions of subsequent nitrogen intermediates in chars and tars (indirect conversion); secondary reactions referring to hydrogenation of heterocyclic-N in chars and dehydrogenation of amine-N in tars were more responsible for NH3–N and HCN–N, respectively, leading to a maximal total yield of 45–50 wt.%. Consequently, compared to single-stage pyrolysis under same conditions, two-stage pyrolysis could manipulate intensities of formation pathways at different pyrolysis stages through employing differential intermediate feedstocks for re-pyrolysis, minimizing the ratio of total yield by 57–60% with a greater effect on HCN–N yield (76–83%) than NH3–N yield (45–50%), which exhibited an excellent regulatory capacity on the formation of N-containing gaseous pollutants for agricultural biowastes. These findings were favorable for developing some insights into emission control of N-containing gaseous pollutants (intermediate and final) during their thermal utilization.

High-performance hierarchical N-doped porous carbons from hydrothermally carbonized bamboo shoot shells for symmetric supercapacitors

Abstract Biomass-derived porous carbons have become the most competitive electrode materials for supercapacitor due to their renewability and sustainability. Here we report a facile method to synthesize N-doped hierarchical carbons from hydrothermal carbonization followed by a mild KOH activation, using agricultural biowastes of bamboo shoot shells as raw materials and melamine as nitrogen source. The pore structure and surface-doping chemistry of carbons can be easily adjusted by changing activation temperature, showing surface areas of ∼3300 m2/g with main mesopores centering at ∼2.8 nm. The carbons used as electrodes for supercapacitor showed excellent capacitive performance with capacitance of 209 F/g in 6 M KOH electrolytes at 0.5 A/g, and remained to be 188 F/g even at high current density of 10 A/g. In addition, the as-assembled supercapacitor also exhibited superior cycling stability with capacity retention of 95% at 10 A/g even after 10,000 cycles. The effective carbon conversion from the discarded biowastes exhibits great potential in resources recycles for energy storage supercapacitors.

New nano-biomaterials for the removal of malachite green from aqueous solution via a response surface methodology

The development of new biomaterials for the remove of organic contaminants from wastewater has attracted much attention over the few past years. One of the most cost-effective approaches is to produce new high value biomaterials from low value solid agricultural biowastes. In this work, sugarcane bagasse and agricultural waste rich in reducing sugars, acted as both a green bioreductant for graphene oxide (GO) and a sustainable supporter for the immobilization of Burkholderia cepacia. Therefore, this new biomaterial which contained both reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and Burkholderia cepacia, was cable of initial adsorption of malachite green (MG) and its subsequent biodegradation. After 60 h, immobilized Burkholderia cepacia degraded more MG (98.5%) than a cell cultured Burkholderia cepacia (87.7%) alone. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that GO was successfully reduced by bagasse and that consequently a composite (B-RGO) was prepared. SEM indicated that Burkholderia cepacia was well immobilized and kinetics studies showed that the adsorption of MG onto the developed composite fitted a pseudo-second order kinetics model (R2 > 0.99). Biodegradation of MG, was confirmed by the detection of appropriate degradation products such as N, N-dimethylaniline and 4-(Dimethylamino) benzophenone using GC-MS, UV and FT-IR, and via best fit first-order biodegration kinetics. Furthermore, a response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to the removal process by varying four independent parameters using a Box-Behnken design (BBD). Optimum MG removal (99.3%) was achieved at 31.5 °C, with an initial MG concentration of 114.5 mg L−1, initial pH of 5.85, and an adsorbent dosage of 0.11 g L −1. The excellent removal efficiency indicated that agricultural waste derived reduced graphene oxide bio-adsorbents have significant potential for the removal of dyes such as MG from industrial wastewaters.