Browsing by Author "Bakili, Sophia"

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Anaerobic digestion of banana winery effluent for biogas production
(International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy, 2014-09-30) Bakili, Sophia; Gessesse, Amare; Mtei, Kelvin; Njau, Karoli
he efficiency of banana winery effluent (BWE) in biogas production through improving fermentation process was investigated in this study. The study was conducted in a batch system under mesophilic temperature of 35oC achieved by using controlled thermostat waterbath. Two sets of experiments (labeled as experiment 1 and experiment 2) with five reactors each, were performed in the laboratory. For experiment 1, reactor A was treated as a control with no addition of urea while 1g,2g,3g and 4g of urea were added in reactors B,C,D and E respectively. For experiment 2, different amount of sucrose, that is 0.18g, 0.27g, 0.36g and 0.44g were added in the reactors B, C, D and E correspondingly, and reactor A without sucrose addition was used as the control .Results for experiment 1 revealed that reactor A produced largest volume of biogas (1.93L) followed by reactor B with least amount of urea where 1.37L of biogas was generated. Other reactors produced smaller volume of biogas during the study period. For experiment 2 results indicated large volume of biogas (2.72L) was produced in reactor C with 0.27g of sucrose followed by reactor D (2.71L) with 0.36g sucrose. The biogas produced contained 68.9% - 74.6% methane (CH4). This study concluded that addition of nitrogen source does not increase biogas production from Banana winery effluent while addition of carbon source is important as a source of energy for enhancing C: N ratio for process stability and biogas production.
Furfural from lignocellulose biomass a comprehensive review of hydrolysis methods production technologies and integration into the circular economy
(Springer Nature Link, 2025-08-25) Bakili, Sophia; Kivevele, Thomas; Kichonge, Baraka; Salifu, Ali; King’ondu, Cecil
Furfural, a platform chemical derived from lignocellulosic biomass, serves as a key precursor for biofuels, solvents, and chemical intermediates. Its production from agricultural waste aligns with circular economy principles by reducing dependence on fossil resources. This systematic review evaluates hydrolysis methods for furfural production, including acid hydrolysis, biphasic systems, microwave-assisted extraction, and enzymatic processes. The study adheres to the PRISMA guidelines, with a literature search conducted in the Scopus database (2014–2024) using the terms “Furfural” AND “Circular Economy.” From 50 screened articles, relevant studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria. Key challenges identified include feedstock variability, limited standardised life cycle assessments, and low commercial readiness of emerging technologies. The review also examines the potential for scaling and strategies to enhance economic and environmental sustainability in biorefinery systems. Furfural represents a viable renewable chemical that supports the objectives of a circular economy through the valorisation of agricultural waste. Future research should prioritise integrated biorefinery models and cradle-to-cradle assessments to optimise sustainability.