Hazardous Waste Production Research Articles

Impact of intervention on healthcare waste management practices in a tertiary care governmental hospital of Nepal.

BackgroundHealthcare waste is produced from various therapeutic procedures performed in hospitals, such as chemotherapy, dialysis, surgery, delivery, resection of gangrenous organs, autopsy, biopsy, injections, etc. These result in the production of non-hazardous waste (75–95%) and hazardous waste (10–25%), such as sharps, infectious, chemical, pharmaceutical, radioactive waste, and pressurized containers (e.g., inhaler cans). Improper healthcare waste management may lead to the transmission of hepatitis B, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.MethodsThis evaluation of waste management practices was carried out at gynaecology, obstetrics, paediatrics, medicine and orthopaedics wards at Government of Nepal Civil Service Hospital, Kathmandu from February 12 to October 15, 2013, with the permission from healthcare waste management committee at the hospital. The Individualized Rapid Assessment tool (IRAT), developed by the United Nations Development Program Global Environment Facility project, was used to collect pre-interventional and post-interventional performance scores concerning waste management. The healthcare waste management committee was formed of representing various departments. The study included responses from focal nurses and physicians from the gynaecology, obstetrics, paediatrics, medicine and orthopaedics wards, and waste handlers during the study period. Data included average scores from 40 responders. Scores were based on compliance with the IRAT.ResultsThe waste management policy and standard operating procedure were developed after interventions, and they were consistent with the national and international laws and regulations. The committee developed a plan for recycling or waste minimization. Health professionals, such as doctors, nurses and waste handlers, were trained on waste management practices. The programs included segregation, collection, handling, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste, as well as occupational health and safety issues. The committee developed a plan for treatment and disposal of chemical and pharmaceutical waste. Pretest and posttest evaluation scores were 26% and 86% respectively.ConclusionsDuring the pre-intervention period, the hospital had no HCWM Committee, policy, standard operating procedure or proper color coding system for waste segregation, collection, transportation and storage and the specific well-trained waste handlers. Doctors, nurses and waste handlers were trained on HCWM practices, after interventions. Significant improvements were observed between the pre- and post-intervention periods.

New Porous Material Made from Industrial and Municipal Waste for Building Application

The aim of this study was to find a new method for usage of the hazardous waste coming from recycling industry. Two hazardous wastes – aluminium recycling final dross or non-metallic product (NMP) and lead – silica glass (LSG) were investigated. It is generally considered that NMP is a process waste and subject to disposal after residual metal has been recovered from primary dross. NMP is impurities which are removed from the molten metal in dross recycling process and it could be defined as a hazardous waste product in aluminium recycling industry. LSG comes from fluorescence lamp recycling plant and could be classified as hazardous waste due to high amount of lead in the composition and re-melting problems. The new alkali activated material, which can be defined as porous building material, was created. Composition of this material consisted of aluminium recycling waste, recycled fluorescent lamp LSG, sintered kaolin clay as well as commercially available alkali flakes (NaOH) and liquid glass (Na2SiO3 + nH2O). Physical and mechanical properties of the obtained material were tested. Density of the obtained material was from (460 – 550) kg/m 3 and the total porosity was from 82 % – 83 %. The compressive strength of the material was in range from 1.1 MPa to 2.3 MPa. The thermal conductivity was determined. The pore microstructure was investigated and the mineralogical composition of porous material was determined.

Reuse of ferric sludge as an iron source for the Fenton-based process in wastewater treatment

Abstract A mature municipal landfill leachate (S1), a wood soaking basin effluent from a plywood manufacturing plant (S2), and a leachate collected from a semicoke landfill area of an oil-shale thermal treatment plant (S3) were subjected to the Fenton/Fenton-based treatment (H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ , H 2 O 2 /Fe 3+ and H 2 O 2 /sludge systems). The results of ferric coagulation trials indicated a high efficacy in S2; thus, only pre-coagulated samples (cS2) were further treated by the H 2 O 2 /iron systems. Irrespective of reaction duration, S1 was more recalcitrant to oxidation than cS2 and S3. The optimal COD/H 2 O 2 weight ratio for cS2 and S3 was 1:1 with respective 21(35) and 36(45)% residual COD(DOC). In the case of S1, the COD/H 2 O 2 w/w of 1:3.45 proved the most efficient with 30 and 35% residual COD and DOC, respectively. The results also indicated an increase in BOD 7 /COD ratio and a reduction in the acute toxicity to Daphnia magna of the studied wastewater samples after the Fenton/Fenton-based treatment. The application of the Fenton-based process catalysed with iron-containing sludge exhibited efficacies similar to classical Fenton treatment over four reuse cycles. The reuse of ferric sludge without any regeneration as an iron source in the Fenton-based process was displayed as a feasible solution to minimise the production of hazardous ferric waste and reduce the overall cost of the treatment process.

