Chapters authored
Resource Reclamation for Biogas and Other Energy Resources from Household and Agricultural Wastes
The chapter’s goal is to highlight how the reclamation of household and agricultural wastes can be used to generate biogas, biochar, and other energy resources. Leftover food, tainted food and vegetables, kitchen greywater, worn-out clothes, textiles and paper are all targets for household waste in this area. Agricultural waste includes both annual and perennial crops. Annual crops are those that complete their life cycle in a year or less and are comparable to bi-annual crops, although bi-annuals can live for up to two years before dying. The majority of vegetable crops are annuals, which can be harvested within two to three months of seeding. Perennials crops are known to last two or more seasons. Wastes from these sources are revalued in various shapes and forms, with the Green Engineering template being used to infuse cost-effectiveness into the process to entice investors. The economic impact of resource reclamation is used to determine the process’s feasibility, while the life cycle analysis looks at the process’s long-term viability. This is in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whose roadmap was created to manage access to and transition to clean renewable energy by 2030, with a target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Part of the book: Biogas
Biochar: Production, Application and the Future
Biochar, or carbon obtained from biomass, is a particularly rich source of carbon created by thermal burning of biomass. There is a rise of interest in using biochar made from waste biomass in a variety of disciplines to address the most pressing environmental challenges. This chapter will provide an overview on the methods employed for the production of biochar. Biochar has been considered by a number of analysts as a means of improving their ability to remediate pollutants. Process factors with regards to biochar properties are mostly responsible for determining biomass production which is discussed in this present chapter. Several characterization techniques which have been employed in previous studies have received increasing recognition. These includes the use of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the Scanning electron microscope which duly presented in this chapter. This chapter also discusses the knowledge gaps and future perspectives in adopting biochar to remediate harmful contaminants, which can inform governmental bodies and law-makers to make informed decisions on adopting this residue.
Part of the book: Biochar