Natural Resource & Environmental Management

The sugar beet processing in the sugar production industry releases huge amounts of sugar beet pulp, lime residue, and molasses, which can be considered a valuable by-product as a source of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin. Sugar beet pulp is often used as a high-energy, low-protein supplement for ruminants to promote optimal rumen health and increase milk production. However, it cannot be used in large quantities and is thrown away, causing environmental pollution. Valorizing sugar beet processing wastes via biotechnological approaches into value-added products is cost-effective and eco-friendly. In this article, recent developments in the biotechnological valorization of sugar beet byproducts to produce biofuels, bioethanol, butanol, biomass and platform chemicals such as gluconic acid, lactic acid, rhamnolipid biosurfactant, and endo-polygalacturonase were reviewed, and the methods provide a way to save the environment. Several sugar beet processing plants in the Kyrgyz Repub...

This research work investigated suitable mineral acids and bases that could be utilized for physico-chemical pretreatment of agro-peel wastes for optimal bioethanol yield. Each substrate was physico-chemically pretreated with water, 1% NaOH, 1% KOH, 1% Ca(OH)2, 1% H2SO4 1% HCl and 1% HNO3 in order to identify the reagent that has the best hydrolytic effect. Thereafter, the concentration of the identified reagents with the best hydrolytic effects in each case was scaled up to 2% and 3% reagent concentrations in order to identify the optimum concentration for optimal bioethanol yield. Simultaneous Saccharification and Co-fermentation strategy using Trichoderma ressi, P. stipitis and S. cerevisiae inoculums were adopted under aseptic condition. It was found that the amount of sugars liberated depended on the type of chemical reagent utilized during physico-chemical pretreatment. The substrates seemed to be chemically selective; however, 1% NaOH, 1% H2SO4 and 1% HCl gave the best hydrolytic results. It was also found that mild pretreatment conditions were necessary for optimum bioethanol yield. Bioethanol production and yield took place optimally in samples physico-chemically pretreated with 1% reagent concentration when compared with 2% and 3% reagent concentrations.

This study was conducted to determine the pliability among the residents in the flood-prone areas of Davao
City. A thirty-item questionnaire was prepared to evaluate the resilience of the respondents. There were 150
residents of barangays who frequently experienced floods, chosen by random selection. Exploratory factor
analysis was used to extract the factors of pliability.
Results of the study revealed that the residents in flood-prone areas in Davao City have already developed
preparedness in times of disaster; they have established emergency hotlines, and they already know where to go
and what to do once warning signs are up during heavy rains. Moreover, their livelihood, which they established
for so many years, and their attachment to the community have made it difficult for them to leave their homes to
free themselves from having to go through the hassle during the flood. The four dimensions identified as
pliability were their Rooted Resilience: Navigating Flood Prone Communities; Adaptability Amidst Adversity:
Navigating Flood Challenges; Building Resilient Foundations: Preparedness in Flood-Prone Communities; and
Investing in Resilience: Strengthening Homes and Communities.

The main components of lignocellulosic biomass cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin are feedstock for chemical and material manufacturing processes. Integrated biorefinery processes incorporate the production of these valuable components from lignocellulose feedstock in good yield and quality. The nature and complexity of lignocellulose materials and its components require a well-designed process to fractionate these components into individual streams, while special attention is paid to the easily hydrolysed component, hemicelluloses. In the present study, a novel process for the fractionating sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) bagasse (SCB) and Eucalytpusgrandis (EC) biomass into their main constituents (cellulose pulp, aqueous hemicellulose and lignin) is designed. Research focused on obtaining hemicelluloses in polymeric form or as biopolymers, while maintaining high yields and quality of cellulose and lignin polymers. This was achieved by following organosolv technique using high boiling point alcohols, xylitol and ethylene glycol as the fractionating solvents at concentrations between 20-30% (w/w) and 50-70% (v/v) respectively. The fractionation process' central composite design incorporated mild conditions, i.e. fractionation time between 2-4 hours, temperatures at 140-180 ºC catalysed by sodium hydroxide between 1-2 wt.% and also subsequently investigated the option of pre-extracting hemicelluloses from the feedstock at previously established conditions prior to further fractionation with ethylene glycol given its hemicellulose destructing nature from literature studies. Results show hemicellulose alkaline pre-extraction to provide higher dissolutions and recoveries of hemicelluloses as compared to those extracted by direct fractionation with the two solvents. At optimum conditions xylitol fractionations achieved higher component recoveries as compared to ethylene glycol. However, ethylene glycol fractionations are more severe in dissolving not only hemicellulose and lignin from both materials but also cellulose. Ethylene glycol fractionations were also accompanied by a high degree of cellulose dissolutions, in some runs up to 39% of the initial, mostly at extreme conditions.

