The role of thermo-catalytic reforming for energy recovery from food and drink supply chain wastes

Disposal of food and drink wastes, including packaging wastes, has a significant cost and environmental impact. All carbon containing wastes have an energy potential and the food industry should focus on recovering that energy to offset their reliance on fossil-fuel derived energy sources. This paper focuses on the novel use of intermediate pyrolysis for decarbonizing the food chain, through the treatment of food and packaging waste, to recover energy. The TCR is a versatile technology which overcomes many of the traditional problems associated with fast pyrolysis and can thermo-chemically convert a range of different feedstocks, including inaccessible lignin and some inorganic, recalcitrant materials. The feedstocks are converted into new fuel sources; char, bio-oil (thermally stable) and permanent gases, for further electrical and heat generation. Ultimately with the use of the TCR technology, the food production industry could look to using decentralized power generation located on-site of large food processing facilities to optimize their energy efficiencies

AgroCycle – developing a circular economy in agriculture

Continuing population growth and increasing consumption are driving global food demand, with agricultural activity expanding to keep pace. The modern agricultural system is wasteful, with Europe generating some 700 million tonnes of agrifood (agricultural and food) waste each year. The Agricultural Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems (ACSES) at Harper Adams University is involved in a major research and innovation project (AgroCycle) on the application of the ‘circular economy’ across the agri-food sector. In the context of the agrifood chain, the ‘circular economy’ aims to reduce waste while also making best use of the ‘wastes’ produced by using economically viable processes and procedures to increase their value . Led by University College Dublin, AgroCycle is a Horizon 2020 collaborative project with 26 partners. AgroCycle will address such opportunities directly by implementation of the ‘circular economy’ across the agri-food sector. The authors will present (a) a summary of the AgroCycle project and (b) the role played by Harper Adams in the project in evaluating the potential for small-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) technology that can be applied on farm to provide local heat, energy and nutrient recovery from mixed agricultural wastes

A novel nitrogen removal technology pre-treating chicken manure, prior to anaerobic digestion

Chicken manure is an agricultural by-product that is a problematic feedstock for anaerobic digestion due to its high nitrogen content inhibiting methane yields. This research examines a novel pilot-scale method of ammonia stripping, the nitrogen recovery process (NRP) developed by Alchemy Utilities Ltd. The NRP was designed to remove and recover nitrogen from chicken manure and two different operating conditions were examined. Both operating conditions demonstrated successful nitrogen removal and recovery. The biochemical methane potential assays were used to compare the digestibility of the NRP-treated chicken manures to that of a fresh chicken manure control. Overall, the biochemical methane potential assays demonstrated that some NRP-treated chicken manure treatments produced significantly more methane compared to untreated manure, with no inhibition occurring in relation to ammonium. However, some of the NRP-treated chicken manures produced similar or lower methane yields compared to fresh chicken manure. The NRP requires further development to improve the efficiency of the pilot-scale unit for commercial-scale operation and longer-term continuous anaerobic digestion trials are required to determine longer-term methane yield and ammonium inhibition effects. However, these initial results clearly demonstrate the technology’s potential and novel application for decentralised, on-farm nitrogen recovery and subsequent anaerobic digestion of chicken manure

Increasing the methane potential of oat husks using a novel extrusion pre-treatment technology prior to anaerobic digestion

Oat husks are produced during the milling process of oats. Oat husks are a lignocellulosic material that have the potential for valorization thereby improving the circular economy of agricultural by-products. However, due to the high lignocellulosic content, there are limited valorization pathways for oat husks. To improve the anaerobic digestibility of oat husks, pre-treatment was investigated as a method to aid valorization. A novel extrusion process was used in an attempt to fragment the lignocellulosic structure of oat husks prior to anaerobic digestion. The extrusion pre-treatment was investigated to determine the effect it may have on altering the methane yield and digestibility of oat husks. Biochemical methane potential assays were undertaken using oat husks with no pre-treatment and extruded oat husks. These assays demonstrated that extruded oat husks produced a significantly higher methane yield of 264 ml/gVS fed, which was 27% greater than the methane yield produced from the untreated oat husks. Similarly, the total solids degradation was also significantly higher for extruded oat husks treatment compared to the untreated oat husks. Overall, the extrusion process demonstrated an increased methane yield for oat husks compared to previously published data. The biomethane potential tests suggest that extruded oat husks would be a feedstock suitable for anaerobic digestion

The anaerobic digestion of pig carcase with or without sugar beet pulp, as a novel on-farm disposal method

Anaerobic digestion was investigated as a potential method for on-farm disposal of fallen stock (pig carcases), degrading the carcase material to produce biogas and digestate. The effects of feedstock (sugar beet pulp or pig carcase material or a 50:50 mix) and organic loading rate (50 g-TS L−1 or 100 g-TS L−1), during mesophilic (35 °C) anaerobic digestion were investigated. Anaerobic digestion was achieved for all experimental treatments, however the pig carcase material at the higher organic loading rate produced the second highest methane yield (0.56 Nm3 kg-VS−1 versus a range of 0.14–0.58 Nm3 kg-VS−1 for other treatments), with the highest percentage of methane in total biogas (61.6% versus a range of 36.1–55.2% for all other treatments). Satisfactory pathogen reduction is a legislative requirement for disposal of carcase material. Pathogens were quantified throughout the anaerobic digestion process. Enterococcus faecalis concentrations decreased to negligible levels (2.8 log10 CFU g-TS−1), whilst Clostridium perfringens levels remained unaffected by treatment throughout the digestion process (5.3 ± 0.2 log10 CFU g-TS−1)

