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Special Issue "Challenges, Opportunities, Valorization and Green Advancements for Food and Agricultural Waste"

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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2023 | Viewed by 5404

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jelena T. Petrović

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Guest Editor

Institute for Technology of Nuclear and Other Mineral Raw Materials, 86 Franchet d’Esperey St., Belgrade 11000, Serbia
Interests: biomass utilization; biomass conversion; hydrothermal carbonization; pyrolysis; biomaterials; material characterization; waste reuse; water purification

Dr. Marija Simic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute for Technology of Nuclear and Other Mineral Raw Materials, 86 Franchet d’Esperey St., 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: adsorption technologies; material characterization; waste management; biomass conversion; water purification; environmental protection

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, increasing anthropogenic activity and the disposal of food and agricultural waste have become a worldwide environmental problem. Therefore, the main solution is to minimize waste generation and maximize the utilization of food/agricultural waste, which would reduce problems in sustainable waste management through the “zero-waste” model and in environmental pollution.

Since food/agricultural waste has significant potential to be used as a raw material for the production of novel value-added products, their thermochemical or biological conversion to valuable materials and green fuels (i.e., valorization) is emerging as a strong trend. Integrating various technologies can improve resource utilization and promote a circular economy.

This Special Issue aims to act as a platform for researchers from around the world to discuss the current problems and consequences of the generation of food and agricultural waste, as well as proposals for overcoming these problems, which include the waste valorization of value-added products and their applications, in order to reduce and prevent their adverse environmental impact. Manuscripts related to all types of food and agricultural waste generation and their utilization, including innovative waste transformation techniques (e.g., pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal carbonization), biological processes (e.g., syngas fermentation and anaerobic digestion), value-added products, biofuels, biorefineries, and Life Cycle Analysis, are welcome.

Dr. Jelena T. Petrović
Dr. Marija Simic
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

food/agricultural waste valorization
zero-waste technology
conversion methods
biological processes
value-added products
innovative waste products
carbon materials
biofuel
fine chemicals

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2064 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Food Waste (Beetroot and Apple Pomace) as Sorbent for Lead from Aqueous Solutions—Alternative to Landfill Disposal

and

Stanislava Gorjanović

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1343; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051343 - 26 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1351

Abstract

This article presents studies, whose main goal was to minimize food waste. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to expand the scope of their application, for example, for the purification of polluted water from heavy metals. Millions of tons of waste from the fruit and vegetable industry, including pomace of apples and beetroots, are thrown into landfills, posing a danger to the environment. In order to solve the problems with the disposal of these wastes, the authors investigated their sorption potential for the removal of lead from wastewater. The sorbents, dried apple (AP), and beetroots (BR) pomaces were characterized by various methods (study of composition, zeta potential, FTIR-ATR, and SEM-EDX). Various models of sorption kinetics and sorption isotherms were analyzed. Kinetical studies under optimal conditions showed that the sorption process occurs through complexation and ion exchange and the determining stage limiting the rate of sorption is the diffusion of lead ions in the sorbent. The maximum sorption capacity was 31.7 and 79.8 mg/g for AP and BR, respectively. The thermodynamic data revealed the spontaneous sorption of lead ions by sorbents. The temperature rise contributes to the sorption increase by the AP sorbent, while for the BR sorbent, the opposite effect is observed. The obtained results showed that apple and beetroots pomaces can serve as effective renewable materials for the preparation of sorbents, contributing to the solution of complex environmental problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges, Opportunities, Valorization and Green Advancements for Food and Agricultural Waste)

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16 pages, 2118 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Evaluation of Adsorption Efficiency on Pb(II) Ions Removal Using Alkali-Modified Hydrochar from Paulownia Leaves

and

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1327; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051327 - 25 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 714

Abstract

In this study, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) at five temperatures (180, 200, 220, 240, and 260 °C) was applied to transform Paulownia leaves (PL) into a carbonaceous sorbent of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. To enhance the adsorption efficiency of the obtained hydrochar (PH), subsequent alkali activation was performed using NaOH. Preliminary results of the Pb(II) adsorption (C_Pb = 200 mg/L) showed removal coefficients after 48 h of 73.44 mg/g, 82.37 mg/g, and 110.9 mg/g for PL, PH-220, and MPH-220, respectively. The selected hydrochar (PH-220) and modified hydrochar (MPH-220) were further investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results revealed that alkali treatment changed the hydrochar structure and, thus, improved its adsorption performance. The kinetic parameters showed that the Pb(II) sorption onto MPH-220 followed a pseudo-second-order model, while the intra-particle diffusion went through two simultaneous stages. The Langmuir isotherm model best described the experimental data and indicated the value of 174.75 mg Pb(II)/g as the maximum adsorption capacity. The two possible mechanisms of Pb(II) binding were complexation and/or Pb-π electron interaction. The obtained results indicate the great potential of MPH-220 for Pb(II) removal from aqueous media and its potential utilization as an effective adsorbent for wastewater purification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges, Opportunities, Valorization and Green Advancements for Food and Agricultural Waste)