Mass extinction is the large-scale extinction of living things. To date, it is widely believed that there have been 5 mass extinctions due to natural processes such as large volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts or long-term climate change. Today, a sixth extinction is in the process of accelerating. But unlike the previous ones, this latest extinction is being driven by anthropogenic processes. Destruction of habitats of plants and animals, climate change due to fossil fuel consumption, consumption above the carrying capacity of nature, overpopulation, pollution; nuclear weapons, genetic interventions are among these. The fact that such practices are increasing rapidly, and species are gradually decreasing in number and species indicates that mass extinction is continuing at the hands of human

India has a key position in the worldwide sugar economy, emerging as the foremost sugar producer since 2021-22, surpassing Brazil in production. Additionally, the status of the second-largest sugar exporter globally is held by India. Over the past five years, the sugar industry has been strengthened by the expansion of the ethanol biofuel sector, contributing to the improved financial standing of sugar mills. Press mud, often known as filter cake or press cake, is acknowledged as a valuable resource for green energy production. Press mud is a residual byproduct of the sugar industry. Additional revenue can be generated for Indian sugar mills by utilizing this byproduct as a feedstock for biogas production through anaerobic digestion and subsequent purification to create compressed biogas (CBG). During the 2022-23 timeframe, among the 531 operational sugar mills in India, 330 were privately owned, 190 were cooperative, and 11 were public. The fiscal year 2022-23 recorded India’s sugar production at 32.74 million tonnes, along with approximately 11.4 million tonnes of press mud. Regarding regional production, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra contribute to approximately 65 percent of the total sugarcane cultivation area, being the primary sugarcane-growing states. The total sugarcane production in India reached about 495 million tonnes in 2022-23, with key contributions from Uttar Pradesh (225.2 million tonnes), Maharashtra (123.9 million tonnes), Karnataka (62.5 million tonnes), Tamil Nadu (16.9 million tonnes), and Bihar (12.1 million tonnes).

Background Enhancement of cellulase and xylanase production and improvement of more proficient lignocellulose-degrading enzymes are essential in order to decrease the price of enzymes required in the biomass-to-bioethanol production. Results The effectiveness of different concentration of alkali and acid pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse for improving the enzymatic saccharification of cellulose has been evaluated. The sugarcane bagasse was characterized to contain 39.52% cellulose, 25.63% hemicelluloses, 30.36% lignin, 1.44% ash and 2.90% other extractives. Afterthat, The sugarcane bagasse was pretreated with two different concentrations (5% and 10%) of H 2 SO 4 and NaOH at 121°C for 60 min. Among them, the best result was obtained when sugarcane bagasse was pretreated with 10% NaOH solution followed by 10% H 2 SO 4 , 5% NaOH and 5% H 2 SO 4 solution. The highest cellulose saccharification was 489.5 mg/g from 10% NaOH pretreatment followed by 322.75mg/g, 301.25 mg/g and 276.6 mg/g f...

Protection of environment is of immediate concern and this can only be achieved by avoiding the use of chemicals for fuel production. Lignocellulosic waste is becoming popular as a feedstock for biofuel production. The can be converted into usable form for biofuel production by using a suitable pretreatment method. Different pretreatment methods have been used by researchers which are physical, chemical, physico-chemical, biological and combined pretreatments. Evidently chemical pretreatment is found to be more expensive as a large amount of chemicals are used for pretreating the lignocellulosic substrate. It has been shown that combined pretreatments are more effective as compared to single pretreatment and there is an extensive scope of combinations which can also be applied in future. Recent review critically discusses and compares different pretreatment methods, biomass resources, chemical composition of different agricultural biomass and the use of this biomass for bioenergy generation. Various pretreatment processes used for bio-hydrogen, bio-methane, bio-ethanol, biomethanol bio-butanol and bio-diesel production are also discussed.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is one of the major crops cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical countries, and the primary purpose is to obtain raw sugar. It is an important substance for sugar and alcohol production by both the sugar and beverage industries. During cane processing, various byproducts are obtained, namely sugarcane bagasse, bagasse ash, pressmud cake, sugarcane vinasse, and spent wash. There are many challenging problems in storage, and they cause great environmental pollution. This review discusses their properties by which they can be used for cleaner agricultural and environmental sustainability. Utilization of byproducts results in value-added soil properties and crop yield. Replacing chemical fertilization with these organic natured byproducts not only minimizes the surplus usage of chemical fertilizers but is also cost-effective and an eco-friendly approach. The drawbacks of the long-term application of these byproducts in the agricultural ecosystem are no...

All through the second half of the twentieth century, fishermen,
mainly refugees from East Bengal, came to work in Jambudwip
– the south-western most forested island of Sundarbans – to
temporarily use the island to dry their catch. In 2002, several
hundred fishermen (both transient and permanently settled) were
brutally evicted by the authorities for violating the Forest Acts.
This paper deals with the pitiable condition of the fishermen
community who were evicted from Jambudwip to fulfil the
preconceived idea of ‘ecological sustainability’ of the
administrators. The paper will look at the immediate impact the
Forest Acts have had on the life and polity of the fishing/migrant
community that used to make a transient living from working in
Jambudwip. How the movement led by the Jambudwip fishermen
emerged also as refugee movement will be discussed.

