Papers by Antoine Trzcinski
Foods
Dairy products are relevant in the food industries as functional ingredients for several food pro... more Dairy products are relevant in the food industries as functional ingredients for several food products and contribute towards human nutrition in ameliorating certain disorders. In this study, set yogurts were produced from raw milk and processed milk combined with 4% Lacprodan®PL20 concentration and subjected to two-stage pressure homogenization. The total solids concentration of the mixture was raised to 15% using SMP (skim milk powder). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Lacprodan®PL20 on the set yogurt quality produced by homogenization-induced pressure and its interaction with milk components. The changes in the physical and chemical attributes of the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) via destabilization of the membrane significantly affected the physicochemical properties of set yogurts produced from processed or raw milk. There was a slight variation in MFGM-specific proteins detected in the set yogurts. Set yogurt produced from homogenized raw milk (HRM...
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), one-third of food produced globally fo... more According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), one-third of food produced globally for human consumption (nearly 1.3 billion tons) is lost along the food supply chain. Food waste has often been incinerated with other combustible municipal wastes for possible recovery of heat or other forms of energy, and the residual ash is disposed of in landfills. However, incineration is not cost-effective, and can potentially cause air pollution. Therefore, green technology is urgently needed for appropriate management of food waste with a focus on material recovery. Due to its organics- and nutrients-rich nature, food waste could be viewed as a useful resource for production of high-value platform chemicals through fermentation. Compared with animal feed or traditional fuel for transportation, platform chemicals obviously have higher economic value, i.e. more profitable. Recently, technologies for production of value added bio-products (e.g. organic acids, biodegradable polymers, et...
Added-value processing of ‘algae waste': 4th quarterly report
Background - This fourth and last report provides the design data for the construction of a full-... more Background - This fourth and last report provides the design data for the construction of a full-scale algae plant. These results were obtained during one and a half year study being conducted at the Satake Centre for Grain Process Engineering in the University of Manchester. The study investigated the feasibility of producing value-added products from algae. Executive summary - The gathering of data from previous reports has been used for the detailed design of a full process pilot plant to utilise the algae wastes. This report is divided in two main sections. The first one details further experiments carried out to obtain the necessary data or information for the design of the full scale plant and the second section consists in a manual for the use of the Excel file where the process has been modelled. In the experimental section a set of experiments was carried in aerobic and anoxic conditions to see the effect on glucose production. It was shown that it is better to keep the sys...
Anaerobic digester feed stream conditioning for increasing biogas production (Technical report 1)
This first report provides information and the preliminary results from a two year study in progr... more This first report provides information and the preliminary results from a two year study in progress at the Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre (AEBC-NEWRI) in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), investigating the feasibility of enhancing biogas production using advanced pre-treatment techniques. Various technologies have been developed for enhancement of anaerobic digestion (AD), increment in biogas yield, and reduction in residual sludge production. To reduce infrastructure and energy costs, there is a need to study methods to pre-treat sludge prior to AD to enhance the digestion process. Enhanced AD has the potential to both reduce the solids retention time and the hydraulic retention time in the digesters, while increasing biogas production, making the process more effective in terms of energy sustainability. The use of pretreatment technologies (physical, chemical, thermal) for enhancing digestibility of thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) has received considera...
Added-value processing of ‘algae waste': 1st quarterly repot
This first report provides information and preliminary results for a two year study being conduct... more This first report provides information and preliminary results for a two year study being conducted at the Satake Centre for Grain Process Engineering in the University of Manchester, investigating the feasibility of producing value-added products from algae wastes. The waste material under investigation is the residue, following lipid extraction, of micro-algae and the results presented in this report were obtained with a residue received from Shell on the 10th September 2009. The initial phase of the study has been used to characterise this algae residue and to explore its suitability for supporting the growth of a number of different microorganisms. Several starch consuming bacteria have been isolated directly from the algae waste and it was shown that these Bacillus-like bacteria were able to grow on the carbohydrates and FAN from the algae waste. The pH drop observed during tests with pure starch and the algae waste suggests that they can produce an acid or a mixture of acids. ...
Sustainability
The rise of CO2 concentration on Earth is a major environmental problem that causes global warmin... more The rise of CO2 concentration on Earth is a major environmental problem that causes global warming. To solve this issue, carbon capture and sequestration technologies are becoming more and more popular. Among them, cyanobacteria can efficiently sequestrate CO2, which is an eco-friendly and cost-effective way of reducing carbon dioxide, and algal biomass can be harvested as valuable products. In this study, the hydrodynamic parameters of an airlift photobioreactor such as gas holdup, mean bubble diameter and liquid circulation velocity were measured to investigate CO2 biofixation by Spirulina sp. The total gas holdup was found to increase linearly with the increase in the gas velocity from 0.185 to 1.936 cm/s. The mean bubble velocities in distilled water only and in the cyanobacterial culture on the first and sixth days of cultivation were 109.97, 87.98, and 65.89 cm/s, respectively. It was found that shear stress at gas velocities greater than 0.857 cm/s led to cyanobacterial death...
