Multifunctional applications of bamboo crop beyond environmental management: an Indian prospective

Early Miocene ventricose bamboo from south Asia with implications for evolutionary ecology and biogeography

The evolutionary history of bamboo has remained elusive, primarily due to the scarcity of fossils that exhibit varied morphological traits, often lacking detailed features. In this study, we introduce a remarkable fossil find, a bamboo culm from the early Miocene sediments of the Neyveli lignite mine in India. This fossil is distinguished by its nodal buds and notably ventricose (swollen) nodes-features rarely preserved in the fossil record. This unique specimen stands alone to showcase such specific morphological characteristics and is the earliest known bamboo fossil from southern India. Its discovery is a significant breakthrough in the study of bamboo diversity, offering fresh insights into the morphological evolutionary history of bamboo and lending support to the hypothesis of a Gondwanan origin for Asian bamboos. Furthermore, this fossil is crucial for reconstructing past environments, suggesting that ancient bamboos likely evolved in warm, humid climatic conditions.

Functional and Genomic Potential of Burkholderia contaminans PB_AQ24 Isolate for Boosting the Growth of Bamboo Seedlings in Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils

The present study investigated the genomic and functional potential of Burkholderia contaminans PB_AQ24, a bacterial strain isolated from the municipal solid waste dumpsite, for boosting the growth of Dendrocalamus strictus (Male bamboo) seedlings. The isolated strain exhibited high potency for metal solubilization and ACC (1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase activity. Its genome harbored diverse genes responsible for nitrogen and phosphorus utilization (trpABCDES, iaaH, acdS, pstABCS, phoAUD, pqqABCDE, kdpABC, gln, and nirBD) and also an abundance of heavy metal tolerant genes (ftsH, hptX, iscX-fdx-hscAB-iscAUR, mgtA, corA, and copC). Seeds priming experiments carried out in heavy metal contaminated soils (such as waste dumpsite soil (WDS), fly ash dumpsite soil (FAS) and natural garden soil (NGS control)) augmented with Burkholderia contaminans sp. PB_AQ24 showed 85% sustenance of seedlings in WDS and 80% in FAS. The study thus highlighted the potential features in isolated bacterial strain Burkholderia sp. PB_AQ24 (NCBI accession no. JAQOUG000000000), which could boost the growth of bamboo seedlings in heavy metal contaminated soils and may be applied for restoration and rejuvenation of contaminated sites.

The prospect of bamboo and non-fodder rice husk for sustainable bioethanol production

Due to the rapid industrialization globally, there is a constant increase in demand for energy, which drives up fuel prices and contributes to the depletion of fossil fuels. The rise in the use of fossil fuels results in increasing greenhouse gas emissions contributing to biodiversity loss. Thus, the development of alternative green biofuel (e.g., bioethanol) from renewable and surplus biomass resources has taken center stage as our attention is drawn to environmental concerns and energy security. However, till now, the studies pertaining to the process optimization and techno-economic analysis of bioethanol production using indigenous non-conventional biomass resources are scarcely reported for the industrial application. Henceforth, this study employed Bambusa bambos (BB) culm and non-fodder rice husk (NFRH) as the raw material due to its high holocellulose content (60-70%) for bioethanol production and based on its biomass availability in the agrarian state of Karnataka (India). Thereupon, the statistical design of experiment (DoE) method was applied for the thermo-chemical pretreatment optimization of the collected biomass resources, and the fermentation was performed using osmotolerant Angel™ yeast for the bioethanol production. Overall, the maximum reducing sugar (RS) concentration of 70.7 ± 2.6 g/L under optimal condition of 10% (w/v) loading at 121 °C for 30 min using 0.3 M sulfuric acid and bioethanol concentration of 4.7 ± 0.8 g/L (0.42 g/g RS) with conversion efficiency of 70% was obtained from the indigenous BB biomass, whereas the NFRH biomass yielded the maximal concentration of RS around 91.5 ± 2.2 g/L as per optimized conditions [15% w/v loading at 121 °C for 30 min using 0.5 M sulfuric acid] with 61% saccharification efficiency and bioethanol productivity of 5.3 ± 0.4 g/L (0.10 g/g RS). Conclusively, 61-101 L of bioethanol is estimated from 1 tonne of BB and NFRH biomass resources from the study with net energy ratio of greater than 1.0, low carbon footprint (0.14-1.97 kg carbon dioxide equivalent), bioconversion of 10-40% as per the mass-balance analysis, and production costing of less than 100 ₹/L; hence, this result provides a cost-effective sustainable solution for bioethanol production that can raise farmers income as well as enables the rural development.