Everything has a capacity that it can tolerate or afford, beyond which it cannot serve. Tourism development and management should also be based on the recognition of the limits of a destination. As a result, tourist destinations must have their carrying capacity assessed and managed accordingly with a view to protecting them from getting exploited. In assessing tourism carrying capacity of a particular destination, the formulae given by Cifuentes (1992) and recommended by IUCN (Ceballos-Lascurá in, 1996) are widely used around the world. The formulae recognize the 'necessary distance between two tourists' as a factor that affects tourist satisfaction; and thus, consider it in assessing physical carrying capacity (PCC) of a destination. But Tran Nghi et al. (2007) argue that, the necessary distance between two groups on a route, as well as distance between two people, affects tourist's comfort and should be considered when assessing tourism carrying capacity (TCC). Tran Nghi et al. (2007) tried to make some adjustments to the formulae and used some techniques to consider tourists as in separate groups-not as an individual in a mass. When it is about assessing carrying capacity of a trekking trail or walking route where tourists have to be in a line one behind another, carrying capacity can be calculated for group of tourists using this adjusted formula. But when it is about a beach or a park where tourists are not in queues or lines-rather scattered in the whole area, carrying capacity cannot be calculated based on tourist-group,-rather as a mass. To calculate TCC of such destinations (beach/park) a new technique is proposed and used on the basic formulae of Cifuentes in this study. This new technique is applied in calculating the TCC of the Saint Martin's Island, the only coral island of Bangladesh, as a case study.

The exploration of sustainable energy sources, such as biomethane, has become essential due to the increasing global population and demand for food and energy. This study aims to investigate the potential production of biomethane and electricity generation from fruit and vegetable waste. The fruit and vegetable waste used in this research was collected from student hostels at the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Sahaf Restaurant, Mima Restaurant, Mama Ojo Restaurant, Dan Sadi Restaurant, and IBC Restaurant in Malumfashi. The research involves laboratory analysis of the fruit and vegetable waste samples, focusing on their nutrient composition, biomethane potential, and electrical potential. Proximate analysis was used to determine the nutrient characterization, while the Baserga model was used to predict the biomethane potential. Proximate analysis revealed a total solid content of 95.92%, a volatile solid content of 86.5%, a crude protein content of 0.14%, a nitrogen-free extract of 76.96%, a crude fiber of 6.1%, and a crude fat of 3.3%. According to the Baserga model, a significant biomethane yield of 864.4 L/kg volatile solids, with a methane content of 57%, can be expected. The findings also indicate that complete degradation of fresh organic matter from fruit and vegetable waste can generate 748m 3 /ton of gas. Furthermore, the study predicts an electricity potential of 1601 kWh/ton of fresh fruit and vegetable waste. Based on these findings, the study recommends the use of fruit and vegetable waste as biomass for energy production to address landfilling issues and promote a more sustainable waste management approach.

Background: Succinic acid is a crucial platform chemical for production of various industrially significant compounds. For a sustainable and eco-friendly process, succinic acid synthesis has been shifted towards the fermentative route using renewable biomass substrates. Pineapple consumption and processing generate an immense amount of waste from its non-edible peel portion. As a carbon source, pineapple peel can be valorized for succinic acid bioproduction. Results: The hydrothermal pretreatment (121°C, 15 min) of pineapple peel waste resulted in the highest sugar release of 35.22 g/L (18 g/L glucose and 17 g/L fructose). The subsequent fermentation of pineapple peel hydrolysate was performed by a natural succinic acid producer, Actinobacillus succinogenes TISTR 1994. When the non-detoxified hydrolysate was used as a sole carbon source, 6.21 g/L of succinic acid was produced from 26.16 g/L of sugars. Additional supplementation of 9 g/L mixed nitrogen source enhanced the formation o...

Bangus valley is an unexplored tourist destination of district kupwara of Jammu and Kashmir. The state government has proposed the place for the development of ecotourism but, to avoid environmental degradation from the tourism pressure and to maintain its ecological balance it was important to assess the tourism carrying capacity of the place. The present tentative investigation showed that the place can accommodate 3250 visits per day.

Nowadays, in environmental planning and management, the approach to protect visually diverse landscapes has been an important component in planning decisions. Visual quality analysis is a method to determine the visual quality and visual preferences of the landscape, by correlating its physical characteristics with perceptual parameters, whereby it is possible to demonstrate the visual potential of a field by converting qualitative definitions into quantitative data. The visual quality of the landscape is widely considered as an important resource worth preserving. Despite making a great effort to determine the factors that guide aesthetic preferences, the consensus in the judgments of people is neglected in most of such surveys. This study examines various types of landscape characters in Altınsaç and Inkoy Regions (Gevaş/Van) with spatial heterogeneity, because of the region’s topographic structure and location. The characteristic structure of the region consists of mountains, lak...

