Amount Of Agricultural Waste Research Articles

Creating Renewable Energy from Agricultural Wastes in Nigeria and Enabling Policy and Legal Framework

Agricultural wastes will continue to rise as the demand for agricultural produce continues to increase to feed the growing world population. The processing of the agricultural produce and the management system of the wastes require energy, making it imperative to look for the energy source that will reduce the dire environmental consequences of fossil fuel. This study therefore aimed to estimate the renewable energy (electricity) that will be available from agricultural wastes in Nigeria, while the objectives are to review literate to identify the types and quantities of agricultural wastes, estimate the biogas potentials of the identified agricultural wastes, to determine the energy equivalent in firewood, for kerosine, and electricity generation from the biogas, as well as review the enabling policy and legal framework that empowers corporate bodies and individuals to generate electricity from biomass. This study relied on current available secondary data. Results from this study revealed that crop residue from maize, cassava, rice, sorghum represent 16.4%, 22.3%, 12.1% and 19.3% respectively; millet contributed (7.2%); cowpea (4.9%); others ranged from 0.1% (wheat) to 3.0% (yam). The estimated biogas potential in billion m3 year-1 revealed that cattle manure represents 47.9%, followed by crop residue (15.5%). Abattoir wastes represent 11.1% while goat manure represents 10.5%. Others are sheep (6.48%), poultry (6.28%) and pig (2.3%). This study further reported 578.4 million tons year-1 from cattle manure, 44.5 million tons year-1 from sheep manure, 72.1 million tons year-1 from goat manure. In terms of crop residues, this study reported a waste of about 6.2 billion tons year-1 in total. The value of biogas potential from this study revealed about 19.1 billion m3 from cattle manure, about 2.6 billion m3 from sheep and about 4.2 billion m3 from goat. In terms of potential electricity generation from these wastes, this study found about 18.7 billion kwh of electricity will be available for utilization. This study therefore recommends that Nigeria should consider the use of biomass as one of the ways to address her energy challenges, preserve her environment and become a self- reliant economy.

Pyrolysis of corn stalks: The potential of using bio-oil as a fuel

Due to the increasing consumption of fossil fuels, there is a growing demand for renewable energy resources. At the same time, a significant amount of agricultural waste accumulates, including corn residues, and efficient management of this waste is a challenge. In this work, the waste biomass, which consisted of the stalks of two types of corn, was characterized and subjected to the pyrolysis process at 400?C. Physicochemical characterization of the obtained liquid fraction (bio-oil) was performed, and the obtained data were compared with literature data for liquid biofuel. The calorific value of bio-oil was above 22 MJ kg-1, which indicates the good potential of waste corn biomass as an energy source. With appropriate further changes in the composition of waste, by adding materials with a higher carbon and hydrogen content, corn stalks can represent a significant energy source, with better regulation of disposal and storage of agricultural waste.

Few case studies as ideas for zero-waste from food production and processing

Globally, the amount of agricultural waste is huge but not properly utilized yet. Precisely, about one billion tons of food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. This wastage global economy costs are estimated at US$ 1 trillion on annual level. The definition of food waste varies globally depending on where food waste occurs in the food supply and consumption chain, how it is generated, and what it covers. This review is a compilation of few different approaches in the context of zero waste from food production and processing. Soybean hull exploitation due to mass production of tofu, soymilk, edamame, tofu sausages and burgers, soy breads, soy pasta and soymilk yoghurts and cheeses, animal feed leads to a formation of high waste load. There are several available ways for soybean hull valorization: as a biofertilizer, as a substrate for microbial growth, as an adsorbent, for extraction of antioxidants and in our case for extraction of enzymes. The global consumption of coffee is approximately 10 million tons, resulting in a substantial production of spent coffee grounds (SCG) worldwide. However, this by-product has recently gained attention as a valuable source of usable compounds, particularly in our case for essential oils. During the cheese production process, the whey obtained as a by-product can be used as a raw material for development of new dairy products and in the same time to prevent the potential pollution of natural watercourses. The valorisation of the waste whey obtained in the cheese production by using it in the development of new products also contributes in the environment protection. In N. Macedonia, about 1000 tons of blood waste from industrial slaughterhouses flow into natural watercourses every year and it can find application in various industries. These are just a few examples that show that the possibilities for the implementation of the zero-waste concept are unlimited.

