Marcella Souza

Ghent University | UGhent · Department of Green chemistry and technology

The remediation performance of biochar varies based on the biomass used for its production. Further innovation involves developing tailor-made biochar by combining different raw materials to compensate for the limitations of pure biochar. Therefore, tailor-made combined biochar produced from the co-pyrolysis of pig manure and invasive Japanese knot...

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) on cadmium (Cd) fractions and microbial biomass in a calcareous soil spiked with Cd under cultivated (Zea mays L.) and uncultivated regime subject to soil leaching condition. Expanding investigations related to soil–plant interactions on metal-contaminated...

Background Roadside grass cuttings are currently considered a waste product due to their association with road sweepings as contaminated waste, therefore, their potential as a biofertilizer is understudied. Aim This study aimed to determine whether grass liquid fraction (GLF) collected from a roadside verge in Maldegem, Belgium, and pressed using...

Phytomanagement is a concept ft for a bio-based circular economy that combines phytotechnologies and biomass production for non-food purposes. Here, ten annual and perennial industrial non-food crops (Sorghum Biomass 133, Sorghum Santa Fe red, Linum usitatissimum L., Eucalyptus sp., Salix Inger, Salix Tordis, Beta vulgaris L., Phacelia tanacetifoli...

This paper evaluates the valorization potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fibers produced on HM-contaminated soil as a safe feedstock for the textile industry. The chosen strategy was phytoattenuation, which combines the progressive soil quality improvement of contaminated land using phytoremediation techniques with the production of...

Harvesting impacts the costs of microalgae production and affects the characteristics of the final product. Therefore, this study evaluated Moringa oleifera seed powder (MP) as a bioflocculant compared to two chemicals (Aluminium Sulphate-AS and Iron Chloride-IC) to harvest a mixed microalgae culture (Chlorella vulgaris and Desmodesmus sp.) grown o...

Green biorefineries aim to sustainably produce chemicals, materials, proteins and energy by processing green biomass, such as grass, into a solid fraction (fibers) and a liquid fraction (green juice) for further refining. Here, we propose to incorporate microalgae cultivation in the green biorefinery concept to obtain a higher protein production fr...

Over recent years, pyrolysis has grown into a mature technology with added value for producing soil improvers. Further innovations of this technology lie in developing tailor-made products from specific feedstocks (or mixtures thereof) in combination with adjusted mixing ratio-temperature regimes. In this context, co-pyrolysis of pig manure (PM) an...

This study aims to investigate the effect of pyrolysis (400 °C) on the stabilization of cadmium (Cd) during soil application of maize (Zea mays L.) biomass obtained during phytoremediation of soils contaminated with different levels of Cd. After pyrolysis, 1.95 g of biochar (Bs) was obtained from every 5 g of raw biomass (Rs). Both groups of Rs (R1...

Grass clippings have a good biomethane potential and, if acquired from roadside verges, nature management or natural grasslands do not compete for arable land, avoiding the food versus fuel debate. However, before the grass is processed in a wet anaerobic digester, a pretreatment step is advisable to minimize the problems associated with its fibrou...

Endoglucanases are particularly important in high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass due to the operational need to decrease the medium viscosity via liquefaction, alleviating one of the processes' significant hindrances. This study evaluated an endoglucanase-rich supernatant produced by a particular strain of Aspergillus awamor...

In chelator-enhanced Zn phytoremediation studies, it is crucial to understand how the degradable chelators and the competition from other ions influence the concentration of Zn in the soil solution. This study investigated the biodegradability of two chelators (EDDS: Ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid, and NTA: Nitrilotriacetic acid) and their ef...

Copper (Cu), as an essential element, is added to animal feed to stimulate growth and prevent disease. The forage crop alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) produced during Cu phytoextraction may be considered a biofortified crop to substitute the Cu feed additives for livestock production, beneficially alleviating Cu contamination in soils and reducing its...

The integration of phototrophic microalgal production and anaerobic digestion can recycle excess nutrients across European surplus hotspots to produce protein-rich biomass for nutritional applications. However, the challenging physico-chemical properties of raw digestate constrain microalgal growth and limit digestate valorization potential. This s...

The study of different possible biomass valorization routes is crucial in order to diversify phytomanagement options, allowing the landowner/stakeholder to choose the best option based on site characteristics and the benefits of local value chains. In the current study, field and laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the suitabilitity of...

Phytoremediation has been proposed as a cost-effective method for removing potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from the soil. In this regard, biodegradable chelating agents can be used without harming the environment to increase the efficiency of phytoremediation. In the present work, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of...

