Current state and future of biogas and digestate production

Over the past few years, the worldwide cost of energy has increased significantly, due to a growing global demand for energy and the decreasing availability of fossil fuel sources. Many countries are adopting environmental policies promoting the production and consumption of alternative, sustainable and renewable energy sources. Among these sources is green energy production through the anaerobic digestion of agricultural feedstock, like animal manure and food industry by-products, mainly aimed at producing biogas. Nevertheless, only a very small part of the biogas potential is currently used, while many European countries are facing huge problems caused by the overproduction of organic was…

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Have tractor manufacturers bore in mind soil compaction over the last 40 years?

Soil compaction is the compression of soil particles in a lower volume as a consequence of the reduction of the spaces existing among the particles themselves. This phenomenon is caused by natural forces and, above all, human ones. In order to estimate the field damages that can be caused by the traffic of agricultural machines, the load and the mean pressure applied by the tyres onto the soil can be measured. The research aim is to determine the pressure applied by each considered tractor onto the soil, in order to evaluate the effect of the traffic of tractors onto the soil itself. A total of 783 wheeled tractors manufactured and marketed in the last 35 years (1979-2014) was investigated.…

TH-302 + Gemcitabine (G + T) vs Gemcitabine (G) in Patients with Previously Untreated advanced Pancreatic Cancer (PAC)

ABSTRACT Background TH-302 is a hypoxia targeted prodrug with a hypoxia-triggered 2-nitroimidazole component designed to release the DNA alkylator, bromo-isophosphoramide mustard (Br-IPM), when reduced in severe hypoxia. A randomized Phase 2B study (NCT01144455) was conducted to assess the benefit of G + T to standard dose G as first-line therapy of PAC. Materials and methods An open-label multi-center study of two dose levels of TH-302 (240 mg/m2 or 340 mg/m2) in combination with G versus G alone (randomized 1:1:1). G (1000 mg/m2) and T were administered IV over 30-60 minutes on Days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Patients on the G could crossover after progression and be randomized to a G…

LCA applied to an anaerobic digestion plant for biomethane and digestate production

Nowadays it is paramount to promote bioenergy for climate protection, energy security and creation of income/jobs. In this perspective, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) for biogas and digestate production seems to be a viable way to simultaneously improve waste management while producing Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The main objective of this work is to assess the environmental impact associated with biomethane and digestate production from an AD plant as Global Warming Potential, expressed in CO2 equivalents. Therefore, a LCA was carried out for the production of biomethane ready for the injection into the Italian distribution natural gas grid. A mix from different waste sources (cattle manure …

Sustainable, circular and innovative value chains using growing substrata alternative to peat for the cultivation of nutraceutical species

The modern agricultural system is wasteful, with Europe generating some 700 million tonnes of agricultural and food waste each year. In the context of the agri-food chain, the ‘circular economy’ aims to reduce waste while also making best use of the ‘wastes’ produced by using economically viable processes and procedures to increase their value. In this paper we will try to frame the key issues associated with food waste into the emerging bioeconomy and circular-economic mode, suggesting that these three concepts are intertwined, and considering them unitarily might provide win-win solutions that minimize wastage, promote income growth and job creation, and prompt sustainable local developme…

Evaluation of potential biogas production in Sicily

The aim of the present work is to predict the Sicilian potential biogas production, using the below unmarketable raw materials. The statistical data about OFMSW, the number of animals bred on medium and large farms and the amounts of by-products of food processing industries have been evaluated, in order to compute the potential biogas production and energy in the nine provinces of Sicily. In Sicily (Italy) 5.05 million inhabitants (2012), living in nine provinces, could produce 0.8 million tons of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) per year. At present only 0.07 million tons (3.17 % ca. of MSW) are actually treated (2010). This fraction would be one of the raw materials …