Silver-Modified Nano-titania as an Antibacterial Agent and Photocatalyst

With the increasing demand for nanomaterials, it is essential that they are produced, where possible, by sustainable or “green” synthesis methods, avoiding environmentally harmful processes and solvents, with the aim of reducing the production of hazardous byproducts and wastes and minimizing environmental impact. In this work, Ag-modified titania nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via a green aqueous sol–gel method. The products of the synthesis were thermally treated at 450 and 600 °C, and their photocatalytic (in liquid–solid and gas–solid phases) and antibacterial properties were assessed using both UV- and visible-light exposure. The microstructure and phase composition of the prepared samples were also characterized using advanced X-ray powder diffraction methods (whole powder pattern modeling). Results showed that both the amount of Ag and the thermal treatment greatly influenced not only the phase composition and microstructure but also the functional properties of the TiO2. The increasing level...

Burnup extension of the Fixed Bed Nuclear Reactor using alternative fuels

Time evolution of criticality and burn up grades of the Fixed Bed Nuclear Reactor (FBNR) are investigated using alternative fuels. Neutron transport calculations are performed by using XSDRNPM/SCALE 5 codes. Firstly, the calculations were performed to search the optimum compositions of UO2/Reactor grade-PuO2; UO2/weapon grade-PuO2 and of UO2/MAO2 that would result in the similar initial value of keff as that of UO2, the original fuel of FBNR. Fuel component has been varied from 1% to 100%. The fuel compositions have been obtained with UO2: ① 35% RG-Pu O2; ② 19% WG-Pu O2; ③ 50% MAO2. After that, keff, burnup and operation time values of the fuels were compared. The temporal variation of the criticality keff and the burn-up values of the reactor have been calculated by full power operation for a period of 18years. The criticality in compositions of Reactor grade-PuO2/UO2; weapon grade-PuO2/UO2 and MAO2/UO2 starts by keff=1.2742, 1.2726 and 1.2783 for the fuels compositions, respectively. These mixed fuels would allow full power reactor operation for ⩾14years and burn up grade can reach ∼104,646, ∼101,990 and ∼80,798 MWD/T, respectively. On that way, the hazardous nuclear waste product can be transmuted as well as utilized as fuel.

Rh(III)-Catalyzed Addition of Alkenyl C–H Bond to Isocyanates and Intramolecular Cyclization: Direct Synthesis 5-Ylidenepyrrol-2(5H)-ones

The rhodium-catalyzed addition of an alkenyl C-H bond to isocyanates via sp(2) C-H bond activation followed by an intramolecular cyclization is described. This atom-economic and catalytic reaction affords a simple and straightforward access to biologically relevant 5-ylidene pyrrol-2(5H)-ones and can be carried out under mild and neutral conditions in the absence of any additives and environmentally hazardous waste production.

Approaches towards a generic methodology for storage of hazardous energy carriers and waste products

Energy carriers – either conventional or ‘new’ ones – have to be provided in large amounts to meet the requirements of permanent availability and reliable supply of electricity. Depending on their state of aggregation, energy carriers are either stored in large masses (if solid or liquid) or at elevated pressures (if gaseous). Both impose the hazard of large-scale fire, in the latter case additionally the danger of explosion or unintended release. Very similar hazards occur for wastes. Solid wastes are present in large masses and only a small part is recycled. Most of the solid wastes are used in energy conversion. The main gaseous waste is CO2. During capturing also the hazard of unintended release exists. In this article, existing approaches for safe storage and fire prevention are discussed and a generic methodology is outlined. This methodology consists of the following steps: • gaining knowledge about the behaviour of the material stored (reactivity, thermal stability, etc.), • assessing the environmental conditions for the storage site (neighbourhood, safety distances, etc.), • assessment of prospective consequences of an incident and • development of individual loss prevention conceptions. All steps require both experimental testing and theoretical considerations about accident scenarios as integral parts of the methodology.

Chemical healthcare waste management in small Brazilian municipalities

The disposal of healthcare waste (HCW) seems to have been solved in developed countries, while in most developing countries the problem persists because the disposal methods are expensive and larger than the budget of small- and medium-sized municipalities. The current study evaluates the encapsulation process for the disposal of medical chemical waste. The experiment was developed in the Piraí municipality (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) and the chemical wastes were produced in the local public hospital, as well as the 12 units of primary care health services. Chemical waste generated at health services units may include the liquid waste from cleaning materials and disinfectants, expired and unused pharmaceutical products, and cytotoxins. These are all considered hazardous waste products and they must be disposed of via an authorised system at approved sites (e.g. industrial landfills). The process of encapsulating chemical medical waste in concrete (cement, crushed stones and sand) followed by their disposal at sanitary landfills is a procedure that is not considered in Brazilian Legislation. Despite the oversight, this method of disposal was used in the municipality of Piraí, with the approval of the Rio de Janeiro State Agency for Environmental Control. The safety aspects of this method and the limits of its applicability, particularly in small municipalities, were evaluated in this study. The results indicate that, within certain parameters, this method may provide a viable solution for the disposal of HCW in small municipalities.

Viewpoint: Going Green in the Emergency Department

Viewpoint: Going Green in the Emergency Department

Gallium(III) Triflate: An Efficient and a Sustainable Lewis Acid Catalyst for Organic Synthetic Transformations

Green chemical processes play a crucial role in sustainable development, and efficient recyclable catalysts that can be conveniently applied in various chemical reactions are the key elements for the development of sustainable synthetic processes. Many organic transformations rely on Lewis and Brønsted acid catalysts, and such molecules have been widely studied in organic synthesis. Over the years, researchers have looked for Lewis acid catalysts that provide high selectivity and high turnover frequency but are also stable in aqueous media and recoverable. Since the first preparation of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid by Hazeldine (triflic acid, HOTf), researchers have synthesized and used numerous metal triflates in a variety of organic reactions. Even though the rare earth metal triflates have played a major role in these studies, the majority of rare earth triflates lack one or more of the primary properties of sustainable catalysts: low cost and easy availability of the metals, easy preparation of triflates, aqueous/thermal stability, recyclability, and catalytic efficiency. In this Account, we describe the synthetic applications of Ga(OTf)(3) and its advantages over similar catalysts. Ga(OTf)(3) can be conveniently prepared from gallium metal or gallium chloride in excess of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (triflic acid) under reflux. Among many Lewis acid catalysts recently studied, Ga(OTf)(3) is water tolerant and soluble and requires very low catalyst loading to drive various acid-catalyzed reactions including Friedel-Crafts alkylation, hydroxyalkylation, and acylation selectively and efficiently. In many reactions Ga(OTf)(3) demonstrated high chemo- and regioselectivity, high yields, excellent stability, and recyclability. We successfully synthesized many biologically active heterocycles and their fluoroanalogs under mild conditions. Many challenging reactions such as the ketonic Strecker reactions proceed efficiently via Ga(OTf)(3) catalysis. Because it is stable in water, this catalyst provides the opportunity to study substrates and develop new synthetic protocols in aqueous media, significantly reducing the production of hazardous waste from organic solvents and toxic catalyst systems.

