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14 Cellulose
More methane is produced in combined biodigestion than when isolated anaerobic
digestion of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.
The environmental significance of this is that allowing aquatic plants and algae to
degrade in the environment results in more methane emission into the environment.
One large-scale example of this is the production in paddy fields where the decomposition of the straws in the paddy fields results in methane release. A proposed
solution to this is the collection of these straws and utilizing them (Fusi et al. 2014).
One way of utilizing this is extraction of the cellulose content for applications such
as those discussed in the following section. Therefore, the controlled extraction and
utilization of cellulose from these sources could contribute to reducing the release
of methane into the environment.
Furthermore, one of the solutions proposed and being adopted for addressing the
water hyacinth bloom in tropical regions is the harvesting of the water hyacinth from
the water and use as compost in farming (Polprasert et al. 1994). This is a solution that
makes use of the aquatic plant biomass in large quantities and significantly contributes
to reducing the environmental nuisance. If the composting is done properly with
adequate aeration to encourage aerobic decomposition, the process does not result
in methane emission. On the other hand, if anaerobic decomposition occurs, this
results in further release of methane. New methods have therefore been proposed to
minimize anaerobic decomposition in compost pile using semipermeable membrane
that aid aeration of the pile (Ma et al. 2018). This can be applied to the composting
of water hyacinth in order to ensure that the positive benefits of this approach to the
management of the water hyacinth is not overshadowed by the adverse impact of
methane emission.
14.6.4 Land Space Occupied
The main advantage of aquatic biomass-sourced cellulose is that there is no competition with land occupied by humans and that used for cultivation of food crops. It
also does not lead to depletion of nutrients from the soil. However, the process of
extraction of cellulose requires land space. The use of aquatic environment for cultivation of cellulosic biomass for commercial applications such as biofuel production
could save thousands of acres of land space which would be required to cultivate the
required amount of terrestrial-based cellulose crops.
14.6.5 Aquatic Plants and Algae Bloom
Considering the devastating effect uncontrolled growth that some aquatic plants such
as water hyacinth and algae have caused in recent times, harvesting of these aquatic
organisms goes beyond the financial gains or economic boost. Effective system to
convert these presently unmanaged resources would be of immense benefit to the
14 Cellulose
More methane is produced in combined biodigestion than when isolated anaerobic
digestion of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.
The environmental significance of this is that allowing aquatic plants and algae to
degrade in the environment results in more methane emission into the environment.
One large-scale example of this is the production in paddy fields where the decomposition of the straws in the paddy fields results in methane release. A proposed
solution to this is the collection of these straws and utilizing them (Fusi et al. 2014).
One way of utilizing this is extraction of the cellulose content for applications such
as those discussed in the following section. Therefore, the controlled extraction and
utilization of cellulose from these sources could contribute to reducing the release
of methane into the environment.
Furthermore, one of the solutions proposed and being adopted for addressing the
water hyacinth bloom in tropical regions is the harvesting of the water hyacinth from
the water and use as compost in farming (Polprasert et al. 1994). This is a solution that
makes use of the aquatic plant biomass in large quantities and significantly contributes
to reducing the environmental nuisance. If the composting is done properly with
adequate aeration to encourage aerobic decomposition, the process does not result
in methane emission. On the other hand, if anaerobic decomposition occurs, this
results in further release of methane. New methods have therefore been proposed to
minimize anaerobic decomposition in compost pile using semipermeable membrane
that aid aeration of the pile (Ma et al. 2018). This can be applied to the composting
of water hyacinth in order to ensure that the positive benefits of this approach to the
management of the water hyacinth is not overshadowed by the adverse impact of
methane emission.
14.6.4 Land Space Occupied
The main advantage of aquatic biomass-sourced cellulose is that there is no competition with land occupied by humans and that used for cultivation of food crops. It
also does not lead to depletion of nutrients from the soil. However, the process of
extraction of cellulose requires land space. The use of aquatic environment for cultivation of cellulosic biomass for commercial applications such as biofuel production
could save thousands of acres of land space which would be required to cultivate the
required amount of terrestrial-based cellulose crops.
14.6.5 Aquatic Plants and Algae Bloom
Considering the devastating effect uncontrolled growth that some aquatic plants such
as water hyacinth and algae have caused in recent times, harvesting of these aquatic
organisms goes beyond the financial gains or economic boost. Effective system to
convert these presently unmanaged resources would be of immense benefit to the