Performance Evaluation of Ternary Blends of Pulverized Cow Bone Ash and Waste Glass Powder on the Strength Properties of Concrete

The amounts of agricultural waste in cow bone and industrial waste glass in Nigeria have been expanding significantly, thereby increasing the danger to general wellbeing particularly in urban communities. This research examined the suitability of ternary blends of pulverized cow bone ash and waste glass powder (PCBAWGP) equally combined and partially replaced Portland cement in 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 % percentages in concrete production. Physical and chemical properties were done on the concrete constituent materials. Compressive and tensile strengths of the hardened concrete of grade M20, mix proportion 1:2.17:3.4 were tested after 7, 14, 28, 60 and 90 days. The result of the physical properties uncovered that PCBAWGP had 2.70, 2.05 % and 1364 kg/m3 for specific gravity, moisture content and bulk density, respectively. From the consequences of the compressive strength, it showed that as the curing age of the concrete increases, the compressive strength expanded, the compressive strength outcomes at 10 % PCBAWGP partially replaced concrete is 15.55, 24.15, 19.85, 27.60 and 37.98 N/mm2 individually at 7, 14, 28, 60 and 90 days. At 90 days curing age, the tensile strength results for the control mix and 20 % PCBAWGP replacement was 2.72 and 1.88 N/mm2, respectively. The concrete strengths improved with concrete age and this was statistically affirmed utilizing ANOVA. This investigation showed that utilizing PCBAWGP in concrete is sustainable thereby reducing the dumped wastes and lessen CO2 outflows into the atmosphere by diminishing the extent of Portland cement in unit volume of cement produced.
 HIGHLIGHTS
 
 The compressive strength of concrete reduces as % pulverized cow bone ash and waste glass powder PCBAWGP increases. The compressive strength generally increases with increase in age of curing. The minimum and maximum compressive strength of concrete at 10 and 40 % PCBAWGP content for 1:2.17:3.4 concrete mix ratio at 28- and 90-days curing age are 19.85, 37.98 N/mm2 and 15.68, 22.31 N/mm2, respectively
 The minimum and maximum tensile strength of concrete at 10 and 40 % PCBAWGP at 28- and 90-days curing age are 1.71, 2.19 N/mm2 and 0.70, 1.55 N/mm, respectively
 The result of the water absorption tests at 28 days and 90 days showed that concrete samples containing PCBAWGP built up a superior protection from harm by freezing as their outcomes were less than 7 % recommendation
 Concrete containing PCBAWGP contents up to 20 % as partial replacement for cement, fulfills the strength required for normal concrete
 From the production comparative cost analysis, concrete with PCBAWGP content, as partial substitution for cement, is cheaper than conventional concrete of equivalent strength
 
 GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Spatial analysis to quantify and localise the residual cardoon stem fibres as potential bio-reinforcements for building materials

ABSTRACT Today in Europe building-sector is responsible for the 50% of air pollution and for 70% of waste production. For this reason, researchers’ interest is focused on new eco-building materials that are sustainable, with low impact, renewable and recyclable. In this context, in the last few years, the use of cellulose-based fibres as potential reinforcements for bio-composite materials, instead of synthetic one, received worldwide growing attention. Among natural fibres, both cellulose and protein-based ones, in literature it was found that, due to its mechanical properties, artichoke fibre is suitable for this use. In this study, a Geographical Information System (GIS) – based model to locate and quantify the yearly amount of agricultural waste coming from Cynara cardunculus L. (CW) cultivation was put forward and was applied in a study area located in Southern Italy. As an additional protein-based fibre, sheep wool fibre was also taken into account due to the high presence of sheep. The estimated available amount of both considered fibres was reported in a GIS map in order to show their distribution at territorial level. The achieved results could represent basic information for both sustainable locating collection centre and analysing the environmental impact related to the logistics and supply phase.