Aux Etats-Unis, la chasse réunit près de 12 millions de licenciés, soit 4 % de la population. Le nombre de pratiquants diminue toutefois depuis le début des années 1980, dans un contexte marqué par la politisation croissante d’une activité de plus en plus contestée. Or, amenés à justifier leurs activités, comment les pratiquants se défendent-ils face à l’émergence de discours « anti-chasse » de plus en plus audibles et structurés ? Alors qu’ils voient leur hobby attaqué, comment les chasseurs parviennent-ils à défendre le maintien de leur activité ? À partir d’une enquête conduite en Arizona, l’un des États américain les plus réputés pour la valeur et la qualité de son gibier, cette contribution montre comment des promoteurs de l’activité font paradoxalement d’un loisir polémique une activité où se construit, s’organise et se diffuse une (contre-)éthique de la chasse à portée politique.

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In the United States, hunting is practiced by nearly 12 million people, or about 4% of the population. However, the number of enthusiasts has been decreasing since the beginning of the 1980s, in a context marked by the growing popularity of “anti-hunting” discourse and by the politicization of the sport. How do hunters defend themselves against the emergence of an increasingly audible and structured anti-hunt movement? While they see their hobby under attack, how do they defend the preservation of their activity? Based on a study conducted in Arizona, one of the US states most renowned for the value and quality of its game, this article shows how hunting promoters paradoxically turn a contested practice into an opportunity to build, organize and disseminate a (counter)ethics serving political purposes.

The sugar beet processing in the sugar production industry releases huge amounts of sugar beet pulp, lime residue, and molasses, which can be considered a valuable by-product as a source of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin. Sugar beet pulp is often used as a high-energy, low-protein supplement for ruminants to promote optimal rumen health and increase milk production. However, it cannot be used in large quantities and is thrown away, causing environmental pollution. Valorizing sugar beet processing wastes via biotechnological approaches into valueadded products is cost-effective and eco-friendly. In this article, recent developments in the biotechnological valorization of sugar beet byproducts to produce biofuels, bioethanol, butanol, biomass and platform chemicals such as gluconic acid, lactic acid, rhamnolipid biosurfactant, and endo-polygalacturonase were reviewed, and the methods provide a way to save the environment. Several sugar beet processing plants in the Kyrgyz Republic can offer these methods as a roadmap for value-added production.

The natural environmental beauty preservation has become one of the most important human concerns in the present century, so that visual pollution is considered as a major obstacle to achievement of peace of mind and optimal perfection. In this respect, rural people have a major role in preserving the beauty of the natural environment. The purpose of this study was to analyze factors affecting the aesthetic behavior of Iranian villagers towards the natural environment. This study was descriptive-correlational and causal-relational and was conducted through a survey technique. Statistical population of this study consisted of all villagers in Kermanshah Province (as an indicator example of Iran) (N= 517,786). By using Krejcie and Morgan's sample size table and stratified random sampling method, 385 people were selected as a sample. Research instrument included a questionnaire with approved validity by a panel of experts in the field of agricultural extension and education; and reliability of its items was obtained by a pilot study and calculation of Cronbach's alpha (0.64≥ α ≥0.82). Based on the findings, the causal model of factors affecting the aesthetic behavior of villagers was drawn. Results of this causal analysis indicated that 'place attachment' (β= 0.275) and 'environmental aesthetic attitudes' (β= 0.260) had highest effects on villagers' environmental aesthetic behavior, respectively. Therefore, by focusing on these two variables, the villagers' aesthetic behavior can be enhanced.

Biomass deacetylation with alkali prior to dilute acid pretreatment can be a promising approach to reduce the toxicity of the resulting hydrolysates and improve microbial fermentation. In this study, the effect of mild alkaline treatment of oil palm trunk (OPT) biomass on succinic acid production was evaluated. Deacetylation was carried out under different conditions: NaOH loadings (1–5%, w/v) and reaction times (15–90 min) at 100 °C. Deacetylation using 1% (w/v) NaOH within 15 min was sufficient to achieve a high acetic acid removal of 5.8 g/L with minimal sugar loss. Deacetylation under this condition resulted in a total sugar concentration of 55.8 g/L (18.0 g/L xylose and 37.8 g/L glucose), which was 37% higher than that of non-deacetylated OPT. Subsequently, succinic acid production using Actinobacillus succinogenes was also improved by 42% and 13% in terms of productivity and yield, respectively, at 10% (w/v) solid loading. This further demonstrated that mild alkaline treatment...