Comment on “Associations of Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances with the Neonatal Birth Size and Hormones in the Growth Hormone/Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis”: What Is the Origin of PFHxS Found in the Human Body?
Environmental Science & Technology
Utilisation of Australian pineapple (Ananas comosus) processing waste for the production of renewable energy
Globally, Pineapple, Ananas comosus,is the third most popular tropical fruit grown, after citrus ... more Globally, Pineapple, Ananas comosus,is the third most popular tropical fruit grown, after citrus and banana,and is the third most popular juice after orange and apple. The current and increasing consumption of fruit juice and related products has resulted in the growth of the fruit processing industry, which translates into a large generation of waste. Pineapple is processed into canned juice or slices, jam, and glazes so the fruit can be available year-round. Processing generates 40-55% of waste in the form of a crown, outer peel, core,and bottom slice. The waste produced during the processing of the fruit poses significant environmental problems. The debris from the fruit processing industry contains nitrogen and phosphorus along with a high content of carbohydrates and moisture which makes it an ideal substrate for microbes to grow and create an environmental hazard. Until recently, processing waste was considered a liability and mainly sent to animal feed processing plants, composting,or landfills. In recent years, strict government policies on landfill meant that sending processing waste to landfills is a less economic proposition. To reduce the quantity of waste, processors are forced to develop alternative technologies that can either create new products from waste or reduce the environmental impacts of their operations.This study developed and optimized the effects of different chemical pre-treatments using various concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 3%, 5%, (w/v))of sulfuric acid (H2SO4), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2. The effect of this chemical treatment followed by enzymatic treatment (Cellulase) was investigated and optimized for the production of fermentable sugar, to be converted to bioethanol using yeast. The sample treated with 1% NaOH gave the highest amount of reducing sugars (265.8 ± 4.1 g/L) after 7 days followed by 229.6 ± 5.2 g/L in the untreated raw pineapple waste samples and 0.5% Sulphuric acid with 191 ± 5.2 g/L. Enzymatic hydrolysis using a dosage of 320 μL of commercial cellulase resulted in a 79% increase in reducing sugar concentration after 24 hours, with a maximum of 9.45 ±0.94 g/L ethanol obtained after 48 h of fermentation. Further to chemical pre-treatment, the effect of physical and combined physical and chemical pre-treatments was studied and optimized using microwave irradiation to shorten the time frame. The effectiveness of microwave-assisted alkaline sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and acidic sulfuric acid (H2SO4) was studied using concentrations of 0.5% and 1% at a microwave power level of 100% and 50% for 1 and 2 minutes respectively. The highest concentration of reducing sugars was 298.2g/L using 0.5% sulfuric acid and 100% for 1 minute. Microwave irradiation for a longer time (2 min) led to hydrothermal degradation of sugars and resulted in a lower amount of reducing sugar (231.6 ± 1.9 g/L). 160 μL of commercial cellulase enzyme was used to further hydrolyze the pretreated samples. 1% H2SO4 pre-treatment with 2 min microwave heating at 100% power produced the highest amount of phenolic content of 0.918 ± 0.06 mg GAE/mL. The resulting solid residues of pineapple processing underwenta pyrolysis process with a temperature ramp-up rate of 10 °C per min to three different temperature set points of 350 °C, 750 °C, and 900 °C all withholding time of 2 h. The characteristics of these samples were compared using a range of analytical methods, which were used to interpret the mechanism of removal of arsenite [As(III)] from surface water. The samples prepared at 900 °Chad the highest removal capacity for As(III) at 9.21 μg/g. This study confirms that pineapple waste can be readily used for the production of fermentable sugars and conversion to ethanol. The solid residues can be further used in the production of biochar. This biochar can be then utilized as adsorbents for many useful environmental applications
Treatment of waste pickling baths from a batch hot-dip galvanizing plant
The Galva Power Group - UCL patented process for the treatment of waste pickling baths from a bat... more The Galva Power Group - UCL patented process for the treatment of waste pickling baths from a batch hot-dip galvanization plant was studied. The process provides a ferric chloride solution used to treat urban waste waters. The process involves four steps: Step 1 is the neutralization of the acid by means of a Fe(OH)3 sludge. Step 2 is a reduction of ferric iron to ferrous iron by means of iron scraps. The removal of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Sn,...) as sulfides is the third step and step 4 is concerned with the oxidation of the FeCl2 solution into FeCl3. This thesis focuses on steps 2 and 3. As far as step 2 is concerned, it has been seen that a residual organic inhibitor in the pickling bath prevents this step from occurring efficiently. Two ways were studied to remove the inhibitor. Tests have compared eight different inhibitors. The first way is to oxidize and precipitate the inhibitor with ferric chloride. Some inhibitors were destabilized due to ferric iron. Once flocks were removed, the bath has been put in contact with iron scrap. The contact with scraps in a high stoichiometric excess yielded very high reduction efficiency: 91,8 % for Adacid 337, 79,3 % for Ferropas 7578, 89,9 % for Luttermix and 90,9 for PM Inhibitor. The ferric iron concentration passed from 14,2, 13,9, 15,4 and 14,1 g/l to 1,17, 2,88, 1,55 and 1,28 g/l respectively in thirty minutes without agitation. However Ferropas 7578, Luttermix and PM inhibitor are the preferred ones because they did not give rise to the formation of flocks in the presence of 10 g/l Fe3+. The second way is the adsorption of the inhibitor onto activated carbon. It has been found than more than 90% of Ferropas 7578 (6ml/l) is adsorbed with only 5 g/l of activated carbon. Its final carbon content is below 10 ppm. Adacid (6ml/l) was also removed with high efficiency as its concentration has been reduced from 640 to 56 ppm but onto 20 g/l of activated carbon. Special inhibitor concentration passed from 501,3 ppm to 200,7 by adsorption onto 5 g/l which represents 60 % efficiency. The economic appraisal shows that Ferropas 7578 would be the cheapest inhibitor to remove (4558 euros/yr), followed by Special Inhi. (8328 euros/yr). The third step of the process involves the sulfide precipitation of heavy metals selectively with respect to iron. Upscaling tests were run on a eight liters batch reactor and it was confirmed that the precipitant must be added very slowly in one hour with injection nozzles close to the impeller to minimize the parasitic reactions. The best result was obtained with a violent agitation: 750 rpm when the initial ferric iron concentration was much lower than 1 g/l. This leads to less than 16 % of iron in the cake. It is possible to use the redox potential to control the ferric iron concentration before the precipitation. Tests have shown that a redox potential below 100 mV is required to get less than 1 g/l Fe3+ (at pH 1 and 1,5). Furthermore, experiments have shown that pH 3 is beneficial as a zinc elimination percentage of 95 % was attained which corresponds to 0,17 g Zn2+/l in the solution. Lead and copper are also eliminated with high percentages, over 97,4 and 89 % respectively. Tin and nickel are partly removed by co-precipitation: over 50%and 33%respectively. Manganese is not eliminated. The kinetic investigations have revealed that zinc precipitation seems to follow a 3/2 order kinetics during the first half hour and a second order kinetics during the maturation. Finally, upscaling calculations have found that a larger (0,5 m3) but geometrically identical reactor would require 2,7 kW to stir the liquid in such conditions.
Enhanced Glucoamylase Production by Aspergillus awamori Using Solid State Fermentation
Biofuels from Food Waste, 2017
Coffee residues are generated in large quantities from the processing and consumption of coffee, ... more Coffee residues are generated in large quantities from the processing and consumption of coffee, and are generally disposed of as waste through non-sustainable practices. The capacity of coffee residues to support microbial growth was determined, using indigenous bacteria and fungal species- Aspergillus awamori and Aspergillus oryzae as model organisms. Solid and liquid state fermentation by fungal species and indigenous bacteria respectively, were carried out under basic conditions and the results showed that coffee residues contain chemical compounds which can be utilized by micro-organisms in bio-processes to produce value-added products. Increase in free amino nitrogen and total reducing sugars was obtained; and maximum protease activity of 92 U/g dry matter basis was obtained.
Direct Sugarcane Bagasse to oil (SB2O)
Herein we present an update on the project activities carried out at UoM since April 2011. Shell ... more Herein we present an update on the project activities carried out at UoM since April 2011. Shell is interested in the direct conversion of sugarcane bagasse into oil by culturing microbes. We were tasked to grow yeast that is able to accumulate a relatively high proportion of oil in its body. For achieving such goal, Shell commissioned the present work to The Satake Centre for Grain Processes Engineering (SCGPE), given its R&D expertise in applying bioprocesses to produce added-value products from lignocellulosic biomass. In the previous report, it was shown that it is possible to grow oleaginous yeast in fresh pressed bagasse. We showed images of huge oily vesicles inside the yeast in suboptimal experiments. The yeast was able to grow presumably because freshly pressed bagasse still contains soluble sugars that are usually degraded by microbes thriving in the environment. Recently, we tested a strategy to produce a suspension rich in R. toruloides but free of undesirable particles....
