Dataset Information

Co-Processing Agricultural Residues and Wet Organic Waste Can Produce Lower-Cost Carbon-Negative Fuels and Bioplastics.

ABSTRACT: Scalable, low-cost biofuel and biochemical production can accelerate progress on the path to a more circular carbon economy and reduced dependence on crude oil. Rather than producing a single fuel product, lignocellulosic biorefineries have the potential to serve as hubs for the production of fuels, production of petrochemical replacements, and treatment of high-moisture organic waste. A detailed techno-economic analysis and life-cycle greenhouse gas assessment are developed to explore the cost and emission impacts of integrated corn stover-to-ethanol biorefineries that incorporate both codigestion of organic wastes and different strategies for utilizing biogas, including onsite energy generation, upgrading to bio-compressed natural gas (bioCNG), conversion to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) bioplastic, and conversion to single-cell protein (SCP). We find that codigesting manure or a combination of manure and food waste alongside process wastewater can reduce the biorefinery's total costs per metric ton of CO₂ equivalent mitigated by half or more. Upgrading biogas to bioCNG is the most cost-effective climate mitigation strategy, while upgrading biogas to PHB or SCP is competitive with combusting biogas onsite.

SUBMITTER: Wang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9948286 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Co-Processing Agricultural Residues and Wet Organic Waste Can Produce Lower-Cost Carbon-Negative Fuels and Bioplastics.

Wang Yan Y Baral Nawa R NR Yang Minliang M Scown Corinne D CD

Environmental science & technology 20230206 7

Scalable, low-cost biofuel and biochemical production can accelerate progress on the path to a more circular carbon economy and reduced dependence on crude oil. Rather than producing a single fuel product, lignocellulosic biorefineries have the potential to serve as hubs for the production of fuels, production of petrochemical replacements, and treatment of high-moisture organic waste. A detailed techno-economic analysis and life-cycle greenhouse gas assessment are developed to explore the cost ...[more]

PMID: 36747467

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Project description:The recycling of mineral materials is a sustainable and economical approach for reducing solid waste and saving primary resources. However, their reuse may pose potential risks of groundwater contamination, which may result from the leaching of organic and inorganic substances into water that percolates the solid waste. In this study, column leaching tests were used to investigate the short- and long-term leaching behavior of "salts", "metals", and organic pollutants such as PAHs and herbicides from different grain size fractions of construction & demolition waste (CDW) and railway ballast (RB) after a novel treatment process. Specifically, silt, sand and gravel fractions obtained after a sequential crushing, sieving, and washing process ("wet-processing") of very heterogeneous input materials are compared with respect to residual contamination, potentially limiting their recycling. Concentrations in solid fractions and aqueous leachate were evaluated according to threshold values for groundwater protection to identify relevant substances and to classify materials obtained for recycling purposes according to limit values. For that, the upcoming German recycling degree was applied for the first time. Very good agreement was observed between short and extensive column tests, demonstrating that concentrations at L/S 2 ratios are suitable for quality control of recycling materials. Different solutes showed a characteristic leaching behavior such as the rapid decrease in "salts", e.g., SO42- and Cl-, from all solid fractions, and a slower decrease in metals and PAHs in the sand and silt fractions. Only the gravel fraction, however, showed concentrations of potential pollutants low enough for an unlimited re-use as recycling material in open technical applications. Sand fractions may only be re-used as recycling material in isolated or semi-isolated scenarios. Leaching from heterogeneous input materials proved harder to predict for all compounds. Overall, column leaching tests proved useful for (i) initial characterization of the mineral recycling materials, and (ii) continuous internal (factory control) and external quality control within the upcoming German recycling decree. Results from such studies may be used to optimize the treatment of mixed solid waste since they provide rapid insight in residual pollution of material fractions and their leaching behavior.

Dataset Information

Co-Processing Agricultural Residues and Wet Organic Waste Can Produce Lower-Cost Carbon-Negative Fuels and Bioplastics.

Publications

Co-Processing Agricultural Residues and Wet Organic Waste Can Produce Lower-Cost Carbon-Negative Fuels and Bioplastics.

Similar Datasets

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