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Ageratum conyzoides, an herb found throughout the year, is generally considered as a weed: it causes reduction in soil productivity and leads to health hazards for cattle and humans. However, its biomass can easily represent a cost‐effective source, which can be used for lignocellulosic biofuel production. The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol has drawn much attention in recent times due to abundance of biomass. In the present study, the cellulose and hemicellulose biomass of the leaf and stem of A. conyzoides was converted to sugars using acid hydrolysis.146.01 ± 02 mg/g of fermentable sugar was obtained from A. conyzoides. The maximum ethanol concentration 11.89 g/L was obtained after 7 days. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the surface morphology after acid hydrolysis of biomass. In the current study, the residues of acid hydrolysis and fermented wastewater was used for biogas production through anaerobic digestion. The yield of biogas from the...

Rice straw utilization for the production of fuel and other chemicals via fermentation route needs several pretreatments due to its compact structure between lignin and cellulose in the plant cell walls. It inhibits the decomposition of biomass by microorganism. In this study, rice straw was hydrothermally treated at different temperatures (100-200 °C) with (0-7%) NaOH addition to improve decomposition of biomass. This work demonstrated that the content of the lignin and hemicelluloses fractions was reduced with the increase of the hydrothermal temperature and NaOH content. The results of this study pointed out that hydrothermal treatment with NaOH addition can increase rice straw organic degradation as indicated by increasing delignification, hemicellulose solubilization and lower crystallinity index of rice straw. More lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses were solubilized at higher severity factor. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the rate of thermal degradation began at lower temperature for pretreated rice straw comparing to the untreated rice straw.

Theoretically, natural resource abundance is expected to create national wealth; however, the inconclusiveness in the literature and among the African rich resources motivated this study. Our paper investigated that does Nigeria's non-renewable resource abundance leads to sustainable macroeconomic performance? To achieve the objectives of this study, our paper employs descriptive trends analysis, using tables and charts to measure the relationship between the non-renewable resource abundance, proxies as oil and gas variables, and the selected macroeconomic variables to draw an inference within the study period of 1970-2014 in Nigeria. In summary, our study concludes that an inverse relationship exists between non-renewable resource abundance and macroeconomic performance in Nigeria for the covered period 1970-2014. Therefore, our study conforms to the existing studies of Sachs & Warner, 2001; Gylfason, 2005, Van der Ploeg and Venables, 2013 that African rich-resources countries, including Nigeria, a non-renewable resource abundance retards macroeconomic performance within the period of study. Nonetheless, this study recommends that government should consistently endeavor to increase the proportion of education expenditure to total expenditure as well as same for capital expenditure to total expenditure, and finally, transform the economy from an oil-dependent economy to a non-oil driven economy, that is diversification of the economy, which would change the non-renewable resource-abundant nation from curse to blessing and thus, guarantee sustainable macroeconomic performance in Nigeria.

Hydrogen is an economical source of clean energy that has been utilized by industry for decades. In recent years, demand for hydrogen has risen significantly. Hydrogen sources include water electrolysis, hydrocarbon steam reforming, and fossil fuels, which emit hazardous greenhouse gases and therefore have a negative impact on global warming. The increasing worldwide population has created much pressure on natural fuels, with a growing gap between demand for renewable energy and its insufficient supply. As a result, the environment has suffered from alarming increases in pollution levels. Biohydrogen is a sustainable energy form and a preferable substitute for fossil fuel. Anaerobic fermentation, photo fermentation, microbial and enzymatic photolysis or combinations of such techniques are new approaches for producing biohydrogen. For cost-effective biohydrogen production, the substrate should be cheap and renewable. Substrates including algal biomass, agriculture residue, and wastew...

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Nayab Zahara (  [email protected] ) University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0506-8592 Muhammad Irfan Jalees University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore Muhammad Umar Farooq University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore Arfa Iqbal University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore Sadaan Umais Malik University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila

Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria is susceptible to subsidence as a result of complex interaction between anthropogenic activities and natural processes. As an area of subterranean fluid extraction, the study arose because of the need for subsidence monitoring so as to minimize the anticipated resultant risk. The study utilized water extraction data that was linked to an existing data base of the study area. To obtain the subsidence susceptibility index, the total water extraction data for each LGA was normalized and the data converted into grids and interpolated with Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) tool of ARCMAP spatial analyst extension to create an isoline map. IDW is used to create a continuous surface from sampled point values. The resultant map showed the spatial distribution of the subsidence zones of High and Very High zones are found in emerging urban areas of Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Ikot Abasi. This emphasizes the need for the population growth and the water supply needs of our urban centers to be monitored. It is recommended that an agency should be established to monitor land subsidence in the vulnerable areas identified by the study.

In the present study, the effect of dilute acid hydrolysis during the pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was conducted using sulphuric acid of various concentrations. A high concentration of reducing sugar of 270.90 g/L was achieved by soaking bagasse in 0.5M of H2SO4 at a constant temperature of 120 oC. After the pre-treatment (saccharification), the reducing sugars obtained at the different concentrations were fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae mono-culture modes. The results indicated that, the pre-treated SCB treated with 0.5M H2SO4 produced the highest yield of ethanol which was 8.884 g/L with a productivity of 0.134 g/L/h. However, relatively low ethanol yield was found when 0.2M H2SO4 was used which yielded 8.2185 g/L. In any case, acid hydrolysis proves to be a better method of hydrolysis and an increase in the concentration during hydrolysis contributes to higher sugar yield and subsequently higher ethanol yields.