Hydrogen Production Coupled to Hydrocarbon Oxygenation from Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, especially with visible light, is a reaction of great challenge. H2 generation from water has attracted much attention because of its potential use as a source of clean and renewable energy. In natural photosynthesis, splitting of water to oxygen (2H2OQO2+ 4H + 4e ) is driven by sunlight and carried out by the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in photosystem II (PSII). Besides water splitting, H2 production from alternative sources such as abundant biomass has also attracted a great interest. A number of metalloenzymes such as cytochrome P450s and methane monooxygenases catalyze the oxidation of various types of hydrocarbons. High-valent metal-oxo species, derived from molecular oxygen or peroxide, have been suggested as active intermediates for the oxidation of hydrocarbons. Recent years have seen significant progress in designing and modeling metalloproteins for highly selective and efficient oxidation of organic substrates. Inspired by natural photosynthesis, oxidation of hydrocarbons with light and water has also been reported to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and waste production. Water splitting into H2 and O2 involves multielectron processes for water oxidation (4e ) and proton reduction (2e ). There has been significant progress in developing photocatalysts for overall water splitting (2H2OQ2H2 +O2) in heterogeneous systems. However, in homogeneous systems, studies of water splitting have been generally carried out separately in two half reactions: the water oxidation process using sacrificial oxidants such as Ce, and the water reduction reaction using sacrificial reductants such as triethylamine. However, for overall water splitting, sacrificial reagents should be avoided. The combination of water oxidation and proton reduction reactions in a homogeneous system remains a great challenge. Using water as oxygen source, we and others have reported photocatalytic oxidation of organic substrates in homogeneous systems containing metal catalysts such as Ru and Mn for hydrocarbon oxidation, [Ru(bpy)3] 2+ as photosensitizer (Ru PS; see Figure S1 in the Supporting Information), and [Co(NH3)5Cl] 2+ as electron acceptor. For example, an olefin can be oxidized to an epoxide with water as oxygen source, releasing two protons and two electrons [Eq. (1)]. As shown in Scheme 1, the electrons derived from water were eventually transferred to [Co(NH3)5Cl] 2+ in the

Hazardous waste in the Asian Pacific region

The production and disposal of hazardous waste remains a substantial problem in the Asian Pacific region. Remediation of waste disposal sites, including landfill sites, is attracting considerable research attention within the region. A recognition of the need for community engagement in this process is also growing. This article reviews the work presented in the Hazardous Waste sessions at the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health held in November 2009 in Perth.

A Comparative Analysis of Odour Treatment Technologies in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Biofiltration, activated sludge diffusion, biotrickling filtration, chemical scrubbing, activated carbon adsorption, regenerative incineration, and a hybrid technology (biotrickling filtration coupled with carbon adsorption) are comparatively evaluated in terms of environmental performance, process economics, and social impact by using the IChemE Sustainability Metrics in the context of odor treatment from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This comparative analysis showed that physical/chemical technologies presented higher environmental impacts than their biological counterparts in terms of energy, material and reagents consumption, and hazardous-waste production. Among biological techniques, the main impact was caused by the high water consumption to maintain biological activity (although the use of secondary effluent water can reduce both this environmental impact and operating costs), biofiltration additionally exhibiting high land and material requirements. From a process economics viewpoint, technologies with the highest investments presented the lowest operating costs (biofiltration and biotrickling filtration), which suggested that the Net Present Value should be used as selection criterion. In addition, a significant effect of the economy of scale on the investment costs and odorant concentration on operating cost was observed. The social benefits derived from odor abatement were linked to nuisance reductions in the nearby population and improvements in occupational health within the WWTP, with the hybrid technology exhibiting the highest benefits. On the basis of their low environmental impact, high deodorization performance, and low Net Present Value, biotrickling filtration and AS diffusion emerged as the most promising technologies for odor treatment in WWTP.

Twenty-six tons of lead oxide used per year in wooden boat building and repairing in southern Thailand

In southern Thailand, the wooden boat building and repair industry uses powdered lead oxide (Pb(3)O(4,) or red lead) in the caulking process. This had been shown to be a significant source of contamination in the workplace and the communities. This cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the amount of lead oxide used in the region and to document the management of hazardous waste product in this industry. All boatyards in southern Thailand registered to the Ministry of Industry were visited with walk-through observation. After consent, questionnaire-based interviews were conducted among workers and boatyard owners who rented out the space for building and repairing the boats. Of the 63 active boatyards identified, approximately 26 tons of lead oxide was used to repair approximately 8,000 boats each year. Due to the casual employment system in this industry, no facility for the protection of workers and the environment from lead contamination exists. The findings indicate the need for further studies on the extent of contamination in the broader area. Intervention programmes are also urgently needed to reduce the release of this hazardous waste into the community.

