Managing editor: Roberto Raga email: roberto.raga@unipd.it Detritus / Volume 02 - 2018 / pages III-IV https://doi.org/10.31025/2611-4135/2018.13671 © 2018 Cisa Publisher BOOKS REVIEW WASTE BIOREFINERY: POTENTIALS AND PER- SPECTIVES by Thallada Bhaskar, Ashok Pandey, S.Venkata Mo- han, Duu-Jong, and LeeSamir Kumar Khanal The major drivers of bioenergy of this century include the improvement of energy security, addressing the issue of finite amounts of fossil fuels and natural resources and mitigation of the effects of climate change. Consequently, due to the currently ongoing energy cri- sis, focus on the production of biofuels and bio-products has increased worldwide. Biofuels and bio-products can be produced from biomass by means of a conversion process known as biorefinery. However, the key questions we should attempt to pro- vide an answer to are: ‘are biofuels and bio-products fully sustainable?’ and ‘how might we solve the biofuel/bio-prod- uct vs food and tank or table debates?’. Indeed, at times pre- cious plant-based resources, obtained using fertile land and water, are shifted from the production of food and feed to the generation of bio-energy or bio-materials, thus resulting in the development of a sensitive social issue. This may only be solved by eliciting a change in mentality: indeed, wastes (b) should no longer be regarded as residues to be treated and disposed of, but rather as a valuable resource that can be exploited as renewable feedstock for use in the production of bio-energy and chemicals. This is precisely the strategy adopted by the so-called “waste biorefinery” approach which is investigated in detail in the book “Waste biorefinery: po- tentials and perspectives”. The latter incisively shows how true sustainability can be achieved by valorising what has until now been considered a useless residue, whilst at the same time helping to identify cost-effective strategies. The book is divided into 26 Chapters grouped into 8 broad Sections. Section A relates to an analysis of the waste feedstocks suitable for use in biorefinery and the most re- cent technologies that contribute towards enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of the conversion process. In particular, it is highlighted how the waste biorefinery fits perfectly within the circular economy regenerative system. Section B provides a detailed insight into the advanced and innovative methods for biomass conversion, namely thermochemical and combined gasification-fermentation. Likewise, Sections C, D, and E focus on the wide range of possibilities related to the valorisation of food waste, mu- nicipal solid waste, and lignocellulosic waste, respectively. Food waste is preferentially used as a substrate in anaerobic digestion and acidogenic fermentation processes in order to gain biogas and biological monomers, respectively. Pyroly- sis is the method investigated for use in the conversion of municipal solid waste into bio-energy products. Lignocellu- losic resources are efficiently valorised in a number of ways, including hydrothermal treatment, pyrolysis, microwaves, and ultrasounds. Since lignin cell walls are particularly diffi- cult to break down, specific pre-treatments, such as the use of ionic liquids, are also illustrated in the book. Furthermore, Section F explores the innovative field of water-based biore- finery relating to both the recovery of resources through bioelectrochemical systems and the potential of exploiting microalgae biomass. In the first part, nutrients, metals, en- ergy, and chemical products are investigated and a series of case studies commented on. In the second part, in ad- dition to considering microalgae cultivation for use in the production of bio-fuels, closing the loop of the microalgae biomass is the main goal, demonstrating an expanding mar- ket for food and feed additive production, and for high-value chemicals. Section G deals with biorefinery projects on the cutting edge of scientific research. At the beginning of the section, three types of biomass residues generated in arid/ semiarid regions (palm tree residues, seawater biomass residues, and organic fraction of municipal solid waste) are reviewed. Subsequently, castor biorefinery is carefully ex- plained with a special focus on castor oil and the different IVBooks Review / DETRITUS / Volume 02 - 2018 / pages III-IV extraction methods applied. Insect-based bioconversion is another hot topic addressed in this section. Indeed, insects are capable of stabilizing organic waste while enabling the recovery of bio-fuels, fertilisers, food, and polymers. The last chapter describes how