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18 pages, 3687 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Ability of Deep Eutectic Solvent Modified Oat Straw for Cu(II), Zn(II), and Se(IV) Ions Removal

Jelena Dimitrijević

Sanja Jevtić

Aleksandar Marinković

Marija Simić

Marija Koprivica

and

Jelena Petrović

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051308 - 24 Apr 2023

Viewed by 987

Abstract

In the proposed study, agro-waste biomass oat straw (OS) was considered a potential adsorbent for Cu(II), Zn(II), and Se(IV) removal from aqueous solutions. In order to obtain material with better adsorption abilities, the OS was modified by a deep eutectic solvent (DES). Structural changes caused by the applied modification route were considered by pHpzc, SEM, FTIR, and DSC/TG analysis. These methods discovered that lignocellulosic biomass degradation and material functionalization were achieved by DES treatment. Preliminary adsorption tests showed an over fourfold increase in capacity upon modification. The kinetic parameters implied that adsorption on modified material followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Different isotherm models were applied to experimental data, while the Sips isotherm model best describes the equilibrium of the adsorption process on the tested modified material. According to this isotherm model, the maximum achieved adsorption capacities of Cu(II), Zn(II), and Se(IV) were 48.21, 55.06, and 87.85 mg/g, respectively. The summarized experimental results revealed that the adsorption process of selected cations on modified OS was predominantly caused by chemisorption, while, in addition to chemisorption, electrostatic forces were also responsible for Se(IV) removal. Desorption test showed that the prepared material could be reused for at least 3 cycles, with minimal efficiency loss. Briefly, this study reinforces that DES-modified agro-waste biomass could be used as a promising adsorbent for cations and oxyanions from wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges, Opportunities, Valorization and Green Advancements for Food and Agricultural Waste)

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13 pages, 2170 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Mechanism Assessment and Differences of Cadmium Adsorption on Raw and Alkali-Modified Agricultural Waste

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Processes 2022, 10(10), 1957; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10101957 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1193

Abstract

In this study, raw corn silk was considered for the removal of cadmium ions from aqueous solutions. In order to improve adsorption characteristics, the KOH treatment was applied as a route to obtain modified materials. Both materials before and after metal adsorption were characterized by pH_PZC, SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis. SEM images and FTIR spectra revealed that alkali modification caused some structural changes that could improve the adsorption properties of the investigated material. The experimental results and the ion-exchange study revealed that the biosorption process of cadmium ions on to raw and modified corn silk was caused predominantly by the ion-exchange mechanism, followed by chemisorption. The kinetic parameters implied that there are three stages in the biosorption process. In addition, the cadmium adsorption on both materials is very fast and is followed by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The experimental results were fitted by two and three parameter isotherm models, while the Sips isotherm model best describes the biosorption process on both materials. According to the Sips isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity of cadmium adsorbed on modified materials was 49.06 mg g⁻¹, which is 2.23 times greater in comparison to the raw material (21.96 mg g⁻¹). Furthermore, the mechanisms of cadmium adsorption onto the investigated materials are summarized in order to better understand the modification influence on the adsorption properties of corn silk. In order to examine reusability of the investigated material, diluted nitric acid was used for regeneration. A desorption study was performed in three adsorption-desorption cycles. A high desorption efficiency (˃85%) indicated that MCS after Cd adsorption can be efficiently recovered and reused for a new adsorption cycle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges, Opportunities, Valorization and Green Advancements for Food and Agricultural Waste)

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Review

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21 pages, 4448 KiB

Open AccessReview

Dietary Fiber from Plant-Based Food Wastes: A Comprehensive Approach to Cereal, Fruit, and Vegetable Waste Valorization

and

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051580 - 22 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2040

Abstract

The agri-food industry generates significant quantities of plant-based food waste from processing, which offers a valuable research opportunity aimed at minimizing and managing these wastes efficiently in support of zero waste and/or circular economies. In order to achieve food security, all of these wastes can be valorized using downstream processes in an integrated manner, which results in the conversion of waste into secondary raw materials. Specifically, plant-based food wastes and/or byproducts are recognized sources of bioactive chemicals, including dietary fibers that are beneficial as food additives or functional food ingredients that can meet the technological and functional requirements of health-promoting value-added products. Additionally, cellulosic ingredients can be utilized directly within nonfood industries, such as textiles, resulting in a reduction in the environmental impact of secondary raw materials, as well as an increase in market acceptance compared to those currently on the market. On this basis, the present review was designed to provide an overview of introducing novel concepts for effective reuse, recyclability, and maximal utilization of plant-based food wastes and/or byproducts from food-processing industries, which creates a potential opportunity for the extraction of value-added dietary fiber with potential applications in food and nonfood industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges, Opportunities, Valorization and Green Advancements for Food and Agricultural Waste)

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