Using a carbon-based ASM3 EAWAG Bio-P for modelling the enhanced biological phosphorus removal in anaerobic/aerobic activated sludge systems

Modelling of activated sludge processes is a commonly used technique to design and optimize wastewater treatment processes. Since wastewater and activated sludge is characterized by chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements, units of state variables describing organic matter are expressed as equivalent amounts of COD. However, current procedures for measuring it have several drawbacks, including the production of hazardous wastes, so the utility of other variables for characterizing the organic load in modelling, such as total organic carbon (TOC), warrant re-evaluation. Other advantages of TOC over COD are that it provides matrix-independent analytical results and it can be readily measured online. Proposals for TOC-based models were made in the 1990s, but they seem to have sunk into obscurity. To re-assess the value of TOC for this purpose, we have recalculated the EAWAG module for Bio-P removal coupled to the Activated Sludge Model No. 3 on a TOC basis, and tested it against data acquired in batch experiments with four single carbon sources (acetate, glucose, citrate and casein). The batch test-based calibrations showed a good match with experimental data, following modifications of the model to account for the anaerobic volumes and retention times applied in the tests.

Replacement of chemical oxygen demand (COD) with total organic carbon (TOC) for monitoring wastewater treatment performance to minimize disposal of toxic analytical waste

Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is widely used for wastewater monitoring, design, modeling and plant operational analysis. However this method results in the production of hazardous wastes including mercury and hexavalent chromium. The study examined the replacement of COD with total organic carbon (TOC) for general performance monitoring by comparing their relationship with influent and effluent samples from 11 wastewater treatment plants. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) was also included in the comparison as a control. The results show significant linear relationships between TOC, COD and BOD5 in settled (influent) domestic and municipal wastewaters, but only between COD and TOC in treated effluents. The study concludes that TOC can be reliably used for the generic replacement of both COD (COD = 49.2 + 3.00*TOC) and BOD5 (BOD5= 23.7 + 1.68*TOC) in influent wastewaters but only for COD (COD = 7.25 + 2.99*TOC) in final effluents.

Criticality and burn up evolutions of the Fixed Bed Nuclear Reactor with alternative fuels

Time evolution of criticality and burn-up grades of the Fixed Bed Nuclear Reactor (FBNR) are investigated for alternative fuels. These are: (1) low enriched uranium, (2) weapon grade plutonium, (3) reactor grade plutonium, and (4) minor actinides in the spent fuel of light water reactors (LWRs). The criticality calculations are conducted with SCALE 5.1 using S 8-P 3 approximation in 238 neutron energy groups with 90 groups in thermal energy region. The main results of the study can be summarized as follows: (1) Low enriched uranium (UO 2) : FBNR with an enrichment grade of 9% and 19% will start with k eff = 1.2744 and k eff = 1.36 and can operate ∼8 and >15 years with the same fuel charge, where criticality drops to k eff = 1.06 and a burn-up grade of 54 000 and >110 000 MW.D/t can be attained. (2) Weapon grade plutonium: Such a high quality nuclear fuel suggests to be mixed with thorium. Second series of criticality calculations are conducted with fuel compositions made of thoria (ThO 2) and weapon grade PuO 2, where PuO 2 component has been varied from 1% to 100%. Criticality with k eff > 1.0 is achieved by ∼2.5% PuO 2. At 4% PuO 2, the reactor criticality will become satisfactory ( k eff = 1.1121), rapidly increasing with more PuO 2. A reasonable mixture will by around 20% PuO 2 and 80% ThO 2 with a k eff = 1.2864. This mixed fuel would allow full power reactor operation for >20 years and burn-up grade can reach 136 000 MW.D/t. (3) Reactor grade plutonium: Third series of criticality calculations are conducted with fuel compositions made of thoria and reactor grade PuO 2, where PuO 2 is varied from 1% to 100%. Reactor becomes critical by ∼8% PuO 2 content. One can achieve k eff = 1.2670 by 35% PuO 2 and would allow full power reactor operation also for >20 years and burn-up grade can reach 123 000 MW.D/t. (4) Minor actinides in the spent fuel of LWRs: Fourth series of criticality calculations are conducted with fuel compositions made of thoria and MAO 2, where MAO 2 is varied from 1% to 100%. Reactor becomes critical by ∼17% MAO 2 content. Reasonably high reactor criticality ( k eff = 1.2673) is achieved by 50% MAO 2 for a reactor operation time of 15 years with a burn up of 86 000 MW.D/t without fuel change. On that way, the hazardous nuclear waste product can be transmuted as well as utilized as fuel.

