article · Journal of Hazardous Materials
Coastal biowastes such as bivalve shells and green macroalgae can be converted into useful functional materials for environmental remediation and clean energy generation. Combining calcium carbonate extracted from shells with biochar produced from macroalgae results in an engineered composite material. This composite showed a strong adsorption capacity for the antibiotic tetracycline, reaching 342.26 milligrams per gram through a mix of pore filling, electrostatic attraction, chelation, and ion exchange. When introduced into anaerobic digestion systems, the composite improved biogas generation. Methane yields rose significantly for both pure glucose substrates and glucose contaminated with tetracycline across three consecutive operational cycles. Adding the composite also strengthened overall digestion stability and achieved a 53.7 percent removal rate for tetracycline, presenting a dual-purpose strategy for managing coastal waste, purifying wastewater, and boosting renewable fuel yields.
Antibiotic residues in wastewater threaten public health and disrupt biological processes in renewable biogas production. Transforming marine wastes like shells and seaweed into functional materials provides a circular solution. This approach simultaneously neutralises pharmaceutical pollution in water streams and boosts clean fuel generation, turning coastal waste into high-value resources for environmental management.
This technology could enable dual-action additives for anaerobic digestion facilities and wastewater treatment operators dealing with pharmaceutical contaminants. Potential users include biogas plant operators and industrial wastewater utilities. Based on the abstract, the research is at an applied laboratory-tested stage, validated over three digestion cycles. Transitioning towards commercial use will require pilot-scale validation in continuous reactors beyond closed laboratory tests.
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Harnessing coastal biowaste for dual valorization in water treatment and biofuel production holds paramount importance for sustainability and resource challenges. This study investigated the potential of engineered composite (CABC) derived from coastal biowaste-based materials for tetracycline (TC) removal and biomethane production. High-yield calcium carbonate (CaCO3; 95.65%; bivalve shells) and biochar (GA-BC; 41.50%; green macroalgae) were produced and used as precursors for CABC. The characterization results revealed presence of β-CaCO3 and ν2-CO3 aragonite in CaCO3, and composite homogeneity was achieved. The CABC exhibited a maximum TC sorption capacity of 342.26 mg/g via synergistic sorption mechanisms (i.e., surface/pore filling, electrostatic attraction, calcium ion exchange, and chelation). Supplementation of anaerobic digestion process with GA-BC, CaCO3, and CABC was investigated via three consecutive cycles. Biochemical methane potential of glucose as a sole substrate was increased from 157.5 to 217.0, 187.0, and 259.0 mL-CH4, while dual substrate (glucose+TC) treatment was increased from 94.5 to 146.5, 129.0, and 153.0 mL-CH4 for GA-BC, CaCO3, and CABC, respectively. Moreover, system stability and TC removal were increased with the addition of GA-BC (40.9%), CaCO3 (16.3%), and CABC (53.7%). Therefore, this study exemplifies the circular bioeconomy approach, demonstrating the sustainable use of biowaste-derived composite for water treatment and biofuel production.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133143
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