Sustainable Management of Banana Waste through Renewable Energy and Bio-Fertilizer Generation
(2016) In Agriculture issues and policies p.69-89- Abstract
- Bananas are widely consumed fruits with over 140 metric tons produced annually. As much as 336 metric tons of banana pseudo-stems, sheaths, piths, peels and leaves are produced annually. These wastes are usually discarded via composting, aerobic decomposition, incinerated or simply allowed to rot in the fields. However, these treatments may cause serious environmental and ecological problems.
Meantime, banana wastes are high in organic content that can be converted to a renewable energy. Renewable energy generation technologies such anaerobic digestion (AD), dark fermentation and ethanol fermentation are commonly reported in scientific literature. This chapter deals with the usability of banana waste as feedstock for bio-energy... (More) - Bananas are widely consumed fruits with over 140 metric tons produced annually. As much as 336 metric tons of banana pseudo-stems, sheaths, piths, peels and leaves are produced annually. These wastes are usually discarded via composting, aerobic decomposition, incinerated or simply allowed to rot in the fields. However, these treatments may cause serious environmental and ecological problems.
Meantime, banana wastes are high in organic content that can be converted to a renewable energy. Renewable energy generation technologies such anaerobic digestion (AD), dark fermentation and ethanol fermentation are commonly reported in scientific literature. This chapter deals with the usability of banana waste as feedstock for bio-energy (in the form of biogas bio-hydrogen and bio-ethanol) production and various pre-treatments commonly applied prior to these processes.
AD process is a four-step sequential process whereby bacteria and Archaea break organic matter in the absence of oxygen to produce a mixture of gases (biogas), amongst them energy-rich methane. The generated biogas can be upgraded to bio-methane that can be a substitute for natural gas. The AD process is widely recognized as a promising, robust, low-cost technique for treatment of various organic wastes streams with or without pre-treatment. AD is also easy to perform and the residue from the process called digestate can be used as a bio-fertilizer. Banana residues may become a feedstock of choice in the AD process because of its low lignin content and high biodegradability.
There are several bacteria with a potential for hydrogen production through dark fermentation. In recent years, extreme thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor sp. have emerged as bacteria of choice for hydrogen production because of high rates and high yields. For banana residues to be used as feedstock for hydrogen production through dark fermentation it must be pre-treated to release organic acids such as acetic and butyric acids, which are preferred substrates for Caldicellulosiruptor sp. Pre-treatments to yield simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose can also be employed when a mixed culture is used as the seed for hydrogen production.
Various types of yeast have been used for ethanol production from glucose (6 carbons), xylose (5 carbons) or both. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model eukaryotic organism, often used in such research because it is easy to manipulate and culture, and is comparatively similar in structure to human cells. As with dark fermentation, there is a need for a pre-treatment before one can use banana residues for ethanol fermentation as the yeast can only use reduced organic forms such as glucose and xylose.
There is also the possible of combined hydrogen or combined ethanol and biogas production thereby maximizing energy yields and producing a valuable fertilizer from the digestate (after AD). In such a scenario, a closed loop can be created. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/a423424b-28ba-43ad-896b-c1f218cb690b
- author
- LI, Chao LU ; Liu, Jing LU ; Ivo Achu, Nges LU and Fang, J
- organization
- publishing date
- 2016
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Waste treatment, Sustainability, Renewable energy, Bio-fertilizer, Banana waste
- categories
- Popular Science
- host publication
- Bananas : Cultivation, Consumption and Crop Diseases
- series title
- Agriculture issues and policies
- editor
- Pearson, Valerie
- pages
- 21 pages
- publisher
- Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85024850767
- ISBN
- 9781634854184
- 978-1-63485-429-0
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a423424b-28ba-43ad-896b-c1f218cb690b
- date added to LUP
- 2016-10-17 17:12:14
- date last changed
- 2024-01-04 14:34:25
@inbook{a423424b-28ba-43ad-896b-c1f218cb690b,
abstract = {{Bananas are widely consumed fruits with over 140 metric tons produced annually. As much as 336 metric tons of banana pseudo-stems, sheaths, piths, peels and leaves are produced annually. These wastes are usually discarded via composting, aerobic decomposition, incinerated or simply allowed to rot in the fields. However, these treatments may cause serious environmental and ecological problems. <br/> Meantime, banana wastes are high in organic content that can be converted to a renewable energy. Renewable energy generation technologies such anaerobic digestion (AD), dark fermentation and ethanol fermentation are commonly reported in scientific literature. This chapter deals with the usability of banana waste as feedstock for bio-energy (in the form of biogas bio-hydrogen and bio-ethanol) production and various pre-treatments commonly applied prior to these processes. <br/> AD process is a four-step sequential process whereby bacteria and Archaea break organic matter in the absence of oxygen to produce a mixture of gases (biogas), amongst them energy-rich methane. The generated biogas can be upgraded to bio-methane that can be a substitute for natural gas. The AD process is widely recognized as a promising, robust, low-cost technique for treatment of various organic wastes streams with or without pre-treatment. AD is also easy to perform and the residue from the process called digestate can be used as a bio-fertilizer. Banana residues may become a feedstock of choice in the AD process because of its low lignin content and high biodegradability.<br/> There are several bacteria with a potential for hydrogen production through dark fermentation. In recent years, extreme thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor sp. have emerged as bacteria of choice for hydrogen production because of high rates and high yields. For banana residues to be used as feedstock for hydrogen production through dark fermentation it must be pre-treated to release organic acids such as acetic and butyric acids, which are preferred substrates for Caldicellulosiruptor sp. Pre-treatments to yield simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose can also be employed when a mixed culture is used as the seed for hydrogen production.<br/>Various types of yeast have been used for ethanol production from glucose (6 carbons), xylose (5 carbons) or both. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model eukaryotic organism, often used in such research because it is easy to manipulate and culture, and is comparatively similar in structure to human cells. As with dark fermentation, there is a need for a pre-treatment before one can use banana residues for ethanol fermentation as the yeast can only use reduced organic forms such as glucose and xylose.<br/> There is also the possible of combined hydrogen or combined ethanol and biogas production thereby maximizing energy yields and producing a valuable fertilizer from the digestate (after AD). In such a scenario, a closed loop can be created.}},
author = {{LI, Chao and Liu, Jing and Ivo Achu, Nges and Fang, J}},
booktitle = {{Bananas : Cultivation, Consumption and Crop Diseases}},
editor = {{Pearson, Valerie}},
isbn = {{9781634854184}},
keywords = {{Waste treatment; Sustainability; Renewable energy; Bio-fertilizer; Banana waste}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{69--89}},
publisher = {{Nova Science Publishers, Inc.}},
series = {{Agriculture issues and policies}},
title = {{Sustainable Management of Banana Waste through Renewable Energy and Bio-Fertilizer Generation}},
year = {{2016}},
}