Sequel to the uncountable and catastrophic effects of flood in different places all over the world, several mitigation measures have been developed by different people in different places to manage it. Unfortunately, as seen in literature, most of the mitigation measures lack proper mapping of the physical environment. It is to this effect that this study used GIS and remote sensing to identify flood risk areas within Uyo Urban so as to produce an easily understood GIS based flood risks map of the area. The ASTER DEM and Landsat ETM+ images of 2015 of the area were used in this research to characterize the topography and assess the impact of flooding. Three flood risk maps were produced identifying three category risk zones, high, medium and low risk zones. Factors that affect flooding in the study area were outlined and they include population explosion, urbanization and climate change. The area within each of the risk zones was calculated. The total area covered by the high risk z...

Sugarcane is a lignocellulosic crop and the juice extracted from its stalks provides the raw material for 86% of sugar production. Globally, sugarcane processing to obtain sugar and/or ethanol generates more than 279 million tons of solid and liquid waste annually, as well as by-products; namely, straws, bagasse, press mud, wastewater, ash from bagasse incineration, vinasse from ethanol distillation, and molasses. If not properly managed, this waste will pose risks to both environmental factors and human health. Lately, valorization of waste has gained momentum, having an important contribution to the fulfillment of policies and objectives related to sustainable development and circular bioeconomy. Various technologies are well-established and implemented for the valorization of waste and by-products from sugarcane processing, while other innovative technologies are still in the research and development stage, with encouraging prospects. We propose a sustainable sugarcane processing...

One of the major advantages of biofuel over fossil fuel is that it is environmentally friendly but unfortunately most of the chemicals used in the pretreatment of lignocelluloses biomass to produce biofuel can cause adverse effects to the environment. In this study, ionic liquid was used for the pretreatment of cocoa waste. Its effectiveness in the treatment process was compared to the alkalis and acids used in the conventional pretreatment media. The effectiveness of pretreatment using ionic liquid, H2SO4 and NaOH was based on the reduction of biomass, production of reducing sugar and also bioethanol. Ionic liquid pretreatment was found to show minimal biomass loss of only 31% after pretreatment compared to H2SO4 and NaOH which showed loss of 61% and 79% respectively. The untreated biomass has 10% amount of cellulose but upon pretreatment with ionic liquid, H2SO4 and NaOH, significant amount of cellulose was detected compared to NaOH which produced only 7% of cellulose. Two types o...

Ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse pith hydrolysate by thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces sp. IIPE453 was analyzed using response surface methodology. Variables such as Substrate Concentration, pH, fermentation time and Na2HPO4 concentration were found to influence ethanol production significantly. In a batch fermentation, optimization of key process variables resulted in maximum ethanol concentration of 17.44 g/L which was 88% of the theoretical with specific productivity of 0.36 g/L/h.

Biogas age from the anaerobic processing has uncovered to be probably the best innovation as another fuel source to petroleum derivatives, which can decrease the unfavorable ecological contamination and yield supplement muck as bio manure. Biogas production from sugarcane press mud has enormous potential for energy age. Nonetheless, to empower the enhancement of the anaerobic digestion (AD) measure substrate trademark ought to be painstakingly assessed. In this paper the biogas improvement has been talked about and completed. Tests of press mud from different locales from the nation were investigated as far as aggregate and unstable solids, macronutrients, minor components and dietary benefit. Biochemical methane potential was performed to assess the energy capability of the press mud as per various sorts of sugarcane plants. Methane yields changed extensively, for the most part because of the various areas, water quality, soil structure and manures utilized for developing the sugar stick just as sugar and additionally ethanol creation measures.

The aim of this study was to establish an improved pretreatment and fermentation method i.e. immobilized cells for high recovery of fermentable sugars from palm kernel cake (PKC) and its effects on fermentability performance by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z in the conversion of the fermentable sugar to lactic acid. The effects of oxalic acid concentrations (1–6% w/v) and residence times (1–5 h) on the sugar recovery were initially investigated and it was found that the highest mannose concentration was 25.1 g/L at the optimum hydrolysis conditions of 4 h and 3% (w/v) oxalic acid. The subsequent enzymatic saccharification of the pretreated PKC afforded the highest enzymatic digestibility with the recovered sugars amounting to 25.18 g/L and 9.14 g/L of mannose and glucose, respectively. Subsequently, the fermentability performance of PKC hydrolysate was evaluated and compared in terms of cultivation phases (i.e. mono and dual-phases), carbonate loadings (i.e. magnesium and sodium c...