Partially substitution of wheat flour by coconut residues in bakery products and their physical and sensorial properties

The food process generates certain amounts of agricultural wastes and by-products. These materials are considerably non-valuable and normally sold for livestock feed. Coconut residue is one of the by-products obtained from coconut milk extraction. Thus, this study was aimed to valorise coconut residue powder (CRP) by partial substitution of wheat flour in deep fried donut and butter cookies and to investigate how different CRP substitution levels affect the physical and sensorial qualities of these bakery products. CRP was prepared by drying coconut residues at 55oC for 9 hrs, size reducing with a blender at 24,000 rpm for 40 s and sieving through a 35-mesh sifter. Protein, ash, fat and carbohydrate contents of coconut flour were 3.82, 0.72, 39.83 and 55.64% on dry basis, respectively. After the utilization of CRP by partial substitution wheat flour in deep fried donut (5%, 10% and 15%) and butter cookies (10%, 15% and 20%), it was found that CRP can substitute wheat flour in the donut and cookies productions by 10% and 15%, respectively. Donuts with higher substitution levels had lower specific volume but higher L*, a*, ∆E*-values, hardness and chewiness. For butter cookies, an increase in CRP substitution level led to higher hardness but it did not significantly affect the fracturability and the ∆E*-value. An increase in CRP substitution level also reduced the overall-liking score. The overall-liking scores of fried donuts with 10% CRP substitution level and butter cookies with 15% CRP substitution level were 6.43 (slightly like) and 7.00 (moderately like), respectively. This study showed the value-adding of agricultural waste such as coconut residue by its application in food production.

Bio-waste valorisation: Agricultural wastes as biosorbents for removal of (in)organic pollutants in wastewater treatment

The conventional waste management practices dispose or incinerate agricultural and forestry waste, contributing to the environmental pollution while misusing biomass, a valuable resource with a great potential of reuse. In fact, cultivation of agricultural crops and harvesting generate an abundant amount of waste (e.g., stones, shells, straw) that can be used for wastewater treatment. Waste biomass may be used as: (i) an adsorbent in its original, raw form, following ambient drying and grinding; (ii) modified bio-based sorbents; or (iii) a source material for the synthesis of activated carbon adsorbents through carbonization. Despite the numerous publications in this field examining the removal of a wide range of target pollutants (metals, metalloids, dyes, pesticides, as well as emerging contaminants) by several materials, more realistic studies are still required to evaluate the potential to remove residual compounds in complex matrices, by testing natural matrices, i.e., environmental samples without spiking the target compounds.This perspective paper highlights how an integrated-engineering approach may help solving environmental-pollution issues related to water, solid waste, and air pollution. Chiefly, the application of locally produced bio-waste as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment tackles water contamination, decreases the overall amount of agricultural waste, and reduces the potential gas emissions caused by waste transportation, treatment and/or disposal.

Indigenous Technique of Biochar Production and Effect of Biochar Application on the Geotechnical Properties of the Expansive Soils

Expansive soils have been a source of risk to human beings as they causes huge economic loss including damage to buildings, roads and other civil infrastructures because of their low compressive strength and excessive settlement characteristics. One of the available options is to replace such soils before starting any civil engineering construction but looking to huge costs involved in replacement; it is generally not practiced nowadays. Another viable alternative is to improve the engineering properties of such soils through stabilization. The conventional methods of stabilization make use of cement, lime, fly ash, rice husk ash, sawdust ash and other fibrous materials. Researchers are always finding alternative methods of soil stabilization making use of modern scientific techniques which are cost-effective as well as eco-friendly in nature. The present study focuses on producing biochar from agricultural crop residues and making use of it for stabilizing the expansive soils. India being an agricultural country produces a large volume of crop residues which creates an environmental problem in absence of proper management and disposal system. Indian farmers generally practice stubble burning in their fields which causes emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and at the same time damage to the soil biota. A simple indigenous method of producing biochar has been developed wherein the crop residues are converted into biochar which is further applied to expansive soils as a stabilizing agent to improve the physical, chemical and engineering properties. In India, not much work has been carried out hitherto on biochar application to soils. The process of making biochar and the effects of utilizing biochar on the properties of expansive soil have been presented in this paper, which will prove useful for the Indian context where large quantities of agricultural wastes are produced that create environmental air pollution when burnt openly in fields.

