Bioconversion of Waste Materials to Industrial Products

The production of waste materials during the processing of food, agricultural produce and industrial products is recognized as a significant problem. Public opinion, increasing legislation and economic arguments seem certain to restrict the options for simple disposal of wastes, so alternative technologies will be required. In general, this problem can be addressed by either minimizing the waste produced or by recycling the waste in some way, and it seems likely that a combination of the two approaches will be the most practical solution for most industries. Bioprocessing represents a efficient method of eliminating some waste materials, with the benefit that useful products can be produced. This updated and revised edition provides an overview of the biotechnological methods of recovering useful materials from wastes. By covering both the general principles of bioconversion and the specific characteristics of the main groups of waste materials amenable to bioconversion methods, this book provides the chemical, biochemical, agrochemical and process engineer with guidance on the use of these methods in devising a solution to the problem of industrial waste products.