PTT375

Food Waste Management and Utilization

Earth
 2nd PART

01 Bioremediation 05 Utilization
products
of plant by-

02 Composting of waste 06 Utilization of fish by-product

03 Waste management in
food packaging industries 07 Utilization of cereal waste.

04 Utilization of fruit
vegetable waste
and
04
How important of managing and
utilizing food waste?
A. Very important
B. Important
C. Less important
D. General important
E. Unimportant
MOST COMMON LANDFILLING METHOD
One of the most important factors relating to
landfilling is that the buried waste never comes in
contact with surface water or groundwater
AREA vs POLLUTION vs MONEY
1 Concern not because of hazard but
more because of its volume.

2 Once an area is polluted, the next step is to

suggest possible corrective actions.

The most common, ineffective and

3 inexpensive way to deal with polluted areas
1 2 is to ignore.

3
4 When things get more severe one can either
4 resort to conventional methods, such as
prevention and reduction, reuse, recycling,
incineration, pyrolysis and landfill, or to
modern innovative methods which include
composting, biodegradation and
bioremediation.
MANAGE

TECHNOLOGY WITH
LIVING ORGANISM

BIOREMEDIATION
Bioremediation is the naturally occurring
process by which microorganisms either
immobilize or transform environmental
contaminants to innocuous end products.
Advantages of soil and groundwater
remediation
❖ Harnesses naturally occurring biogeological processes
❖ Destroys or immobilizes contaminants rather than transfers them from one
environmental medium to another
❖ Conserves financial resources due to shortened cleanup times and/or
lower capital expenditures to many other remediation technologies
FOUR BIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
use of plants
inoculation of the site by (phytoremediation)
microorganisms with specific to remove and/or
biotransforming abilities transform pollutants

stimulation of the activity of application of

indigenous microorganisms by immobilized enzymes
the addition of nutrients,
regulation of redox conditions,
optimizing pH conditions
METHODS OF IN-SITU BIOREMEDIATION
In-Situ
Bioremediation

Enhanced/
Intrinsic/Natural Attenuation
(no site manipulation)
Engineered Bioremediation
(site & microbial manipulation)

Biostimulation Bioaugmentation

Immobilization
Land Farming Composting Slurry bioreactor
BIOREMEDIATION METHODS (exc immobilization)

3.
4. SLURRY
1. LANDFARMING 2. COMPOSTING INTRINSIC/NATURAL
BIOREACTOR
ATTENUATION

A managed a biological aerobic a natural the contaminated

treatment and decomposition of process occurring soils are excavated
ultimate disposal organic materials in ever since the first and mixed with
process which conditions are microbes and water to form a slurry
that involves the strictly controlled excess organic that is mechanically
controlled in order to help the matter were both aerated in a reactor
application of a thermophilic present in the soil vessel.
waste to a microorganisms
soil or soil- to transform organic
vegetation materials into a stable,
system. soil like product
 INTRINSIC BIOREMEDIATION
Easy, uncontrolled condition, more disadvantage
❖ exploits natural ways of recycling nutrients through the cycles of nitrogen and carbon
❖ the decomposition of the contaminants is carried out by the indigenous microorganisms which
grow on this contaminated soil and can only survive in that environment by using the
contaminating substances as a source of energy.
❖ These microorganisms forced by the environmental conditions to adapt or die or have been
genetically modified
❖ Advantages:
- no excavation is needed
- no special equipment is required.
- lower cost
- no disturbance of the natural environment.
 INTRINSIC BIOREMEDIATION
❖ Disadvantages:

- slow process

- may not be a good alternative if immediate site clean up is required.

- the metabolic process of the degradation produces undesirable by-products

could be toxic.

- treatability tests are supposed to detect the hazardous materials but sometimes

conditions can be altered from the laboratory to the field.

- no adequate control in the nutrient distribution

LANDFARMING:
petrol, diesel and waste oil, but requires a large area of land
❖ Mostly applied in agriculture and aims at controlling the
bio-cycling of natural compounds.
❖ The biodegradation conditions by the natural
indigenous are optimized by the
- dilution of contaminated soil with clean soil,
- tilling of the soil to reduce initial toxicity
- controlling physical parameters, such as aeration,
pH, soil, moisture content, and temperature.
❖ Aeration is often accomplished by tilling the soil, or, in
more automated systems, by forced aeration.
• Soil is excavated and place in 0.3 to 0.5 meter lifts on an engineered pad.
• The soil is periodically sprayed with a nutrient/water mixture, and tilled.
• Samples are taken to establish the success of the method until the concentrations of
contaminants reach the desired clean-up level.
• Leachate from the spraying process and storm water run-off are collected in a sump and
reapplied over the soil lifts.
• Land farming is typically an inexpensive option for remediating soils with petrol, diesel
and waste oil, but requires a large area of land.
• Petrol is easily degraded and takes less time to achieve clean-up levels than diesel and
waste oil.
• Typical clean-up times are three months to one year. This method is a low-level
technology and is relatively inexpensive depending on design of the engineered pad.
• This method has also proven effective on a wide range of petroleum hydrocarbons.
• The disadvantages of this method are that it requires a large land area and may require
the management of odour released from the biological treatment.
 COMPOSTING
Food, > fertile land, suppress plant disease
❖ materials are decomposed by microorganisms present in the soil.
❖ natural decomposition is so slow that some materials hardly show any decomposition signs, hence
necessary to optimize microbial growth.

In nature , nothing is considered as a waste--- everything is

food for something else
 BENEFITS OF COMPOST
1. Compost improves the quality of soil, and for this reason it is considered as a
soil conditioner.

2. Compost improves the structure and texture of the soil enable them to
retain nutrients, moisture, and air for the betterment of growth.

3. It contains variety of nutrients basic nutrients required for healthy growth of

plants.
4. In addition to nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, certain micronutrients
viz. manganese, copper, iron, and zinc also found in compost which helps
them to control diseases and insects.
5. Reduce volume up to 25-40%.
 THREE PHASES OF COMPOSTING

Actinomycetes: cellulose,
lignin, chitin, and proteins.

Fungi: complex plant polymers

❖ initiated by mesophilic bacteria (biologically active at temperatures between 30 and 45°C.)

❖ Degradation of the organic matter results in heat production through exothermic reactions.
❖ temperature increases to 50–60°C thus enhance growth of thermophilic bacteria.
❖ thermophilic bacteria may further increase the temperature with their activity and, if the
conditions are not carefully controlled, the temperature may exceed 70°C, thus leading to
lower activity.
 THREE PHASES OF COMPOSTING

❖ high temperatures accelerate the breakdown of proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates
like cellulose and hemicellulose, the major structural molecules in plants.
❖ When these compounds are exhausted, the compost temperature gradually decreases and
mesophilic microorganisms once again take part for the final phase of ‘‘curing’’ or maturation
of the remaining organic matter.
 PARAMETERS IN COMPOSTING
❖ To achieve maximum efficiency, conditions need to be optimized.

- optimizing oxygen concentration (5 -15%)

- pH (6-8)

- moisture content (50-60%)

- carbon to nitrogen ratio (30:1)

- particle size

❖ as composting is an aerobic process, adequate oxygen levels need to be maintained

through bulking agents such as wood chips to increase the void space in the compost
 COMPOSTING MICROORGANISMS
Bacteria
❖ are the smallest living organisms and the most
numerous in compost; they make up 80 to 90% of
the billions of microorganisms typically found in a
gram of compost
❖ responsible for most of the decomposition and heat
generation in compost.
❖ the beginning of the composting process (0-40°C),
mesophilic bacteria predominate.
❖ heats up above 40°C, thermophilic bacteria take
over, dominated by members of the genus Bacillus.
 COMPOSTING MICROORGANISMS

Actinomycetes
❖ characteristic earthy smell of soil is caused by actinomycetes.
❖ organisms that resemble fungi but actually are filamentous bacteria.
❖ play an important role in degrading complex organics such as cellulose, lignin,
chitin, and proteins.
❖ Their enzymes enable them to chemically break down tough debris such as
woody stems, bark, or newspaper.
❖ Some species appear during the thermophilic phase, and others become important
during the cooler curing phase.
❖ Eg: Actinobifida chromogena, Microbispora bispora
 COMPOSTING MICROORGANISMS

Fungi
❖ they are responsible for the decomposition of many complex plant polymers in soil
and compost.
❖ they break down tough debris, enabling bacteria to continue the
decomposition process once most of the cellulose has been exhausted.
❖ Fungal species are numerous during both mesophilic and thermophilic phases
of composting.
❖ Most fungi live in the outer layer of compost when temperatures are high.
❖ Eg: Aspergillus fumigatus, Humicola grisea
 COMPOSTING MACROORGANISMS

Earthworms
❖ Earthworms are the most important of the large
physical decomposers in a compost pile.
❖ Earthworms ingest organic matter and digest it
with the help of tiny stones in their gizzards.
❖ The worms leave dark, fertile castings behind.
These castings are rich in plant nutrients such
as nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, and
phosphorus that might otherwise be
unavailable to plants.
 COMPOST : SUPPRESION OF PLANT DISEASE

- Compost as a food source and shelter for the antagonists

that compete with plant pathogens
- composts have different characteristics affecting disease
management potential depending on feed stock,
inoculum, and composting process
- disease suppression in compost depend on the level of
decomposition.
- High carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) tree bark compost
suppress Fusarium wilts.
- Root rots caused by Pythium and Phytophthora are
suppressed by the beneficial microbes found in the
compost and prevent the germination of spores.
 COMPOST : SUPPRESION OF PLANT DISEASE