UTILIZATION OF BAMBOO FIBER AND COCONUT COIR IN THE PRODUCTION OF CEMENT--BONDED BOARD

Each year, the amount of agricultural wastes is growing faster than the rate of urbanization in the country. People from different parts of the country and the world are mostly unaware on how to utilize these wastes and recycle them into useful and sustainable materials. One of the approaches in reusing these agricultural wastes is to utilize them as a substitute for wood in the fabrication of panel products. Cement-- bonded boards, for instance, is one of those restoration inventions of the 20th century which can be an alternative to timber products in constructing internal and external walls, partitions, ceilings, roof sheathing, to name a few. This research aimed to contribute to these small but growing empirical literatures and studies on particleboard technology by to utilizing agricultural wastes such as bamboo and coconut coir fibers in the production of cement--bonded particleboards. Using an experimental research design, the researchers produced three experimental samples with three different fiber -- cement ratios. These samples underwent several tests that determined their physical and mechanical properties. Based on the results, it was found out that the sample boards with 3.2% fiber obtained the highest strength of 5.31 MPa, which was higher than the standard strength for particle boards. It also passed the nail head pull through test and obtained an optimum result of 223.88 kg. Furthermore, it also exhibited 1.03% thickness swelling and 8.58% water absorption which was way better compared to commercially available particle boards.

Characterization of biochar from pyrolysis of corn residues in a semi-continuous carbonizer

Thailand is a major agro-industrial country with many economic crops including corn. In northern part of the country, harvesting of corn grain generates massive amounts of agricultural waste, including corn cobs, peels, leaves and stalks. Open burning of biomass is a common practice as a low-cost, low-effort means in disposing of crop residues and controlling weeds in the field. It releases large quantities of particulate and gaseous pollutants to the atmosphere. The practice has significantly negative impact on the environment and human health. These corn residues can be utilized for renewable energy. A promising alternative to burning is carbonization. Carbonization or slow pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion of solid organic materials at elevated temperature in the absence of air or oxygen. Through thermal decomposition processes, a solid product called biochar as well as gaseous and liquid byproducts are generated. The objectives of this work were to demonstrate a practical production of biochar from corn cobs in a modern semi-continuous carbonizer, and to evaluate its performance in terms of reaction temperatures attained, overall processing time, biochar yields and properties. Experiments were carried out in a retort typed, cylindrical drum mounted horizontally. Its dimension was 1.5 m long with inside diameter of 1.05 m. The carbonizer was externally heated by combustion of solid biomass and pyrolysis gas in a grated furnace. It was also equipped with slowly rotating paddle. For each test, about 90-120 kg of corn cobs was fed into the reactor. Temperatures at various locations inside the carbonization chamber were recorded and used as representative for pyrolysis temperature. The end of operation for a certain condition was determined by checking that combustible gas was no longer released and the pyrolysis flame was no longer sustained. The reactor was then unloaded and the resulting biochar was left to cool down to room temperature in a closed container. Subsequently, the solid char products were collected, weighed and sent for analysis. Large amount of corn cobs was successfully converted to good quality biochar in a semi-continuous carbonization reactor system. The system was shown to operate well. Biochar yields of 23 – 33 % were obtained, with the heating value as high as 24 MJ/kg. The process took around 2.5 h at maximum loading. The study showed that valuable solid products can be obtained from corn cobs via slow pyrolysis process.

Optimization of mechanical properties in foamcrete reinforced with raw oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber

As Malaysia currently heading to biotechnology hub, it is expected that billions tons of palm oil by-products will be produced annually and normally been treated as waste disposal. A large amount of agricultural waste produced in the processing of palm oil is one of the main contributors to the environmental problem. This paper presents an experimental study on the development of the lightweight foamcrete with the inclusion of raw oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber. EFB fiber has potential to be developed as alternative fibers in fiber reinforcing concrete. The study was focused on 4 mechanical property parameters which were axial compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength and performance index. Three densities of lightweight foamcrete of 800, 1100 and 1400 kg/m3 were cast and tested. The ratio of cement, sand and water used in this study was 1:1.5:0.45. EFB fibers were used as additives at 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45%, 0.60% and 0.75% by volume of the total mix. The results obtained from the experiments had indicated that the flexural strength of foamcrete reinforced with raw oil palm EFB fiber at different percentages for 800, 1100 and 1400kg/m3 densities correspondingly. For all densities, 0.45% EFB fiber reinforced foamcrete contributed to highest flexural strength. Same pattern can be observed on the compressive and splitting tensile strengths. EFB fiber aid in precluding the promulgation of cracks in the plastic state when load was applied. When the lightweight foamed concrete expands under axial compression and splitting tensile loads which will lead to cracking, the crack has a restricted distance over which it can spread before reaching the EFB fiber, preventing the crack from growing further. EFB fibers which were randomly dispersed in the mix provide three dimension reinforcement compared to the traditional rebar which provides two dimension reinforcement.