Optimizing soil properties, water use efficiency, and crop yield through biochar and organic manure integration in organic soil

Speedy decomposition of organic manure and efficient utilization of rice husk waste are two critical challenges for sustainable environment and soil health management. However, understanding the synergistic effects of rice husk biochar (B) and organic manure (OM) on soil properties and crop growth in subtropical conditions remains unclear. A field study was conducted to investigate the impact of sole and combined application of rice husk biochar (0 t ha-1, 3 t ha-1), farmyard manure (FYM), and vermicompost (VC) on soil aggregation, aggregate-associated carbon, water use efficiency (WUE), economic benefits, and yield of radish crop in sandy clay loam organic soil. Biochar application enhanced the macroaggregate stability and aggregate associated C contents. Soil moisture, infiltration rate (IR) and WUE were significantly improved by 9.2%, 20.8% and 13.6%, respectively, with addition of biochar, which might be related to improved aggregate-associated carbon and water retention in the soil. Similarly, improved soil properties, WUE were noticed in the treatment receiving combination of FYM + VC over the control. 16% and 30.9% higher radish yield was observed with biochar and FYM + VC amended treatments compared without B0 and manure OM0, respectively. The integrated use of biochar (3 t ha-1) and OM (FYM + VC) resulted in highest economic benefits of net return (₹ 138,325 ha-1) and B:C (1:5) ratio and least in control plots. These results indicate that adding biochar in organic management practices considerably improved the soil properties, WUE which resulted in increased organic radish production.

Thinking globally, acting locally in the 21st century: Bamboo to bioproducts and cleaned mine sites

Current solutions to global challenges place tension between global benefits and local impacts. The result is increasing opposition to implementation of beneficial climate policies. Prioritizing investment in projects with tangible local benefits that also contribute to global climate change can resolve this tension and make local communities' partners instead of antagonists to change; the approach advocated is a new take on "thinking globally, acting locally". This approach is a departure from the usual strategy of focusing resources on solutions perceived to have the largest potential global impact, without regards to local concerns. Reclamation of polluted mine sites by using fast growing bamboo to remove heavy metals provides a case study to show what is possible. Effective implementation of thinking globally while acting locally will require increased coordination between different types of researchers, new educational models, and greater stakeholder participation in problem identification and solution development.

Assessment and characterization of solid and hazardous waste from inorganic chemical industry: Potential for energy recovery and environmental sustainability

Rapid global urbanization and economic growth have significantly increased solid waste volumes, with hazardous waste posing substantial health and environmental risks. Co-processing strategies for industrial solid and hazardous waste as alternative fuels highlight the importance of integrated waste management for energy and material recovery. This study identifies and characterizes solid and hazardous industrial wastes with high calorific values from various industrial processes at Nirma Industries Limited. Nine types of combustible industrial wastes were analyzed: discarded containers (W1), plastic waste (W2), spent ion exchange resins from RO plants (W3), sludge from effluent treatment in soap plants (W4), glycerine foot from soap plants (W5), rock wool puff material (W6), fiber-reinforced plastic waste (W7), spent activated carbon (W8), and spent cartridges from reverse osmosis plants (W9). Physical characterization, proximate and ultimate analysis, heavy metal concentration evaluation, and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted to assess their properties, revealing high calorific values exceeding 2500 kcal/kg. Notably, W1 and W2 exhibited the highest calorific values (∼10,870 kcal/kg), followed by W6 and W8 (∼6000 kcal/kg) and W9 (∼8727 kcal/kg). Safe heavy metal levels are safe, and high calorific values support the prospects of energy recovery and economic and environmental benefits, reducing landfill reliance and enhancing sustainable waste management.

Exploiting fly ash as an ecofriendly pesticide/nematicide on Abesmoschus esculuntus: Insights into soil amendment-induced antioxidant fight against nematode mediated ROS

Conventional pest control measures, such as chemical pesticides and nematicides, have limited efficacy and raise environmental concerns, necessitating sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives for pest management. Therefore, to find a complementary eco-friendly pesticide/nematicide, this study investigated the role of fly ash (FA) in managing a notorious pest, Meloidogyne javanica and its impact on the growth and physiology of Abelmoschus esculentus. Molecular characterization using SSU and LSU rDNA gene markers confirmed the identity of Indian M. javanica as belonging to the same species. Biotic stress induced by nematode infection was significantly alleviated (P < 0.05) by FA application at a 20% w/v, regulating of ROS accumulation (44.1% reduction in superoxide anions and 39.7% reduction in hydrogen peroxide content) in the host plant. Moreover, FA enhanced antioxidant defence enzymes like superoxide dismutase (46.6%) and catalase (112%) to combat nematode induced ROS. Furthermore, the application of FA at a 20% concentration significantly improved the biomass and biochemical attributes of okra. Fly ash also upregulated the activity of the important osmo-protectant proline (11.5 μmol/g FW) to mitigate nematode stress in host cells. Suppression of disease indices like gall index and reproduction factor, combined with in-vitro experiments, revealed that FA exhibits strong nematode mortality capacity and thus can be used as a sustainable and eco-friendly control agent against root-knot nematodes.

