A Treatise on Ecological Science

Elements of Industrial Ecology

Author(s): Vikas Rai * .

Pp: 44-52 (9)

DOI: 10.2174/9789815322491124010006

* (Excluding Mailing and Handling)

Abstract

 The central theme of industrial ecology is the idea that the waste material from one industry can serve as raw material for the other. It is industrial symbiosis. This eases tension created by the pressure of ever-accumulating industrial waste. Another aspect of an industry is the input of energy. It must be clean; emissions to the environment are minimal, and green, i.e., we must utilize the least amount of resources. The search for clean energy sources has converged to Hydrogen Energy. The production efficiency of the electrolysis process is enhanced by the application of an external magnetic field. Solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency attains the levels of economic feasibility with the use of semiconductor sheets made of Rh – co-doped SrTiO3 powders embedded into a gold layer. Solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency (1.1% and 30% quantum yield at 419 nm) was achieved by splitting pure water (pH 6.88). Effects of electric power, external magnetic field, and temperature on conversion efficiency have been investigated and found to be appreciable.

Bio–diesel is another potential source of energy. The energy of sunlight is converted into chemical energy through a biochemical process. A positive aspect of algal cultivation is that it can be grown either in freshwater or brackish water. In this way, it does not compete for fresh water. Microalgae respond by producing more carbohydrates or lipids in conditions of environmental stress; e.g., when a particular nutrient is lacking. Biodiesel derived from algal lipids is non-toxic and biodegradable. Microalgae produce oils 15 – 300 times more than traditional crops per unit cultivated area. The ability of an endolithic cyanobacterial strain, Leptolyngbya sp. ISTCY101 to produce biomass from which biodiesel can be produced, has been assessed in experiments conducted exploiting principles of carbon assimilation in the natural ecological niche of the cyanobacterium. Measurements of relevant variables and parameters showed that this strain is capable of returning a reasonably high yield of biomass productivity.

Integration of industrial ecology and ecological economics would expand the scope of the circular economy. New information generated in the process of integration would be used to develop new tools for decision-makers. Self-guidance, a special attribute, would be available to industry leaders if a course based on this chapter is introduced in the curriculum of engineering undergraduates. 


Keywords: Ammonium-oxidizing bacteria, Biochemical process, Cyanobacterial, Endolithic strain, Electrolysis, Hydrogen production, Hydrogen energy, Lipid, Nitrite oxidizing bacteria, Nitrogen fixation, Particulate semiconductor sheets, Sustainable agriculture, Symbiosis.

Related Journals
Related Books
© 2025 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy