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Whole genome sequencing analysis of Komagataeibacter nataicola reveals its potential in food waste valorisation for cellulose production

Nasharudin MIH, Siew SW, Ahmad HF, Mahmud N

Mol Biol Rep, 2024 Apr 11;51(1):503.
PMID: 38600404 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09492-8

BACKGROUND: Komagataeibacter nataicola (K. nataicola) is a gram-negative acetic acid bacterium that produces natural bacterial cellulose (BC) as a fermentation product under acidic conditions. The goal of this work was to study the complete genome of K. nataicola and gain insight into the functional genes in K. nataicola that are responsible for BC synthesis in acidic environments.
METHODS AND RESULT: The pure culture of K. nataicola was obtained from yeast-glucose-calcium carbonate (YGC) agar, followed by genomic DNA extraction, and subjected to whole genome sequencing on a Nanopore flongle flow cell. The genome of K. nataicola consists of a 3,767,936 bp chromosome with six contigs and 4,557 protein coding sequences. The maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree and average nucleotide identity analysis confirmed that the bacterial isolate was K. nataicola. The gene annotation via RAST server discovered the presence of cellulose synthase, along with three genes associated with lactate utilization and eight genes involved in lactate fermentation that could potentially contribute to the increase in acid concentration during BC synthesis.
CONCLUSION: A more comprehensive genome study of K. nataicola may shed light into biological pathway in BC productivity as well as benefit the analysis of metabolites generated and understanding of biological and chemical interactions in BC production later.

Matched MeSH terms: Refuse Disposal*
The knowledge, attitude, and practice of the public regarding household pharmaceutical waste disposal: a systematic review (2013-2023)

Hiew SY, Low BY

Int J Pharm Pract, 2024 Mar 06;32(2):120-132.
PMID: 38300734 DOI: 10.1093/ijpp/riae001

OBJECTIVE: The improper disposal of household pharmaceutical waste (HPW) is an emerging cause of environmental pollution. Behavioural practices are intricately linked to individuals' knowledge levels and attitudes. Thus, this systematic review aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of HPW disposal among the public and to examine the interconnectedness of these KAP components.
METHODS: A literature review for articles published from 2013 to 2023 was carried out in scientific databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, identifying quantitative studies involving the assessment of KAP of the public concerning HPW disposal.
RESULTS: This review incorporated 12 studies conducted in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Nine studies highlighted a consistent trend of limited to inadequate knowledge regarding safe medication disposal. Notwithstanding, respondents largely exhibited a positive attitude towards proper medication disposal. This encouraging disposition, unfortunately, stands in stark contrast to the reported practices, which appeared to be inadequate. This dissonance might be due to a deficit in accessible disposal facilities and information, compounded with insufficient guidance from healthcare professionals. Interestingly, the majority expressed support for take-back programs aimed at managing unused and expired medications.
CONCLUSION: This review identified a need for a comprehensive understanding of the interconnected dynamics among KAP components regarding safe medication disposal. The exploration of theoretical behavioural frameworks could help predict public intentions to adopt safe medication disposal practices. Ultimately, a multi-faceted approach that addresses knowledge gaps, reinforces positive attitudes, and promotes accessible safe medication disposal services can collectively safeguard the environment and public health.

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Driving sustainable circular economy in electronics: A comprehensive review on environmental life cycle assessment of e-waste recycling

He Y, Kiehbadroudinezhad M, Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha H, Gupta VK, Peng W, Lam SS, et al.

Environ Pollut, 2024 Feb 01;342:123081.
PMID: 38072018 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123081

E-waste, encompassing discarded materials from outdated electronic equipment, often ends up intermixed with municipal solid waste, leading to improper disposal through burial and incineration. This improper handling releases hazardous substances into water, soil, and air, posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health, ultimately entering the food chain and water supply. Formal e-waste recycling, guided by circular economy models and zero-discharge principles, offers potential solutions to this critical challenge. However, implementing a circular economy for e-waste management due to chemical and energy consumption may cause environmental impacts. Consequently, advanced sustainability assessment tools, such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), have been applied to investigate e-waste management strategies. While LCA is a standardized methodology, researchers have employed various routes for environmental assessment of different e-waste management methods. However, to the authors' knowledge, there lacks a comprehensive study focusing on LCA studies to discern the opportunities and limitations of this method in formal e-waste management strategies. Hence, this review aims to survey the existing literature on the LCA of e-waste management under a circular economy, shedding light on the current state of research, identifying research gaps, and proposing future research directions. It first explains various methods of managing e-waste in the circular economy. This review then evaluates and scrutinizes the LCA approach in implementing the circular bioeconomy for e-waste management. Finally, it proposes frameworks and procedures to enhance the applicability of the LCA method to future e-waste management research. The literature on the LCA of e-waste management reveals a wide variation in implementing LCA in formal e-waste management, resulting in diverse results and findings in this field. This paper underscores that LCA can pinpoint the environmental hotspots for various pathways of formal e-waste recycling, particularly focusing on metals. It can help address these concerns and achieve greater sustainability in e-waste recycling, especially in pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical pathways. The recovery of high-value metals is more environmentally justified compared to other metals. However, biometallurgical pathways remain limited in terms of environmental studies. Despite the potential for recycling e-waste into plastic or glass, there is a dearth of robust background in LCA studies within this sector. This review concludes that LCA can offer valuable insights for decision-making and policy processes on e-waste management, promoting environmentally sound e-waste recycling practices. However, the accuracy of LCA results in e-waste recycling, owing to data requirements, subjectivity, impact category weighting, and other factors, remains debatable, emphasizing the need for more uncertainty analysis in this field.

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Leveraging food waste for electricity: A low-carbon approach in energy sector for mitigating climate change and achieving net zero emission in Hong Kong (China)

Kurniawan TA, Liang X, Goh HH, Dzarfan Othman MH, Anouzla A, Al-Hazmi HE, et al.

J Environ Manage, 2024 Feb;351:119879.
PMID: 38157574 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119879

In recent years, food waste has been a global concern that contributes to climate change. To deal with the rising impacts of climate change, in Hong Kong, food waste is converted into electricity in the framework of low-carbon approach. This work provides an overview of the conversion of food waste into electricity to achieve carbon neutrality. The production of methane and electricity from waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion are determined. Potential income from its sale and environmental benefits are also assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. It was found that the electricity generation from the food waste could reach 4.33 × 109 kWh annually, avoiding equivalent electricity charge worth USD 3.46 × 109 annually (based on US' 8/kWh). An equivalent CO2 mitigation of 9.9 × 108 kg annually was attained. The revenue from its electricity sale in market was USD 1.44×109 in the 1st year and USD 4.24 ×109 in the 15th year, respectively, according to the projected CH4 and electricity generation. The modelling study indicated that the electricity production is 0.8 kWh/kg of landfilled waste. The food waste could produce electricity as low as US' 8 per kW ∙ h. In spite of its promising results, there are techno-economic bottlenecks in commercial scale production and its application at comparable costs to conventional fossil fuels. Issues such as high GHG emissions and high production costs have been determined to be resolved later. Overall, this work not only leads to GHG avoidance, but also diversifies energy supply in providing power for homes in the future.

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Upcycling of food waste generated from the fresh market by utilising black soldier fly larvae: Influence on growth, bioconversion, and nutritional composition

Taufek NM, Mohamad Zulkifli NFN, Hamizah AN

J Environ Manage, 2024 Jan 01;349:119467.
PMID: 37976636 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119467

Innovative solutions are needed to limit environmental effect and optimise resource use as food waste generation rises worldwide. This study investigates the potential of upcycling food waste from fresh markets using Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) as a sustainable approach. This study explored four fresh market food waste substrates for BSFL bioconversion: discarded fish waste (FI), slaughtered chicken waste (CHI), vegetable waste (VEG), and a 1:1:1 combination of all three (MIX). Soybean curd residue (SCR) was treated as the control substrate. The effects on larval growth, nutritional content, and waste bioconversion rates were examined. The larvae growth rate was strongly impacted by waste type, with BSF-fed CHI and MIX gaining 18.0 and 16.7 mg/d, respectively, followed by BSF-fed with SCR (12.2 mg/d), FI (8.9 mg/d) and VEG (7.6 mg/d). The waste type did not substantially alter BSFL length. The survival rate of the BSFL fed with the food waste studied ranges from 95 to 98.47%, with SCR being the highest. Our findings indicated that BSFL can effectively convert a variety of fresh market food waste into valuable biomass. CHI waste produced the highest larval biomass and bioconversion rate followed by MIX, SCR, FI and VEG. The different waste stream has a major influence on BSFL biomass nutrition. BSFL nutritional composition is independent of the substrate's nutritional content, indicating no direct correlation between substrate and BSFL biomass nutritional composition. SCR waste produced the highest protein content of BSFL (50.49%), followed by VEG (32.61%), MIX (32.57%), FI (31.03%) and CHI (29.06%). SCR waste also produced BSFL biomass with lowest lipid content (26.55%) compared to other waste which resulted into BSFL with lipid levels ranging from 42.92% to 53.72%. BSFL-fed with SCR is the most suitable to be used as an alternative animal's feed based on the protein and lipid levels, while defatting procedure is necessary for the other waste-fed BSFL to render it suitability as animal feed alternatives. Based on bioconversion rate, BSFL growth, and lipid content, the MIX and CHI waste might be viable substrates for future research.

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Production of activated carbon from food wastes (chicken bones and rice waste) by microwave assisted ZnCl2 activation: an optimized process for crystal violet dye removal

Mohd Radhuwan SN, Abdulhameed AS, Jawad AH, ALOthman ZA, Wilson LD, Algburi S

Int J Phytoremediation, 2024;26(5):699-709.
PMID: 37740478 DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2023.2260004

A major worldwide challenge that presents significant economic, environmental, and social concerns is the rising generation of food waste. The current work used chicken bones (CB) and rice (R) food waste as alternate precursors for the production of activated carbon (CBRAC) by microwave radiation-assisted ZnCl2 activation. The adsorption characteristics of CBRAC were investigated in depth by removing an organic dye (crystal violet, CV) from an aquatic environment. To establish ideal conditions from the significant adsorption factors (A: CBRAC dosage (0.02-0.12 g/100 mL); B: pH (4-10); and C: duration (30-420), a numerical desirability function of Box-Behnken design (BBD) was utilized. The highest CV decolorization by CBRAC was reported to be 90.06% when the following conditions were met: dose = 0.118 g/100 mL, pH = 9.0, and time = 408 min. Adsorption kinetics revealed that the pseudo-first order (PFO) model best matches the data, whereas the Langmuir model was characterized by equilibrium adsorption, where the adsorption capacity of CBRAC for CV dye was calculated to be 57.9 mg/g. CV adsorption is accomplished by several processes, including electrostatic forces, pore diffusion, π-π stacking, and H-bonding. This study demonstrates the use of CB and R as biomass precursors for the efficient creation of CBRAC and their use in wastewater treatment, resulting in a greener environment.

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Fulltext Waste management developments in the last five decades: Asian perspective

Agamuthu P, Babel S

Waste Manag Res, 2023 Dec;41(12):1699-1716.
PMID: 37823520 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X231199938

Solid waste management was explored in Asia's last five decades, and the issues and challenges were identified. Waste generation has increased in all nations in the previous 50 years, although more recently, a declining trend has been observed in Japan and Korea. The composition has been predominantly organic, with 45-50% being kitchen waste. Material extraction and productivity to sustain the most populous part of the globe are explained. Waste management technologies have evolved, with more nations slowly transitioning from landfills to using waste-to-energy options. However, landfilling and open dumps are still the major disposal choice in most developing countries in Asia. Thus, the issues of concern include dumpsites management, the informal sector, waste collection, open burning and food waste. Changes (increasing trends) in the recycling technologies and quantum are evident, as seen in several country reports from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. There are several issues and challenges for recycling, which are explored in the text. Lastly, the drivers that propel the whole scenario of waste management in Asia and the evolution of these drivers over time are discussed. Several recommendations are included to achieve sustainable waste management in Asia.

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Fulltext Turning food waste into value-added carbon dots for sustainable food packaging application: A review

Oladzadabbasabadi N, Dheyab MA, Nafchi AM, Ghasemlou M, Ivanova EP, Adhikari B

Adv Colloid Interface Sci, 2023 Nov;321:103020.
PMID: 37871382 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.103020

Carbon dots (CDs) are a recent addition to the nanocarbon family, encompassing both crystalline and amorphous phases. They have sparked significant research interest due to their unique electrical and optical properties, remarkable biocompatibility, outstanding mechanical characteristics, customizable surface chemistry, and negligible cytotoxicity. Their current applications are mainly limited to flexible photonic and biomedical devices, but they have also garnered attention for their potential use in intelligent packaging. The conversion of food waste into CDs further contributes to the concept of the circular economy. It provides a comprehensive overview of emerging green technologies, energy-saving reactions, and cost-effective starting materials involved in the synthesis of CDs. It also highlights the unique properties of biomass-derived CDs, focusing on their structural performance, cellular toxicity, and functional characteristics. The application of CDs in the food industry, including food packaging, is summarized in a concise manner. This paper sheds light on the current challenges and prospects of utilizing CDs in the packaging industry. It aims to provide researchers with a roadmap to tailor the properties of CDs to suit specific applications in the food industry, particularly in food packaging.

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Waste management practices in developing countries: a socio-economic perspective

Jagun ZT, Daud D, Ajayi OM, Samsudin S, Jubril AJ, Rahman MSA

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov;30(55):116644-116655.
PMID: 35867301 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21990-5

Growing populations, expanding economies, industrialisation, and urbanisation pose a problem for waste management in developing countries. Their waste management methods, on the other hand, are not as efficient as they could be. Most developing countries' current waste management practices do not fully conform to developed countries' best practices for meeting socioeconomic goals. As a result, the importance of waste management in developing countries has grown in recent years. In order to highlight the socioeconomic perspectives of waste management practices, the present study examines the existing literature, policies, information, and records on waste management in developing nations. The findings indicate that essential socioeconomic factors such as finances, population density, per capita income, education level, policies, and technology have a significant impact on waste management, which encompasses waste generation, collection, composition, and disposal/treatment. Nonetheless, waste management has a number of economic benefits, including financial stability, job creation, and community cohesion. This study will inspire further research on the need for developing nations to consider the socioeconomic benefits of proper waste management and to develop a policy plan to achieve these benefits.

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Fulltext Waste management evolution in the last five decades in developing countries - A review

Maalouf A, Agamuthu P

Waste Manag Res, 2023 Sep;41(9):1420-1434.
PMID: 37125680 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X231160099

This review provides the history and current paradigms of waste management (WM) practices in developing nations during the last five decades. It explores the evolution of the challenges, complexities, and trends during this period. This paper, for the first time, presents an estimation of the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in developing nations in the last five decades based on the material flow analysis approach. Overall, the amount of MSW in developing countries has increased from about 0.64 billion Mt in 1970 to 2 billion Mt in 2019. This review demonstrates the importance of finding new WM approaches in developing nations in the context of formulating policies, strategies, and highlights the major trends that re-define WM in developing countries. It also aims to present the holistic changes in technology, economic and environmental feasibility aspects to attain an integrated sustainable WM system in developing countries. Specific focus on open-burning, open-dumping, informal recycling, food waste, plastic pollution, and waste collection with reference to Sustainable Development Goals are explained. Drivers for the way forward including circular economy are investigated.

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Lactic acid fermentation of food waste as storage method prior to biohydrogen production: Effect of storage temperature on biohydrogen potential and microbial communities

Roslan E, Magdalena JA, Mohamed H, Akhiar A, Shamsuddin AH, Carrere H, et al.

Bioresour Technol, 2023 Jun;378:128985.
PMID: 37001698 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128985

This study aims to investigate the impact of utilizing lactic acid fermentation (LAF) as storage method of food waste (FW) prior to dark fermentation (DF). LAF of FW was carried out in batches at six temperatures (4 °C, 10 °C, 23 °C, 35 °C, 45 °C, and 55 °C) for 15 days followed by biological hydrogen potential (BHP) tests. Different storage temperatures resulted in different metabolites distribution, with either lactate or ethanol being dominant (159.2 ± 20.6 mM and 234.4 ± 38.2 mM respectively), but no negative impact on BHP (averaging at 94.6 ± 25.1 mL/gVS). Maximum hydrogen production rate for stored FW improved by at least 57%. Microbial analysis showed dominance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) namely Lactobacillus sp., Lactococcus sp., Weisella sp., Streptococcus sp. and Bacillus sp. after LAF. Clostridium sp. emerged after DF, co-existing with LAB. Coupling LAF as a storage method was demonstrated as a novel strategy of FW management for DF, for a wide range of temperatures.

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A Multi-landscape Assessment of Leptospira Prevalence on a Diversity of Small Mammals

Rosli MZ, Mohd-Taib FS, Khoo JJ, Chee HY, Wong YP, Shafie NJ, et al.

Ecohealth, 2023 Jun;20(2):208-224.
PMID: 37103759 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-023-01637-8

Leptospirosis is a major zoonotic disease, especially in the tropics, and rodents were known to be carriers of this bacterium. There was established information on Leptospira prevalence among animal reservoirs in human-dominated landscapes from previous literature. However, there was very little focus given comparing the prevalence of Leptospira in a wide range of habitats. An extensive sampling of small mammals from various landscapes was carried out, covering oil palm plantations, paddy fields, recreational forests, semi-urbans, and wet markets in Peninsular Malaysia. This study aims to determine the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in a diversity of small mammals across different landscapes. Cage-trapping was deployed for small mammals' trappings, and the kidneys of captured individuals were extracted, for screening of pathogenic Leptospira by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using LipL32 primer. Eight microhabitat parameters were measured at each study site. Out of 357 individuals captured, 21 (5.9%) were positive for pathogenic Leptospira of which recreational forest had the highest prevalence (8.8%) for landscape types, whereas Sundamys muelleri shows the highest prevalence (50%) among small mammals' species. Microhabitat analysis reveals that rubbish quantity (p

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Fulltext Biowastes of slaughterhouses and wet markets: an overview of waste management for disease prevention

Al-Gheethi A, Ma NL, Rupani PF, Sultana N, Yaakob MA, Mohamed RMSR, et al.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jun;30(28):71780-71793.
PMID: 34585345 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16629-w

Slaughterhouse and wet market wastes are pollutants that have been always neglected by society. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than three billion and nineteen million livestock were consumed worldwide in 2018, which reflects the vast amount and the broad spectrum of the biowastes generated. Slaughterhouse biowastes are a significant volume of biohazards that poses a high risk of contamination to the environment, an outbreak of diseases, and insecure food safety. This work comprehensively reviewed existing biowaste disposal practices and revealed the limitations of technological advancements to eradicate the threat of possible harmful infectious agents from these wastes. Policies, including strict supervision and uniform minimum hygienic regulations at all raw food processing factories, should therefore be tightened to ensure the protection of the food supply. The vast quantity of biowastes also offers a zero-waste potential for a circular economy, but the incorporation of biowaste recycling, including composting, anaerobic digestion, and thermal treatment, nevertheless remains challenging.

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Fulltext A Review on the Potential Bioactive Components in Fruits and Vegetable Wastes as Value-Added Products in the Food Industry

'Aqilah NMN, Rovina K, Felicia WXL, Vonnie JM

Molecules, 2023 Mar 14;28(6).
PMID: 36985603 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062631

The food production industry is a significant contributor to the generation of millions of tonnes of waste every day. With the increasing public concern about waste production, utilizing the waste generated from popular fruits and vegetables, which are rich in high-added-value compounds, has become a focal point. By efficiently utilizing food waste, such as waste from the fruit and vegetable industries, we can adopt a sustainable consumption and production pattern that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper provides an overview of the high-added-value compounds derived from fruit and vegetable waste and their sources. The inclusion of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibrowning properties can enhance the quality of materials due to the high phenolic content present in them. Waste materials such as peels, seeds, kernels, and pomace are also actively employed as adsorbents, natural colorants, indicators, and enzymes in the food industry. Therefore, this article compiles all consumer-applicable uses of fruit and vegetable waste into a single document.

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Identification of microorganisms from fermented biowaste and the potential for wastewater treatment

Zhi Ling RL, Kong LK, Lim LH, Teo SS, Ng HS, Lan JC, et al.

Environ Res, 2023 Feb 01;218:115013.
PMID: 36495970 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115013

Food loss or waste is a far-reaching problem and has indeed become a worrying issue that is growing at an alarming rate. Fruits and vegetables are lost or wasted at the highest rate among the composition of food waste. Furthermore, the world is progressing toward sustainable development; hence, an efficient approach to valorise fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) is necessary. A simple phenotypic characterisation of microbiota isolated from the fermented FVW was conducted, and its effectiveness toward wastewater treatment was investigated. Presumptive identification suggested that yeast is dominant in this study, accounting for 85% of total isolates. At the genus level, the enriched medium's microbial community consists of Saccharomyces, Bacillus and Candida. Ammonium in the wastewater can enhance certain bacteria to grow, such as lactic acid bacteria, resulting in decreased NH4+ concentration at the end of the treatment to 0.5 mg/L. In addition, the fermented biowaste could reduce PO43- by 90% after the duration of treatment. Overall, FVW is a valuable microbial resource, and the microbial population enables a reduction in organic matter such as NH4+ and PO43-. This study helps explore the function and improve the effectiveness of utilising biowaste by understanding the microorganisms responsible for producing eco-enzyme.

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Environmental assessment of casual dining restaurants in urban and suburban areas of peninsular Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Sha'ari NSM, Sazali US, Zolkipli AT, Vargas RQ, Shafie FA

Environ Monit Assess, 2023 Jan 31;195(2):346.
PMID: 36717515 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-10937-z

Food waste has been considered a global problem due to its adverse impacts on food security, the environment, and the economy; hence needs urgent attention and action. Its generation is expected to increase as the world population grows rapidly, leading to more global waste. This study sought the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on the 1-week operation of selected casual dining restaurants in urban (Ampang, Kuala Lumpur) and suburban areas (Kota Bharu, Kelantan and Jasin, Melaka) of Peninsular Malaysia, as the local community adjusted to life with COVID-19. The food waste in this study was classified into three categories: preparation loss, serving loss, and customer's plate waste. Our material flow analysis revealed that the highest food loss at these locations came from preparation loss (51.37%), followed by serving loss (30.95%), and preparation loss (17.8%). Meanwhile, the total average electricity consumption and its carbon footprint for Ampang were 127 kWh and 13.87 kgCO2e, Kota Bharu 269.8 kWh and 29.47 kgCO2e, and Jasin 142.2 kWh and 15.54 kgCO2e, respectively. As for water, Ampang exhibited 22.93 m3 total average consumption and 7.91 kgCO2e greenhouse emissions from this source, Jasin consuming 17.11 m3 of water and releasing 5.88 kgCO2e of carbon footprint, while Kota Bharu emitted 20.21 kgCO2e of greenhouse gases from its 58.71 m3 water consumption. Our findings indicate a major 'food leak' at the preparation stage, from which the waste could be utilised as livestock feed, and that electricity consumption is a greater carbon emitter than water consumption, suggesting a need for improvement to the kitchen practices and equipment.

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Sustainable approaches on industrial food wastes to value-added products - A review on extraction methods, characterizations, and its biomedical applications

Jayanthi Antonisamy A, Marimuthu S, Malayandi S, Rajendran K, Lin YC, Andaluri G, et al.

Environ Res, 2023 Jan 15;217:114758.
PMID: 36400225 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114758

The concept of zero waste discharge has been gaining importance in recent years towards attaining a sustainable environment. Fruit processing industries generate millions of tons of byproducts like fruit peels and seeds, and their disposal poses an environmental threat. The concept of extracting value-added bioactive compounds from bio-waste is an excellent opportunity to mitigate environmental issues. To date, significant research has been carried out on the extraction of essential biomolecules, particularly polysaccharides from waste generated by fruit processing industries. In this review article, we aim to summarize the different extraction methodologies, characterization methods, and biomedical applications of polysaccharides extracted from seeds and peels of different fruit sources. The review also focuses on the general scheme of extraction of polysaccharides from fruit waste with special emphasis on various methods used in extraction. Also, the various types of polysaccharides obtained from fruit processing industrial wastes are explained in consonance with the important techniques related to the structural elucidation of polysaccharides obtained from seed and peel waste. The use of seed polysaccharides as pharmaceutical excipients and the application of peel polysaccharides possessing biological activities are also elaborated.

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Biodegradation of high di-(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) concentration by food waste composting and its toxicity assessment using seed germination test

Tran HT, Lin C, Lam SS, Le TH, Hoang HG, Bui XT, et al.

Environ Pollut, 2023 Jan 01;316(Pt 2):120640.
PMID: 36403881 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120640

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a plasticizer derived from phthalate ester, is used as an additive in industrial products such as plastics, paints, and medical devices. However, DEHP is known as an endocrine-disrupting chemical, causing cancers and adverse effects on human health. This study evaluated DEHP biodegradation efficiency via food waste composting during 35 days of incubation. At high DEHP concentrations (2167 mg kg-1) in food waste compost mixture, the DEHP biodegradation efficiency was 99% after 35 days. The highest degradation efficiency was recorded at the thermophilic phase (day 3 - day 11) with the biodegradation rate reached 187 mg kg-1 day-1. DEHP was metabolized to dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and would be oxidized to benzyl alcohol (BA) and mineralized into CO2 and water via various metabolisms. Finally, the compost's quality with residual DEHP was evaluated using Brassica chinensis L. seeds via 96 h of germination tests. The compost (at day 35) with a trace amount of DEHP as the end product showed no significant effect on the germination rate of Brassica chinensis L. seeds (88%) compared to that without DEHP (94%), indicating that the compost can be reused as fertilizer in agricultural applications. These results provide an improved understanding of the DEHP biodegradation via food waste composting without bioaugmentation and hence facilitating its green remediation and conversion into value-added products. Nevertheless, further studies are needed on DEHP biodegradation in large-scale food waste composting or industrial applications.

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Fulltext Understanding barriers and motivations in solid waste management from Malaysian industries: a comparative analysis

Soomro MA, Ali MH, Zailani S, Tseng ML, Makhbul ZM

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jan;30(3):5717-5729.
PMID: 35978247 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22558-z

The objective of this study is to explore the similarities and differences in the barriers and motivations between the plastic and resins and food and beverages industries as these two industries are the major contributors of solid waste in Malaysia. Prior studies are lacking with regard to explaining the barriers and motivations in solid waste management from the Malaysian context. This study is focused on 10 firms from the plastics and resins industry and 9 from the food and beverages industry in Malaysia. Through Rasch measurement theory, the results indicate that the barriers of lack of skills and qualifications and lack of closed-loop control and the motivations of cost savings and a business model are performed differently. The findings further confirm that the lack of skills and qualifications is a more difficult barrier to overcome than the lack of closed-loop control, while the motivation factor of a business model is more difficult to achieve than cost savings. In terms of practical contribution, this study provides results that can help policy makers in Malaysia to close the gaps present regarding the adoption of solid waste management practices and to devise appropriate incentives. The study also supports managers of companies in regard to working on the most pressing hindering and promoting factors in the field of solid waste management.

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Fulltext A narrative action on the battle against hunger using mushroom, peanut, and soybean-based wastes

Mohd Zaini NA, Azizan NAZ, Abd Rahim MH, Jamaludin AA, Raposo A, Raseetha S, et al.

Front Public Health, 2023;11:1175509.
PMID: 37250070 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1175509

Numerous generations have been affected by hunger, which still affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The hunger crisis is worsening although many efforts have been made to minimize it. Besides that, food waste is one of the critical problems faced by most countries worldwide. It has disrupted the food chain system due to inefficient waste management, while negatively impacting the environment. The majority of the waste is from the food production process, resulting in a net zero production for food manufacturers while also harnessing its potential. Most food production wastes are high in nutritional and functional values, yet most of them end up as low-cost animal feed and plant fertilizers. This review identified key emerging wastes from the production line of mushroom, peanut, and soybean (MPS). These wastes (MPS) provide a new source for food conversion due to their high nutritional content, which contributes to a circular economy in the post-pandemic era and ensures food security. In order to achieve carbon neutrality and effective waste management for the production of alternative foods, biotechnological processes such as digestive, fermentative, and enzymatic conversions are essential. The article provides a narrative action on the critical potential application and challenges of MPS as future foods in the battle against hunger.

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