Thermal/Chemical Pre-Treatment of Sludge
Advanced Biological, Physical, and Chemical Treatment of Waste Activated Sludge, 2018
Anaerobic digester feed stream conditioning for increasing biogas production (Technical report 2)
In this fifth report we are presenting results of ULS and ozone at low energy inputs. No synergis... more In this fifth report we are presenting results of ULS and ozone at low energy inputs. No synergistic effect was observed on the TSS and VSS removals as well as on the methane production. In fact, there was no significant increase in methane production compared to the control. It was found that about 10-12 % TSS and VSS removals can be obtained at an ozone dosage of 4 mg O3/g TS (60 seconds). The combination with ULS did not result in higher removals. Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) was used to shed more light on the hydrolysis of soluble compounds treated by ULS and ozone. It was found that ULS increased the concentration of high MW compounds (elution time 4-6 min) through the disruption of biological flocks, but was relatively inefficient to hydrolyze them. In contrast, ozone was very efficient to hydrolyze these high MW compounds as well as low MW compounds. It was also found that the sequence ULS-ozone was more efficient than ozone-ULS. Ozone was able to hydrolyze further the...
Added-value processing of ‘algae waste': 2nd quarterly report
Background - This second report provides an update of information and interim results for a two y... more Background - This second report provides an update of information and interim results for a two year study being conducted at the Satake Centre for Grain Process Engineering in the University of Manchester, investigating the feasibility of producing value-added products from algae. Project Aim - To examine in detail and optimise the production of generic fermentation feedstocks from algae wastes and evaluate the feasibility of producing a range of potential end-products (in particular ethanol and algae nutrients). Achievements to Date - Process development and design: The materials under investigation were two feedstocks of microalgae sent by Cellana on 13th January 2010 (samples 1323 and 1584). Currently, the algae are harvested by centrifugation or spray-drying, and lipids are then extracted using hexane. At UoM, various process scenarios to produce glucose were tested: fermentation with Aspergillus awamori, fermentation with indigenous microorganisms, acid hydrolysis and enzymati...
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 2018
Ultrasound (ULS), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and combined ultrasound/NaOH pretreatment were applied ... more Ultrasound (ULS), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and combined ultrasound/NaOH pretreatment were applied to pre-treat waste activated sludge and improve the subsequent anaerobic digestion. Synergistic effect was observed when NaOH treatment was coupled with ultrasound treatment. The highest synergistic Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) solubilization was observed when 0.02M NaOH was combined with five minutes ultrasonication: an extra 3,000 mg/L was achieved on top of the NaOH (1,975 mg/L) and ultrasonication (2,900 mg/L) treatment alone. Further increase of NaOH dosage increased Soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand (SCOD), but did not increase the synergistic effect. Nine minutes and 18 minutes ultrasonication led to 20% and 24% increase of methane production, respectively; Whereas, 0.05M NaOH pre-treatment did not improve the sludge biodegradability. Combined ultrasound/NaOH (9min+0.05M) showed 31% increase of methane production. A stepwise NaOH addition/ultrasound pre-treatment (0.02M+ULS for 5 min + 0.02M+ULS for 4 min) was tested and resulted in 40% increase of methane production using 20% less chemicals.
Water Science and Technology, 2016
A biosorption column and a settling tank were operated for 6 months with combined municipal and i... more A biosorption column and a settling tank were operated for 6 months with combined municipal and industrial wastewaters (1 m3/hr) to study the effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and Fe3+ dosage on removal efficiency of dissolved and suspended organics prior to biological treatment. High DO (>0.4 mg/L) were found to be detrimental for soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals and iron dosing (up to 20 ppm) did not improve the overall performance. The system performed significantly better at high loading rate (>20 kg COD.m−3.d−1) where suspended solids and COD removals were greater than 80% and 60%, respectively. This is a significant improvement compared to the conventional primary sedimentation tank, and the process is a promising alternative for the pre-treatment of industrial wastewater.
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2016
Highlights Median diameter of bioflocs dropped from 45.3 to 15.9 μm after ULS treatment SCOD ... more Highlights Median diameter of bioflocs dropped from 45.3 to 15.9 μm after ULS treatment SCOD increased from 200 to 2,648 mg/L after ULS+ALK post-treatment SMP and HA-like substances were produced as a result of combined posttreatments Methane production increased by 48.3% after ULS-Ozone post-treatment. Ozone and ALK induced synergistic effects when combined with ULS treatment.
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Papers by Antoine Trzcinski