Treatment of Oily Waste Using Activated Carbon from Agriculture Waste

Malaysia is one of the main crude oil exporters among countries in Association of South East Asian Nations, ASEAN. Therefore, oil is widely used in many sectors, especially in transportation sectors, and it will produce a lot of oil-based waste that will harm environment. Activated carbon can help to treat this waste by using the permeable reactive barrier (PRB) concept. At the same time, Malaysia is also an agricultural based country which produces a massive amount of agricultural waste. In this study, sugarcane bagasse, corn cob and pineapple's core is chosen to produce activated carbon by using furnace heating processing and microwave processing.

Applications of Thermostable Cellulolytic Bacteria to Agricultural Wastes

At the present time the demand for energy, goods and materials is surging because of advanced technology and population growth. However, the resources on earth are limited. For this reason, the issues concerning using the resources effectively and changing them into energy are important. Taiwan creates a vast amount of agricultural waste every year. Traditionally, the agricultural waste would be burned and buried. It is not only the fact that we can’t reuse and recycle the agricultural waste, but also the problem of air pollution when they were burned. Therefore, it is necessary to create a solution that can recycle and reuse the agricultural waste, and change them into energy. The agricultural waste is full of wood fiber, and it can be reduced by a microorganism method. This study will use a common agricultural waste which is cane because it is one of the main agricultural products in Taiwan. The wood fiber in cane will be added to the thermostable cellulolytic bacterial Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4 which is found from in sugar refinery wastewater found often in Southern Taiwan. The results showed that T4 can increase the rate of reducing sugar. The reduced sugar can then translate into energy. This method can help to recycle and reuse agricultural waste, and it will decrease environmental pollution.

Energy life cycle assessment of rice straw bio-energy derived from potential gasification technologies

To be a viable alternative, a biofuel should provide a net energy gain and be capable of being produced in large quantities without reducing food supplies. Amounts of agricultural waste are produced and require treatment, with rice straw contributing the greatest source of such potential bio-fuel in Taiwan. Through life-cycle accounting, several energy indicators and four potential gasification technologies (PGT) were evaluated. The input energy steps for the energy life cycle assessment (ELCA) include collection, generator, torrefaction, crushing, briquetting, transportation, energy production, condensation, air pollution control and distribution of biofuels to the point of end use. Every PGT has a positive energy benefit. The input of energy required for the transportation and pre-treatment are major steps in the ELCA. On-site briquetting of refused-derived fuel (RDF) provides an alternative means of reducing transportation energy requirements. Bio-energy sources, such as waste rice straw, provide an ideal material for the bio-fuel plant.

Agro-Based Biocomposites for Industrial Applications

Leaf fibers are fibers that run lengthwise through the leaves of most monocotyledonous plants such as pineapple, banana, etc. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) and Banana (Musa indica) are emerging fiber having a very large potential to be used for composite materials. Over 150,000 ha of pineapple and over 100,000 ha of banana plantations are available in Brazil for the fruit production and enormous amount of agricultural waste is produced. This residual waste represents one of the single largest sources of cellulose fibers available at almost no cost. The potential consumers for this fiber are pulp and paper, chemical feedstock, textiles and composites for the automotive, furniture and civil construction industry.

FINGERPRINTING OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF AEROBIC COMPOSTING PROCESSES OF AGRICULTURAL WASTES BY ON-LINE COMBINATION OF LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY AND MASS SPECTROMETRY

Liquid chromatography (LC) was employed in conjunction to mass spectrometry (MS) to develop a straightforward LC-MS procedure for monitoring the variation of functionalized nonpolar organic compounds during the development of an aerobic composting process of agricultural wastes. The LC separation was performed by a reversed-phase microbore HPLC octadecyl-silica column, which was eluted by a linear acetonitrile gradient in water. The reversed-phase HPLC column was connected on-line to a triploquadrupole mass spectrometer by an atmospheric pressure ionization interface. Weighed amounts of agricultural wastes sampled at different time intervals during the aerobic composting process were extracted by dichloromethane and analyzed by LC-MS. The resulting fingerprinting offered a means to monitor the variations of functionalized nonpolar compounds during the aerobic process and indicate the presence of compounds that are not degraded by the biotranformation, such as ursolic acid and β-sitosterol.