advanced thermochemical tech- nologies, with particular focus on pyrolysis, are capable of converting low-value materials such as deinking residues from the paper industry into value-added products. Finally, Section H provides a discussion on integrated technologies and approaches associated with lignocellulosic biomass, in- cluding pre-treatments required, and describes a case study of a woody biomass biorefinery in Japan. To conclude, through a balanced combination of differ- ent branches of science: chemistry, biology, engineering, and biotechnology, this book provides data-based information on the state of the art of biogenic waste utilisation within the field of biorefinery in which waste and resources are in- terchangeable. Francesca Girotto University of Padova, Italy email: francesca.girotto.89@hotmail.it ABOUT THE EDITORS Thallada Bhaskar Dr Thallada Bhaskar, Senior Scientist, is currently heading the Thermo-catalytic Processes Area, Bio-Fuels Division (BFD) at CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, India. His 20 years of research experience cover various fields of science revolving around his expertise in heterogeneous catalysis thermo-chemi- cal conversion of biomass, waste plastics and e-waste plastics into value added hydrocarbons. He has carried out several re- search projects with great success with national and interna- tional collaborators. Ashok Pandey Professor Ashok Pandey is currently Distinguished Scientist at CSIR-Indian Institute for Toxicology Research, Lucknow, India and Honorary Executive Director at the Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability- India; he was the former Deputy Director for CSIR’s National Institute for Interdisciplinary Sci- ence and Technology at Trivandrum, where he head the Centre for Biofuels and Biotechnology Division. Professor Pandey’s re- search interests are on bio-based economy for the production of fuels and chemicals. He has over 1000 publications and com- munications, which include 14 patents and design copyright, 34 books, 99 book chapters, and 391 original and review papers. S.Venkata Mohan Dr.S.Venkata Mohan is working as Principal Scientist in CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad since 1998. He was a Visiting Professor at Kyoto University (2005) and Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Fellow at Technical Univer- sity of Munich, Germany (2001-02). His main research interests are in the domain of Environmental Bioengineering Specifically in the areas of Advance Waste Remediation, Aciodogenesis, Mi- crobial Electrogenesis, Photosynthesis and Waste Biorefinery. He has authored more than 310 research articles, 36 chapters for books, edited 4 books and has 9 patents. His publication has more than 12,750 citations with an h-index of 62 (Google Scholar). He has guided 22 PhDs., 2 M.Phils and more than 100 M.Tech./B.Tech./M.Sc. students. Recently, Dr Mohan recently successfully demonstrated a pilot plant for biohydrogen pro- duction from waste for MNRE and waste fed biorefinery plat- form for CSIR. Duu-Jong Lee Duu-Jong Lee is currently a Life-Time Specially Appointed Professor of National Taiwan University (NTU) and Chair Pro- fessor and Dean of College of Engineering of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST). During the past 25 years of his career, he has completed several projects successfully and developed various processes with full-scale applications. The research carried out till-date has credited him with more than 1000 publications/communi- cations. The citations in SCOPUS on Dr Lee’s work has exceed- ed 8000 with h=42. Professor Lee is the recipient of many na- tional and international awards and fellowships. Samir Kumar Khanal Dr. Samir Kumar Khanal is an Associate Professor of Bio- logical Engineering at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Previ- ously, he was a post-doctoral research associate and Research Assistant Professor at Iowa State University for 6 years. Dr. Khanal is also an editorial board member of the highly prestigious international journal, Bioresource Technology and Korean Journal of Environmental Engineering. He is also a recipient of CTAHR Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research (2016), University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. Khanal is a professional engineer (environmental engineering) in the state of Iowa. Book Info: Editors: Thallada Bhaskar / Ashok Pandey / S.Venkata Mohan / Duu-Jong Lee / Samir Kumar Khanal Imprint: Elsevier Published Date: 20th January 2018 Page Count: 890 eBook ISBN: 9780444639936 Paperback ISBN: 9780444639929