The potential of Lemna minor to valorise agricultural wastewater into a protein-rich feed component to meet the growing demand for animal feed protein and reduce the excess of nutrients in certain European regions was investigated. Three pilot-scale systems were monitored for nine weeks under outdoor conditions in Flanders. The systems were fed wit...

The high cost of commercial cellulases still hampers the economic competitiveness of the production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomasses. This cost may be decreased by the on-site production of cellulases with the integrated use of the lignocellulosic biomass as carbon source. This integrated approach was evaluated in the present s...

Phytoattenuation combines phytoextraction or phytostabilization with the economic valorization of the biomass produced on the contaminated soil. Sorghum bicolor is a suitable crop for this strategy, as it is known to be metal-tolerant and can be used for biogas or bioethanol production or in strategies toward biofortification. In the current invest...

This study investigated the potential of Lemna minor to valorise agricultural wastewater in protein-rich feed material in order to meet the growing demand for animal feed protein and reduce the excess of nutrients in certain European regions. For this purpose, three pilot-scale systems were monitored for 175 days under outdoor conditions in Flander...

Zn is an essential micronutrient for living organisms and, in that capacity, it is added to animal feed in intensive livestock production to promote growth and eliminate diseases. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) may have the potential to compensate and substitute the need for chemical Zn additives in feeds as a Zn-biofortified feed crop when grown on...

Duckweed is a potential alternative protein source for food and feed. However, little is known about the nitrate accumulation in this plant. A high nitrate level in vegetables can indirectly lead to an elevated intake of nitrites and N-nitroso compounds, increasing the risk of diseases for humans and animals. This research hypothesizes that the nit...

Starch-accumulating microalgae are a potential source of glucose, a valuable industrial feedstock. However, the recalcitrance of their cell wall hinders the enzymatic hydrolysis of the intracellular starch. This work studied starch accumulation, cell wall disruption, and enzymatic hydrolysis of the green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana. Starch accu...

The industrial production of sugar syrups from lignocellulosic materials requires the conduction of the enzymatic hydrolysis step at high-solids loadings (i.e., with over 15% solids [w/w] in the reaction mixture). Such conditions result in sugar syrups with increased concentrations and in improvements in both capital and operational costs, making t...

Starch accumulation in microalgae is a subject of growing interest in the energy sector since this polysaccharide can be used as feedstock to produce ethanol and biogas. Microalgal cell growth dynamics are commonly monitored by measuring the optical density (OD) of the culture, which then is converted to either biomass dry weight or cell concentrat...

The high cost of commercial cellulases still hampers the economic competitiveness of the production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomasses. This cost may be decreased by the on-site production of cellulases with the integrated use of the lignocellulosic biomass as carbon source. This integrated approach was evaluated in the present s...

The use of colorimetric methods for protein quantification in microalgae is hindered by their elevated amount of membrane‐embedded intracellular proteins. In this work, the protein content of three species of microalgae was determined by the Lowry method after the cells were dried, ball‐milled, and treated with the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate...

This work evaluated the production of cellulases and accessory enzymes by nine Trichoderma strains from the Brazilian Amazon Forest in comparison to the reference strain Trichoderma reesei RUT C-30. A selected T. harzianum strain showed total cellulase activity of 1.63 FPU/mL, which was higher than that measured for T. reesei RUT C-30. T. harzianum...

The accurate determination of the chemical composition of microalgae is essential when evaluating their potential as feedstock for the production of biofuels and biochemicals. The usual methodology for the determination of total microalgal carbohydrate content combines a two-step acid hydrolysis of the microalgal biomass with an analysis of the rel...

The integration between biofuels and chemicals production from biomass stimulates the transition to the inevitable bioeconomy era; this era can be achieved by implementing new technologies in existing industrial units where waste streams and by-products can be used as a renewable source of raw materials for the production of commodities and other v...

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that may grow mixo or heterotrophically with higher biomass yield be used for the production of biofuels and high value compounds such as pigments and polyunsaturated fatty acids without direct competition for land, water and crop production. Cheap organic compounds, such as glycerol, acetate and xylose,...

This chapter presents biocatalytic alternatives for the processing of lignocellulosic materials with chlorine compounds in the pulp and paper industry and in the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials for the production of biomass sugar syrups and, ultimately, biofuels and chemicals. The advantages and disadvantages of the current chemical process...

The hydrolysis of hydrothermally treated sugarcane bagasse at dry matter (DM) content of 5%, 15%, and 20% using a laboratory-made blend of Trichoderma reesei Rut C-30 and Aspergillus awamori (TrAa) supernatants was compared with that of commercial enzymes: Celluclast-Novozym 188 (Cel188), Cellic CTec2 (CT2), and CT2 blended with HTec2 (CTH2). Altho...