Evaluation of pyrolysis chars derived from marine macroalgae silage as soil amendments

Sections PDFPDF Tools Share Abstract Pyrolysis char residues from ensiled macroalgae were examined to determine their potential as growth promoters on germinating and transplanted seedlings. Macroalgae was harvested in May, July and August from beach collections, containing predominantly Laminaria digitata and Laminaria hyperborea ; naturally seeded mussel lines dominated by Saccharina latissima ; and lines seeded with cultivated L. digitata . Material was ensiled, pressed to pellets and underwent pyrolysis using a thermo‐catalytic reforming (TCR) process, with and without additional steam. The chars generated were then assessed through proximate and ultimate analysis. Seasonal changes had the prevalent impact on char composition, though using mixed beach‐harvested material gave a greater variability in elements than when using the offshore collections. Applying the char at 5% (v/v)/2% (w/w) into germination or seedling soils was universally negative for the plants, inhibiting or delaying all parameters assessed with no clear advantage in harvesting date, species or TCR processing methodology. In germinating lettuce seeds, soil containing the pyrolysis chars caused a longer germination time, poorer germination, fewer true leaves to be produced, a lower average plant health score and a lower final biomass yield. For transplanted ryegrass seedlings, there were lower plant survival rates, with surviving plants producing fewer leaves and tillers, lower biomass yields when cut and less regrowth after cutting. As water from the char‐contained plant pots inhibited the lettuce char control, one further observation was that run‐off water from the pyrolysis char released compounds which detrimentally affected cultivated plant growth. This study clearly shows that pyrolysed macroalgae char does not fit the standard assumption that chars can be used as soil amendments at 2% (w/w) addition levels. As the bioeconomy expands in the future, the end use of residues and wastes from bioprocessing will become a genuine global issue, requiring consideration and demonstration rather than hypothesized use

Bio-processing of macroalgae Palmaria palmata: metabolite fractionation from pressed fresh material and ensiling considerations for long-term storage

Red algae, belonging to the phylum Rhodophyta, contain an abundance of useful chemicals including bioactive molecules and present opportunities for the production of different products through biorefinery cascades. The rhodophyte Palmaria palmata, commonly termed dulse or dillisk, grows predominantly on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and is a well-known snack food. Due to its abundance, availability and cultivation capacity, P. palmata was selected for study as a potential candidate for a biorefinery process. In addition to studying juice and solid fractions of freshly harvested P. palmata, we have investigated the novel possibility of preserving algal biomass by ensilaging protocols similar to those employed for terrestrial forage crops. In the metabolite partitioning within the solid and liquid fractions following screw-pressing, the majority of the metabolites screened for—water soluble carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, lipids, pigments, phenolics and antioxidant activity—remained in the solid fraction, though at differing proportions depending on the metabolite, from 70.8% soluble amino acids to 98.2% chlorophyll a and 98.1% total carotenoids. For the ensiling study, screw-pressed P. palmata, with comparative wilted and chopped, and chopped only samples, were ensiled at scale with and without Safesil silage additive. All samples were successfully ensiled after 90 days, with screw-pressing giving lower or equal pH before and after ensiling compared with the other preparations. Of particular note was the effluent volumes generated during ensiling: 26–49% of the fresh weight, containing 16–34% of the silage dry matter. This may be of advantage depending on the final use of the biomass

Traumatic brain injury in Greece: Report of a countrywide registry

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of TBI in Greece and to provide evidence on the epidemiologic characteristics of the disease. Patients and methods: This is a prospective observational study initiated by the Hellenic Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery. Thirty hospitals participated in the registry. All trauma patients requiring admission transfer to a higher level centre and those who arrived dead were included in the study. This report evaluated the epidemiologic characteristics of patients with brain trauma, the cause and the severity of the injury and the final outcome. Results: Eight thousand eight hundred and sixty-two patients were included in the registry. Of them, 3383 had at least one brain injury. There were 2451 males and 932 females. Traffic accidents were the leading cause of TBI (54.1%), followed by falls (27.7%). The most affected age group was the 15-44 year olds (48.0%), but TBIs were more lethal in the 45-64 age group (17.8%). Interestingly, a 3.4% mortality was recorded if a TBI was present, even if ISS was relatively low (0-9 ISS group). Conclusion: TBI is a major element of trauma. Knowledge of the epidemiologic characteristics of the disease is imperative for adequate planning and future quality assessment. © 2010 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved

Evaluation of serum symmetric dimethylarginine as a biomarker of kidney disease in canine leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum

Canine leishmaniosis (CanL)-associated chronic kidney disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Mediterranean countries. Novel renal biomarkers, such as serum symmetric dimethylarginine (sSDMA), may be useful surrogates for the detection of renal functional impairment. The objectives of this study were to investigate sSDMA concentrations in dogs with CanL, with and without azotemia, and to establish any potential association with the prevalence and severity of proteinuria, with the prevalence of decreased urine specific gravity and with the LeishVet clinical stages of CanL. Serum samples from 68 dogs with CanL (50 nonazotemic and 18 azotemic) and 17 healthy dogs were retrospectively examined. Increased sSDMA was documented in 26 % of dogs with CanL without azotemia and in 83.3 % of dogs with azotemia. Serum SDMA was significantly higher in azotemic compared to nonazotemic dogs and was associated with the presence and severity of proteinuria, the decreased urine specific gravity and the advanced clinical stages of CanL. The results of the present study indicate that sSDMA may be a useful adjunct to serum creatinine and urine protein/creatinine ratio for the detection of CanL-associated nephropathy, but it is of limited value for distinguishing among the LeishVet clinical stages of CanL. © 2019 Elsevier B.V