Due to high production costs facing South African sugar manufacturing industries, production of sugar alone may not be profitable. For sugar manufacturing industries to be economically viable, a novel approach research on other value-added potential products is of paramount importance. The aim of this work was to conduct a feasibility study on biogas production from anaerobic digestion (AD) of sugarcane bagasse, molasses and leaves using cow dung as co- substrate. Three sets of 12 independent batch laboratory experiments for each residue were carried out at temperature of 35oC and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 14 days using 500 ml bottles as digesters. Design-Expert software was used for design of experiment, process optimisation and process modelling. One variable at a time (OVAT) and 2-Dimensional (2-D) graphical analysis methods were used to analyse the effects of cow dung to sugarcane residues (C:SR) feed ratio, media solution pH and digester’s moisture content on biogas vol...

In the present study, the effect of dilute acid hydrolysis during the pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was conducted using sulphuric acid of various concentrations. A high concentration of reducing sugar of 270.90 g/L was achieved by soaking bagasse in 0.5M of H2SO4 at a constant temperature of 120 oC. After the pre-treatment (saccharification), the reducing sugars obtained at the different concentrations were fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae mono-culture modes. The results indicated that, the pre-treated SCB treated with 0.5M H2SO4 produced the highest yield of ethanol which was 8.884 g/L with a productivity of 0.134 g/L/h. However, relatively low ethanol yield was found when 0.2M H2SO4 was used which yielded 8.2185 g/L. In any case, acid hydrolysis proves to be a better method of hydrolysis and an increase in the concentration during hydrolysis contributes to higher sugar yield and subsequently higher ethanol yields.

Rice straw (RS) and rice husk (RH) were selected as a local agricultural residues for biopolymers (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) extraction using 2% alkaline sodium hydroxide at 90C for almost 3 hours. The extraction process was optimized by Taguchi experimental design method. Results revealed that cellulose was 54.6 % and 52.75 % in case of RS and RH, respectively. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) were done using Aspergilus niger crude enzymes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which statistically optimized with two experimental design models (Taguchi and PlacketBurman design). Maximum glucose yield from hydrolysis of the extracted cellulose RS (CRS) and cellulose RH (CRH) was 255 mg/g and 120 mg/g, respectively. Bioethanol yield from the obtained fermentable glucose of CRS and CRH were 231.8 mg/g and 269.4 mg/g, respectively. Extraction, hydrolysis and fermentation processes optimization can be an alternative sustainable development approach to utilize this abundant ag...

Hydrogen is an economical source of clean energy that has been utilized by industry for decades. In recent years, demand for hydrogen has risen significantly. Hydrogen sources include water electrolysis, hydrocarbon steam reforming, and fossil fuels, which emit hazardous greenhouse gases and therefore have a negative impact on global warming. The increasing worldwide population has created much pressure on natural fuels, with a growing gap between demand for renewable energy and its insufficient supply. As a result, the environment has suffered from alarming increases in pollution levels. Biohydrogen is a sustainable energy form and a preferable substitute for fossil fuel. Anaerobic fermentation, photo fermentation, microbial and enzymatic photolysis or combinations of such techniques are new approaches for producing biohydrogen. For cost-effective biohydrogen production, the substrate should be cheap and renewable. Substrates including algal biomass, agriculture residue, and wastew...

The study aims to determine which domains of organizational culture that best predicts the work stress among government employees in Davao City. The level of organizational culture among government employees exhibited a high level with the mean rating of 3.93 while the level of work stress showed a moderate level with a mean rating of 2.52. However, there is negative relationship between the organizational culture and work stress, and none of the six parameters of organizational culture directly influences the work stress. Descriptive correlation method of research was used in the study and was conducted among different government agencies with 175 respondents. Data analysis showed that there is significant relationship between organizational culture and work stress but none of the six parameters of organizational culture directly influences the work stress of the government employees

Sequential pretreatments for sugarcane bagasse (scb) by NaOH followed by organosolv under mild conditions were evaluated for cellulose recovery and dilignification. The best-optimized sequential pretreatment of scb was obtained at 10% (w/v) of raw scb loading at 1% (w/v) NaOH (50 °C, 2 h) followed by treatment with organosolv (85%, v/v phosphoric acid, 50 °C, 1 h) with chilled acetone. This sequentially pretreated scb showed cellulose recovery, 66.1% (w/w) and delignification, 83.2% (w/w). NaOH or organosolv pretreated scb showed lower cellulose recovery 47.4% (w/w) or 54.5% (w/w) with lower delignification, 61% (w/w) or 56% (w/w), respectively. Pretreated solid residue of sequentially pretreated scb was enzymatically saccharified by chimera (β-glucosidase and endoglucanase, CtGH1-L1-CtGH5-F194A) and cellobiohydrolase (CtCBH5A) cloned from Clostridium thermocellum. Enzymatic hydrolysate of best sequentially pretreated scb gave total reducing sugar (TRS) yield, 230 mg/g and glucose yield, 137 mg/g pretreated scb. Only organosolv pretreated scb gave TRS yield, 112.5 mg/g and glucose yield, 72 mg/g of pretreated scb. Thus, sequentially pretreated scb resulted in 37% higher enzymatic digestibility than only orgnaosolv pretreated scb. Higher enzymatic digestibility was supported by higher crystallinity index CrI (45%) than those obtained with only organosolv pretreated (38%) or raw scb (25%). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses showed enhanced cellulose exposure in sequentially pretreated scb. Preliminary investigation of bioethanol production at small scale by separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) of enzymatic hydrolysate from best sequentially pretreated scb by Saccharomyces cerevisiae gave maximum ethanol yield of 0.42 g/g of glucose.

