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Ana Ferraz
ProMetheus, Unidade de Investigação em Materiais, Energia e Ambiente para a Sustentabilidade, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua da Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Alvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal

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Journal article
Published: 25 May 2021 in Agriculture
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The production of residual biomass, such as vine pruning, presents environmental problems since its elimination is usually carried out through the uncontrolled burning of the remaining materials and with the emission of greenhouse gases without any counterpart. The use of these residues to produce biochar presents several advantages. In addition to the more common energy recovery, other conversion ways allowing new uses, such as soil amendment and carbon sequestration, can be analyzed as options as well. In the present study, vine pruning biomasses are characterized to evaluate the behavior of the different constituents. Then, the different possible applications are discussed. It is concluded that materials resulting from the pruning of vineyards have excellent characteristics for energy recovery, with an increment of more than 50% in the heating value and almost 60% in the carbon content when carbonized. This recovery procedure contributes to creating new value chains for residual materials to promote sustainable practices in the wine sector.

ACS Style

Leonel Nunes; Abel Rodrigues; João Matias; Ana Ferraz; Ana Rodrigues. Production of Biochar from Vine Pruning: Waste Recovery in the Wine Industry. Agriculture 2021, 11, 489 .

AMA Style

Leonel Nunes, Abel Rodrigues, João Matias, Ana Ferraz, Ana Rodrigues. Production of Biochar from Vine Pruning: Waste Recovery in the Wine Industry. Agriculture. 2021; 11 (6):489.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leonel Nunes; Abel Rodrigues; João Matias; Ana Ferraz; Ana Rodrigues. 2021. "Production of Biochar from Vine Pruning: Waste Recovery in the Wine Industry." Agriculture 11, no. 6: 489.

Journal article
Published: 22 April 2021 in Recycling
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The use of residual biomass of forest and/or agricultural origin is an increasingly common issue regarding the incorporation of materials that, until recently, were out of the typical raw material supply chains for the production of biomass pellets, mainly due to the quality constraints that some of these materials present. The need to control the quality of biomass-derived fuels led to the development of standards, such as ENplus®, to define the permitted limits for a set of parameters, such as the ash or alkali metal content. In the present study, samples of vine pruning, and ENplus®-certified pellets were collected and characterized, and the results obtained were compared with the limits presented in the standard. The values presented from vine pruning approximated the values presented by Pinus pinaster wood, the main raw material used in the production of certified pellets in Portugal, except for the values of ash, copper (Cu), and nitrogen (N) contents, with vine pruning being out of the qualifying limits for certification. However, it was found that the incorporation of up to 10% of biomass from vine pruning allowed the fulfillment of the requirements presented in the ENplus® standard, indicating a path for the implementation of circular economy processes in the wine industry.

ACS Style

Leonel Nunes; Liliana Loureiro; Letícia Sá; João Matias; Ana Ferraz; Ana Rodrigues. Energy Recovery of Agricultural Residues: Incorporation of Vine Pruning in the Production of Biomass Pellets with ENplus® Certification. Recycling 2021, 6, 28 .

AMA Style

Leonel Nunes, Liliana Loureiro, Letícia Sá, João Matias, Ana Ferraz, Ana Rodrigues. Energy Recovery of Agricultural Residues: Incorporation of Vine Pruning in the Production of Biomass Pellets with ENplus® Certification. Recycling. 2021; 6 (2):28.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leonel Nunes; Liliana Loureiro; Letícia Sá; João Matias; Ana Ferraz; Ana Rodrigues. 2021. "Energy Recovery of Agricultural Residues: Incorporation of Vine Pruning in the Production of Biomass Pellets with ENplus® Certification." Recycling 6, no. 2: 28.