- Compost with at least 40 to 50% moisture will be colonized by both bacteria and fungi and will be
disease suppressive.
- Dry composts with less than 34% moisture are likely to be colonized by fungi and, therefore, are
conducive to Pythium diseases
- Compost pH below 5.0 inhibits bacterial or fungi.
- Approach to increase the suppressiveness of compost.
▪ First, curing the compost for four months or more.
▪ Then, incorporating the compost in the field soil several months before planting
▪ Inoculating the compost with specific biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma and
Flavobacterium, to suppress Rhizoctonia solani.
▪ Trichoderma harzianum produce acts anti-fungal metabolites against a broad range
of soil-borne fungal crop pathogens, including R. solani.
 SLURRY BIOREACTOR
Agitated, Tank, pre-treated
❖ The contaminated soils are excavated and mixed with water to form a slurry that is mechanically
aerated in a reactor vessel.
❖ reactor contents are agitated to promote
- breakdown of soil aggregates
- enhance desorption of contaminants from soil solids
- increase contact between the wastes and microorganisms
- enhance oxygenation of the slurry
❖ Different substances, such as surfactants, dispersants and materials supporting microbial growth,
are added to the slurry to improve the treatment of contaminated soil.
❖ Temperature is also controlled to minimize microbial growth.
❖ The concentration of the biomass is equally important for the maintenance of the degradation so
microorganisms may be added to the slurry both in the beginning and during the process.
SLURRY BIOREACTOR

many cases the contaminated soils are pretreated before they

are introduced into the reactor such as
- fractionation of soils to reduce the total volume
- as addition of sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride to
neutralize soil acidity
- dispersion of clay particles to trap the contaminants.
Slurry bioreactors generally have a higher cost because of the
high degree of engineering involved.
METHODS OF IN-SITU BIOREMEDIATION
In-Situ
Bioremediation

Enhanced/
Intrinsic/Natural Attenuation
(no site manipulation)
Engineered Bioremediation
(site & microbial manipulation)

Biostimulation Bioaugmentation

Immobilization
Land Farming Composting Slurry bioreactor
Bioaugmentation

Immobilization
Imprisonment of cell or enzyme
 Immobilization
• Reduces costs of bioremediation processes and improves
their efficiency.
• This method brings many benefits to bioremediation, such
as
1) Higher efficiency of pollutant degradation, multiple use of
biocatalysts
2) Reduced costs — the stage of cell filtration is eliminated
3) Ensuring a stable microenvironment for cells/enzymes
4) a reduced risk of genetic mutations
5) Ensured resistance to shear forces present in bioreactors
6) Increased resistance of biocatalysts to adverse environmental
conditions and heavy metals
7) Increased biocatalyst survival during storage
8) Increased tolerance to high pollutant concentrations.
 *Flocculation does not require carriers

Immobilization techniques
Encapsulation

Adsorption
Entrapment
Electrostatic/covalent
 Adsorption
• Takes place through their physical interaction with the
surface of water-insoluble carriers.
• commonly used in bioremediation processes:
• quick, simple, eco-friendly and cost-effective.
• Adsorption on a carrier surface is achieved by the
formation of weak bonds. For that reason there is a
high probability of cells leaking from the carrier into the
environment, and this method is not used for genetic
modified microorganism (GMM) immobilization.
 Binding on a surface
• Electrostatic binding on a surface is very similar to physical
adsorption, but the probability of microorganisms leaking is
lower.
• This method requires washing the surface of the carrier with
a buffer solution to obtain a hydrophilic surface that can
attract the negatively charged cells or enzymes.
• This method is mainly used for the immobilization of
enzymes, because binding agents are often toxic to cells,
and for that reason microbial viability and activity are
lowered. The advantage of the covalent bonds is that they
are strong enough to prevent the leaking of molecules into
the environment.
 Entrapment in
porous matrix
• After the entrapment, microbial cells are able to move only
within a carrier. This prevents the cells from leaking into the
environment but may limit the exchange of nutrients and
metabolites.
• Microorganisms entrapped in the heterogeneous carrier are
physiologically diverse. The cells located near the surface have
high metabolic activity in contrast to starved cells in the interior
of the carrier.
• Entrapment is a rapid, nontoxic, inexpensive and versatile
method. Entrapped microorganisms are protected against
environmental factors. The most important parameter in
entrapment of microorganisms is the ratio of the size of the
pores of the carrier to the size of the cells. In a situation where
the pores are larger than the immobilized cells, they leak into
the environment.
 Encapsulation
• Encapsulation is very similar to the entrapment, but in
this case immobilized particles are separated from the
external environment with a semi-permeable
membrane.
• The biggest advantage of this method is the significant
protection of biological material against the adverse
conditions of the external environment. However, due to
the limited permeability of the used membrane and the
probability of its damage by growing cells,
encapsulation is rarely used in ex situ bioremediation.
 IMMOBILIZATION TECHNIQUES
Binding on the surface
1. Semi permeable membrane

Encapsulation
2. Water soluble carrier, weak bond

3. The ratio of the pores size of the Adsorption

carrier to the cells size.

4. binding agents are often toxic to Entrapment

cells
APPLICATION OF THE TECHNIQUE?
THE END