Mussel-inspired laccase-mediated polydopamine graft onto bamboo fibers and its improvement effect on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) based biocomposite

Bamboo fiber (BF) reinforced polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) has become popular in developing an eco-friendly and sustainable biocomposite, while the weak interfacial compatibility between them is a major problem to overcome. This work, inspired by mussel super adhesion, creates a facile, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly solution based on in situ laccase-catalysed dopamine polymerization under a naturally acidic environment. The result indicates that a stabilized polydopamine coating is successfully grafted onto the lignin of BF, and it also enhances the thermal stability of the BF and biocomposite. Furthermore, modification of BF via laccase-catalysed polydopamine is superior to the conventional method of polydopamine under alkaline condition, and has outstanding advantages in terms of BF integrity protection. The optimal composition of biocomposite with BF treated by polydopamine under 1 U/ml concentration of laccase shows improvement in the impact strength, tensile strength, tensile modulus, bending strength, and modulus of elastic by 33.85 %, 9.27 %, 31.74 %, 11.76 %, and 12.92 %, respectively, compared to the unmodified counterpart. This work provides an insightful understanding of the mechanism and benefits of laccase-catalysed polydopamine modification of BF in a natural environment. It contributes to the efficient and environmentally friendly utilization of polydopamine for fabricating high-performance lignocellulosic fiber reinforced biocomposites.

Current research trends on emerging contaminants pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs): A comprehensive review

Pharmaceutical and personnel care products (PPCPs) from wastewater are a potential hazard to the human health and wildlife, and their occurrence in wastewater has caught the concern of researchers recently. To deal with PPCPs, various treatment technologies have been evolved such as physical, biological, and chemical methods. Nevertheless, modern and efficient techniques such as advance oxidation processes (AOPs) demand expensive chemicals and energy, which ultimately leads to a high treatment cost. Therefore, integration of chemical techniques with biological processes has been recently suggested to decrease the expenses. Furthermore, combining ozonation with activated carbon (AC) can significantly enhance the removal efficiency. There are some other emerging technologies of lower operational cost like photo-Fenton method and solar radiation-based methods as well as constructed wetland, which are promising. However, feasibility and practicality in pilot-scale have not been estimated for most of these advanced treatment technologies. In this context, the present review work explores the treatment of emerging PPCPs in wastewater, via available conventional, non-conventional, and integrated technologies. Furthermore, this work focused on the state-of-art technologies via an extensive literature search, highlights the limitations and challenges of the prevailing commercial technologies. Finally, this work provides a brief discussion and offers future research directions on technologies needed for treatment of wastewater containing PPCPs, accompanied by techno-economic feasibility assessment.

Waste to catalyst: Role of agricultural waste in water and wastewater treatment

Presently, owing to the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization activities, a huge quantity of wastewater is generated that contain toxic chemical and heavy metals, imposing higher environmental jeopardies and affecting the life of living well-being and the economy of the counties, if not treated appropriately. Subsequently, the advancement in sustainable cost-effective wastewater treatment technology has attracted more attention from policymakers, legislators, and scientific communities. Therefore, the current review intends to highlight the recent development and applications of biochars and/or green nanoparticles (NPs) produced from agricultural waste via green routes in removing the refractory pollutants from water and wastewater. This review also highlights the contemporary application and mechanism of biochar-supported advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the removal of organic pollutants in water and wastewater. Although, the fabrication and application of agriculture waste-derived biochar and NPs are considered a greener approach, nevertheless, before scaling up production and application, its toxicological and life-cycle challenges must be taken into account. Furthermore, future efforts should be carried out towards process engineering to enhance the performance of green catalysts to improve the economy of the process.

Biochar application for greenhouse gas mitigation, contaminants immobilization and soil fertility enhancement: A state-of-the-art review

Rising global temperature, pollution load, and energy crises are serious problems, recently facing the world. Scientists around the world are ambitious to find eco-friendly and cost-effective routes for resolving these problems. Biochar has emerged as an agent for environmental remediation and has proven to be the effective sorbent to inorganic and organic pollutants in water and soil. Endowed with unique attributes such as porous structure, larger specific surface area (SSA), abundant surface functional groups, better cation exchange capacity (CEC), strong adsorption capacity, high environmental stability, embedded minerals, and micronutrients, biochar is presented as a promising material for environmental management, reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, soil management, and soil fertility enhancement. Therefore, the current review covers the influence of key factors (pyrolysis temperature, retention time, gas flow rate, and reactor design) on the production yield and property of biochar. Furthermore, this review emphasizes the diverse application of biochar such as waste management, construction material, adsorptive removal of petroleum and oil from aqueous media, immobilization of contaminants, carbon sequestration, and their role in climate change mitigation, soil conditioner, along with opportunities and challenges. Finally, this review discusses the evaluation of biochar standardization by different international agencies and their economic perspective.