Due to high production costs facing South African sugar manufacturing industries, production of sugar alone may not be profitable. For sugar manufacturing industries to be economically viable, a novel approach research on other value-added potential products is of paramount importance. The aim of this work was to conduct a feasibility study on biogas production from anaerobic digestion (AD) of sugarcane bagasse, molasses and leaves using cow dung as co- substrate. Three sets of 12 independent batch laboratory experiments for each residue were carried out at temperature of 35oC and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 14 days using 500 ml bottles as digesters. Design-Expert software was used for design of experiment, process optimisation and process modelling. One variable at a time (OVAT) and 2-Dimensional (2-D) graphical analysis methods were used to analyse the effects of cow dung to sugarcane residues (C:SR) feed ratio, media solution pH and digester’s moisture content on biogas vol...

This paper studies the application of calcium oxide (CaO), peracetic acid (PAA) and a combination of both in order to reduce lignin content and increase biogas potential of cow manure and maize straw. Changes in organic matter were mainly affected by the type of reagent use and the dosage, with minimum influence of exposure time and dilution. Changes in pH may limit the application of chemicals. Increase in biogas production with a combination of CaO and PAA, and separate application of PAA and CaO was 156.5%, 39.1% and 26.1% for cow manure and 125%, 137.5% and 37.5% for maize straw, respectively, compared to unpretreated samples. Pretreating cow manure with the aforementioned reagents does not increase the profitability of a biogas plant due mainly to the increase in operational costs from the intensive use of chemicals.

Hydrogen is an economical source of clean energy that has been utilized by industry for decades. In recent years, demand for hydrogen has risen significantly. Hydrogen sources include water electrolysis, hydrocarbon steam reforming, and fossil fuels, which emit hazardous greenhouse gases and therefore have a negative impact on global warming. The increasing worldwide population has created much pressure on natural fuels, with a growing gap between demand for renewable energy and its insufficient supply. As a result, the environment has suffered from alarming increases in pollution levels. Biohydrogen is a sustainable energy form and a preferable substitute for fossil fuel. Anaerobic fermentation, photo fermentation, microbial and enzymatic photolysis or combinations of such techniques are new approaches for producing biohydrogen. For cost-effective biohydrogen production, the substrate should be cheap and renewable. Substrates including algal biomass, agriculture residue, and wastew...

Cell wall composition in lignocellulosic biomass varies depending on genetic origin, growth conditions, weather and soil conditions. Here, we have evaluated the chemical characterization, morphology and enzymatic hydrolysis efficiencies (after sequential dilute acid-base pretreatment) of sugarcane bagasse from five different hybrid varieties of sugarcane. On average, bagasse samples showed cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and ash compositions of 40.84, 24.07, 33.71 and 0.68%, respectively. Sequential acid-base pretreatment removed approximately 77 and 58% hemicellulose and lignin, respectively, leaving pulp samples rich in cellulose (up to 80%), which exhibited a maximum saccharification yields of 55.39% after enzymatic hydrolysis. We found average contents of cellulose (54.17 and 77.48%), hemicellulose (5.64 and 6.07%), lignin (37.28 and 15.40%) and ash (0.54 and 0.32%) in cellulignin and cellulosic pulp, respectively. Results showed that the genetic variability of sugarcane had no influence on the chemical composition and sugar recovery after saccharification of bagasse samples. Therefore, sugarcane bagasse from these new sugarcane varieties samples may be used for second generation sugars production. Cellulosic sugars may serve as primary building block for renewable fuels and chemicals production at commercial scale under biorefinery concept.

Concern for studies on urban poverty has been of low priority to  government, researchers and development planners in Nigeria. For over two decades, studies have been focused on rural poverty. This study therefore, investigated the present poverty situation in Uyo urban area and identified the vulnerable groups and their spatial dimension. The study adopted a survey research design in data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data gathered from 20 sampled units in the study area Factor analysis technique was used to determine the different levels of poverty in the study area. The study revealed significant relationship between factors of urban poverty and development in Uyo urban area. The study  recommended the formulation and implementation of policies by Government that would provide employment, housing, education,  improved health care among others for the urban poor.