Journal article
Published: 19 February 2021 in Applied Sciences
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The high volumes of animal manure and sewage sludge, as a consequence of the development of intensive and specialized cattle dairy farms in peri-urban areas, pose challenges to local environmental quality and demands for systems innovation. Besides these negative impacts, energy recovery from biogas produced in anaerobic co-digestion processes should contribute to local sustainable development. This research considers technical data obtained from the optimization of biomethanization processes using sewage sludge and cattle manure liquid fraction, aiming to develop a spatially explicit model including multicriteria evaluation and an analytical hierarchy process to locate biogas production facilities, allocate energy resources and consider biogas unit pre-dimensioning analysis. According to the biophysical conditions and socioeconomic dynamics of the study area (Vila do Conde, Northwest Portugal), a spatially explicit model using multicriteria and multiobjective techniques allowed the definition of suitable locations, as well as the allocation of resources and support pre-dimensioning of biogas facilities. A p-median model allowed us to allocate resources and pre-dimensioning biogas facilities according to distance and accessibility elements. The results indicate: (i) the location of areas with adequate environmental conditions and socioeconomic suitability advantages to install biogas production facilities, and (ii) the ability to compare the options of centralized or distributed location alternatives and associated pre-dimensioning.

ACS Style

Renata Coura; Joaquim Alonso; Ana Rodrigues; Ana Ferraz; Nuno Mouta; Renato Silva; António Brito. Spatially Explicit Model for Anaerobic Co-Digestion Facilities Location and Pre-Dimensioning Considering Spatial Distribution of Resource Supply and Biogas Yield in Northwest Portugal. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 1841 .

AMA Style

Renata Coura, Joaquim Alonso, Ana Rodrigues, Ana Ferraz, Nuno Mouta, Renato Silva, António Brito. Spatially Explicit Model for Anaerobic Co-Digestion Facilities Location and Pre-Dimensioning Considering Spatial Distribution of Resource Supply and Biogas Yield in Northwest Portugal. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (4):1841.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Renata Coura; Joaquim Alonso; Ana Rodrigues; Ana Ferraz; Nuno Mouta; Renato Silva; António Brito. 2021. "Spatially Explicit Model for Anaerobic Co-Digestion Facilities Location and Pre-Dimensioning Considering Spatial Distribution of Resource Supply and Biogas Yield in Northwest Portugal." Applied Sciences 11, no. 4: 1841.

Journal article
Published: 18 February 2021 in Sustainability
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The present study aimed to optimize the struvite chemical precipitation process in nitrogen-rich anaerobic co-digestion systems. Struvite precipitation experiments were carried out using a mixture of cattle slurry liquid fraction and sewage sludge, with and without ultrasound pretreatment. Marine salt or MgCl2 were used as magnesium source in NH4 +:Mg2+ stoichiometric proportions of 1:1.5 and 1:3. Under the tested conditions, ammonium nitrogen and orthophosphate were removed from the mixed liquor with a maximum observed efficiency of 43% and 92%, respectively, when the ultrasound treatment was applied prior to struvite precipitation, using MgCl2 as source of magnesium (NH4 +:Mg2+ of 1:3). The operating time was 40 min. Different pretreatments were tested prior to the biomethanization experiments, struvite precipitation, ultrasound, or a combination of both pretreatments. The application of ultrasound (with an energy input of 218 kJ L−1) and struvite precipitation (NH4 +:Mg2+ of 1:3) increased the methane content in the biogas by 82% and reduced hydraulic retention time by 28%, when compared to the anaerobic co-digestion assays without pretreatment. The hydrolytic pretreatment increased the bioavailability of nitrogen by 5%, thus enhancing the removal efficiency of ammonium nitrogen by 20%. Consequently, an increase in the carbon to nitrogen ratio was observed, favoring the methanogenesis process.

ACS Style

Renata Coura; Ana Rodrigues; Joaquim Alonso; Ana Ferraz; Luis Brito; João Abrantes; António Guerreiro Brito. Combined Pretreatment by Ultrasound and Struvite Precipitation of Raw Substrates: A Strategy to Overcome C/N Ratio Unbalance in Nitrogen-Rich Anaerobic Co-Digestion Systems. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2175 .