Composition and production rate of medical waste from a small producer in Greece

The objective of this work was to determine the composition and production rate of medical waste from the health care facility of social insurance institute, a small waste producer in Xanthi, Greece. Specifically, produced medical waste from the clinical pathology (medical microbiology) laboratory, the X-ray laboratory and the surgery and injection therapy departments of the health facility was monitored for six working weeks. A total of 240 kg medical solid waste was manually separated and weighed and 330 L of liquid medical waste was measured and classified. The hazardous waste fraction (%w/w) of the medical solid waste was 91.6% for the clinical pathology laboratory, 12.9% for the X-ray laboratory, 24.2% for the surgery departments and 17.6% for the injection therapy department. The infectious waste fraction (%w/w) of the hazardous medical solid waste was 75.6% for the clinical pathology laboratory, 0% for the X-ray laboratory, 100% for the surgery departments and 75.6% for the injection therapy department. The total hazardous medical solid waste production rate was 64 ± 15 g/patient/d for the clinical pathology laboratory, 7.2 ± 1.6 g/patient/d for the X-ray laboratory, 8.3 ± 5.1 g/patient/d for the surgery departments and 24 ± 9 g/patient/d for the injection therapy department. Liquid waste was produced by the clinical pathology laboratory (infectious-and-toxic) and the X-ray laboratory (toxic). The production rate for the clinical pathology laboratory was 0.03 ± 0.003 L/patient/d and for the X-ray laboratory was 0.06 ± 0.006 L/patient/d. Due to the small amount produced, it was suggested that the most suitable management scheme would be to transport the hazardous medical waste, after source-separation, to the Prefectural Hospital of Xanthi to be treated with the hospital waste. Assuming this data is representative of other small medical facilities, medical waste production can be estimated for such facilities distributed around Greece.

Criticality investigations for the fixed bed nuclear reactor using thorium fuel mixed with plutonium or minor actinides

Prospective fuels for a new reactor type, the so called fixed bed nuclear reactor (FBNR) are investigated with respect to reactor criticality. These are ① low enriched uranium (LEU); ② weapon grade plutonium + ThO 2; ③ reactor grade plutonium + ThO 2; and ④ minor actinides in the spent fuel of light water reactors (LWRs) + ThO 2. Reactor grade plutonium and minor actinides are considered as highly radio-active and radio-toxic nuclear waste products so that one can expect that they will have negative fuel costs. The criticality calculations are conducted with SCALE5.1 using S 8–P 3 approximation in 238 neutron energy groups with 90 groups in thermal energy region. The study has shown that the reactor criticality has lower values with uranium fuel and increases passing to minor actinides, reactor grade plutonium and weapon grade plutonium. Using LEU, an enrichment grade of 9% has resulted with k eff = 1.2744. Mixed fuel with weapon grade plutonium made of 20% PuO 2 + 80% ThO 2 yields k eff = 1.2864. Whereas a mixed fuel with reactor grade plutonium made of 35% PuO 2 + 65% ThO 2 brings it to k eff = 1.267. Even the very hazardous nuclear waste of LWRs, namely minor actinides turn out to be high quality nuclear fuel due to the excellent neutron economy of FBNR. A relatively high reactor criticality of k eff = 1.2673 is achieved by 50% MAO 2 + 50% ThO 2. The hazardous actinide nuclear waste products can be transmuted and utilized as fuel in situ. A further output of the study is the possibility of using thorium as breeding material in combination with these new alternative fuels.

Exploring the antioxidant potential of lignin isolated from black liquor of oil palm waste

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential antioxidant activity of lignin obtained from black liquor, a hazardous waste product generated during the extraction of palm oil. Antioxidant potential of the extracted lignin was evaluated by dissolving the extracted samples in 2 different solvent systems, namely, 2-methoxy ethanol and DMSO. Results revealed high percent inhibition of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical in the lignin sample dissolved in 2-methoxy ethanol over DMSO (concentration range of 1–100 μg/ml). Lignin extracted in 2-methoxy ethanol exhibited higher inhibition percentage (at 50 μg/ml, 84.2%), whereas a concentration of 100 μg/ml was found to be effective in the case of the DMSO solvent (69.8%). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry revealed that the functional groups from the extracted lignin and commercial lignin were highly similar, indicating the purity of the lignin extracted from black liquor. These results provide a strong basis for further applications of lignin in the food industry and also illustrate an eco-friendly approach to utilize oil palm black liquor. To cite this article: R. Bhat et al., C. R. Biologies 332 (2009).