AMA Style

Renata Coura, Ana Rodrigues, Joaquim Alonso, Ana Ferraz, Luis Brito, João Abrantes, António Guerreiro Brito. Combined Pretreatment by Ultrasound and Struvite Precipitation of Raw Substrates: A Strategy to Overcome C/N Ratio Unbalance in Nitrogen-Rich Anaerobic Co-Digestion Systems. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2175.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Renata Coura; Ana Rodrigues; Joaquim Alonso; Ana Ferraz; Luis Brito; João Abrantes; António Guerreiro Brito. 2021. "Combined Pretreatment by Ultrasound and Struvite Precipitation of Raw Substrates: A Strategy to Overcome C/N Ratio Unbalance in Nitrogen-Rich Anaerobic Co-Digestion Systems." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2175.

Chapter
Published: 15 March 2017 in Waste Biomass Management – A Holistic Approach
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The supply and food safety needs of the growing population, particularly in (peri) urban areas, promote the intensification, concentration, and specialization of human, agricultural, livestock, and agro-industrial activities. As a result, important quantities of waste and wastewater, with significant organic and nutrient loads, are generated and need to be managed properly in order to protect the soil quality and fertility, as well as to prevent water and air pollution. Among the models, processes, treatment, and recovery technologies, anaerobic digestion can be highlighted due to the production of biogas, a renewable energy source. The understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns of the resources and the conditions of waste and wastewater production and use provided by the analysis of these complex and adaptive socio-ecological systems, together with the knowledge of the biological process of biogas production, will support the selection and optimization of technologies, as well as the sizing and location of biogas plants for the promotion of renewable energy and local level economies. This integrated, hierarchical, and multidisciplinary approach takes a critical nature in the definition of technical and organizational solutions that contribute to sustainable development, for the effective quality of life, the local environment, and economy.

ACS Style

Sandra Silva; Ana Cristina Rodrigues; Ana Ferraz; Joaquim Alonso. An Integrated Approach for Efficient Energy Recovery Production from Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes. Waste Biomass Management – A Holistic Approach 2017, 16, 339 -366.

AMA Style

Sandra Silva, Ana Cristina Rodrigues, Ana Ferraz, Joaquim Alonso. An Integrated Approach for Efficient Energy Recovery Production from Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes. Waste Biomass Management – A Holistic Approach. 2017; 16 ():339-366.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sandra Silva; Ana Cristina Rodrigues; Ana Ferraz; Joaquim Alonso. 2017. "An Integrated Approach for Efficient Energy Recovery Production from Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes." Waste Biomass Management – A Holistic Approach 16, no. : 339-366.

Original paper
Published: 19 March 2014 in International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
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The use of industrial wastes for wastewater treatment as a strategy to their re-use and valorisation may provide important advances toward sustainability. The present work gives new insights into heavy metal biosorption onto low-cost biosorbents, studying chromium(III) biosorption onto spent grains residual from a Portuguese brewing industry both in batch and expanded bed column systems. Experimental studies involved unmodified spent grains and spent grains treated with NaOH. Metal uptake followed a rapid initial step, well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model up to 2–7 h, indicating chemisorption to be the rate-limiting step. Beyond this period intraparticle diffusion assumed an important role in the uptake global kinetics. The best fit for equilibrium data was obtained using the Langmuir model, with unmodified spent grains having the higher maximum uptake capacity (q max = 16.7 mg g−1). In open system studies, using expanded bed columns, the best performance was also achieved with unmodified spent grains: Breakthrough time (C/C i = 0.25) and total saturation time (C/C i = 0.99) occurred after 58 and 199 h of operation, corresponding to the accumulation of 390 mg of chromium(III), 43.3 % of the total amount entering the column. These results suggest that alkali treatment does not improve spent grains uptake performance. Changes in biomass composition determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested hydroxyl groups and proteins to have an important role in chromium(III) biosorption. This study points out that unmodified spent grains can be successfully used as low-cost biosorbent for trivalent chromium.

ACS Style

A. I. Ferraz; Cláudia Amorim; Teresa Tavares; J. A. Teixeira. Chromium(III) biosorption onto spent grains residual from brewing industry: equilibrium, kinetics and column studies. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 2014, 12, 1591 -1602.

AMA Style

A. I. Ferraz, Cláudia Amorim, Teresa Tavares, J. A. Teixeira. Chromium(III) biosorption onto spent grains residual from brewing industry: equilibrium, kinetics and column studies. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 2014; 12 (5):1591-1602.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. I. Ferraz; Cláudia Amorim; Teresa Tavares; J. A. Teixeira. 2014. "Chromium(III) biosorption onto spent grains residual from brewing industry: equilibrium, kinetics and column studies." International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 12, no. 5: 1591-1602.

Journal article
Published: 15 December 2004 in Chemical Engineering Journal
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Heavy metal recovery from biosorbents is of major importance in the assessment of competitiveness of biosorption processes. Several desorption agents (H2SO4, HNO3, HCl, CH3COOH and EDTA) were tested for the selection of the optimal elution conditions for Cr(III) recovery from Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Sorption time was optimised as it plays an important role in the sorption–desorption process, being shown that a 30 min sorption period is the best option to ensure metal removal from solution and good recovery from biosorbent. The optimal contact time with desorption agents was also studied, as long exposures to these ones may cause cell damage, affecting biosorbent metal uptake capacity in subsequent sorption cycles. Each eluant was analysed in terms of its desorption capacity and its effect on the biomass metal uptake capacity in multiple sorption–desorption cycles. Considering the effectiveness of chromium desorption from loaded biomass, it was possible to conclude that H2SO4 (pH ≈ 1) was the most effective eluant tested, accomplishing the highest Cr(III) recovery from S. cerevisiae in three consecutive sorption/desorption cycles. Regarding the damage caused by acid treatment on S. cerevisiae cells, assessed by the reduction on metal uptake capacity after elution, it was possible to observe that sulphuric acid was the most harmful eluant causing long term negative effects in metal uptake. By the time the experiments were interrupted (nearly 26 h of continuous cycles) biomass uptake capacity was reduced to about 77% of the value reached before acid treatment.

ACS Style

Ana Ferraz; Teresa Tavares; José Teixeira. Cr(III) removal and recovery from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Chemical Engineering Journal 2004, 105, 11 -20.

AMA Style

Ana Ferraz, Teresa Tavares, José Teixeira. Cr(III) removal and recovery from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2004; 105 (1-2):11-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ana Ferraz; Teresa Tavares; José Teixeira. 2004. "Cr(III) removal and recovery from Saccharomyces cerevisiae." Chemical Engineering Journal 105, no. 1-2: 11-20.

Article
Published: 01 January 1999 in Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering
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The use of inexpensive biosorbents to sequester heavy metals from aqueous solutions, is one of the most promising technologies being developed to remove these toxic contaminants from wastewaters. Considering this challenge, the viability of Cr(III) and Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions using a flocculating brewer's yeast residual biomass from a Portuguese brewing industry was studied. The influence of physicochemical factors such as medium pH, biomass concentration and the presence of a co-ion was characterised. Metal uptake kinetics and equilibrium were also analysed, considering different incubation temperatures. For both metals, uptake increased with medium pH, being maximal at 5.0. Optimal biomass concentration for the biosorption process was determined to be 4.5 g dry weight/l. In chromium and lead mixture solutions, competition for yeast binding sites was observed between the two metals, this competition being pH dependent. Yeast biomass showed higher selectivity and uptake capacity to lead. Chromium uptake kinetic was characterised as having a rapid initial step, followed by a slower one. Langmuir model describes well chromium uptake equilibrium. Lead uptake kinetics suggested the presence of mechanisms other than biosorption, possibly including its precipitation.

ACS Style

A. I. Ferraz; J. A. Teixeira. The use of flocculating brewer's yeast for Cr(III) and Pb(II) removal from residual wastewaters. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 1999, 21, 431 -437.

AMA Style

A. I. Ferraz, J. A. Teixeira. The use of flocculating brewer's yeast for Cr(III) and Pb(II) removal from residual wastewaters. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering. 1999; 21 (5):431-437.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. I. Ferraz; J. A. Teixeira. 1999. "The use of flocculating brewer's yeast for Cr(III) and Pb(II) removal from residual wastewaters." Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 21, no. 5: 431-437.