Development of bamboo- (Bambusa bambos) based bio-fence to protect field crops: Insights from a study in India's Bundelkhand region

Stray/wild animals can cause serious damages to crops, leading to accusations and counter accusations among villagers. In the Bundelkhand region of India, this problem is more severe due to “Anna Pratha,” that is, letting loose animals to open graze. Protective measures employed by farmers (barbed wire fencing, conventional fencing, etc.) are not fully effective and also require periodical maintenance, which involves additional costs and manpower. This necessitates the evolution of a cost-effective and long-term solution to minimize the problem. The current study seeks to evaluate the potential of thorny bamboo (Bambusa bambos) as a bio-fence creating deterrence to stray/wild animals at the ICAR—IISWC RC, the research farm of Datia, Madhya Pradesh, India. After 21 months of planting, bamboo plants attained the maximum plant height up to 4.47 m with the highest clump spread diameter of 30.50 cm. However, the growth of the bamboo bio-fence to be effective depends on the edaphic and management conditions. The findings revealed that planting bamboo at a distance of 80.00 cm in the continuous trench can be an effective bio-fence to avoid man–animal conflict. Huge crop losses were reported before the establishment of a bio-fence. In 2021–2022 (when bamboo plants turned into a closely spaced thicket, making a bio-fence), only two incidents of the invasion of animals were reported with no crop damage. The initial cost to develop a bamboo bio-fence was estimated at INR 5,796 for a length of 100 m. Therefore, the present study suggests that bamboo bio-fencing is an economical and effective crop protection measure against damage by wild/stray animals.

Mobilization of contaminants: Potential for soil remediation and unintended consequences

Land treatment has become an essential waste management practice. Therefore, soil becomes a major source of contaminants including organic chemicals and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) which enter the food chain, primarily through leaching to potable water sources, plant uptake, and animal transfer. A range of soil amendments are used to manage the mobility of contaminants and subsequently their bioavailability. Various soil amendments, like desorbing agents, surfactants, and chelating agents, have been applied to increase contaminant mobility and bioavailability. These mobilizing agents are applied to increase the contaminant removal though phytoremediation, bioremediation, and soil washing. However, possible leaching of the mobilized pollutants during soil washing is a major limitation, particularly when there is no active plant uptake. This leads to groundwater contamination and toxicity to plants and soil biota. In this context, the present review provides an overview on various soil amendments used to enhance the bioavailability and mobility of organic and inorganic contaminants, thereby facilitating increased risk when soil is remediated in polluted areas. The unintended consequences of the mobilization methods, when used to remediate polluted sites, are discussed in relation to the leaching of mobilized contaminants when active plant growth is absent. The toxicity of targeted and non-targeted contaminants to microbial communities and higher plants is also discussed. Finally, this review work summarizes the existing research gaps in various contaminant mobilization approaches, and prospects for future research.

Role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in boosting the phytoremediation of stressed soils: Opportunities, challenges, and prospects

Soil is considered as a vital natural resource equivalent to air and water which supports growth of the plants and provides habitats to microorganisms. Changes in soil properties, productivity, and, inevitably contamination/stress are the result of urbanisation, industrialization, and long-term use of synthetic fertiliser. Therefore, in the recent scenario, reclamation of contaminated/stressed soils has become a potential challenge. Several customized, such as, physical, chemical, and biological technologies have been deployed so far to restore contaminated land. Among them, microbial-assisted phytoremediation is considered as an economical and greener approach. In recent decades, soil microbes have successfully been used to improve plants' ability to tolerate biotic and abiotic stress and strengthen their phytoremediation capacity. Therefore, in this context, the current review work critically explored the microbial assisted phytoremediation mechanisms to restore different types of stressed soil. The role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and their potential mechanisms that foster plants' growth and also enhance phytoremediation capacity are focussed. Finally, this review has emphasized on the application of advanced tools and techniques to effectively characterize potent soil microbial communities and their significance in boosting the phytoremediation process of stressed soils along with prospects for future research.

Influences of Biochar on Bioremediation/Phytoremediation Potential of Metal-Contaminated Soils

A number of anthropogenic and weathering activities accumulate heavy metals in soils, causing adverse effects on soil characteristics, microbial activity (diversity), agricultural practices, and underground aquifers. Controlling soil heavy metal pollution is difficult due to its persistence in soils, resulting in the deposition and transmission into the food web via agricultural food products, ultimately affecting human health. This review critically explores the potential for remediation of metal-contaminated soils using a biochar-based responsible approach. Plant-based biochar is an auspicious bio-based residue substance that can be used for metal-polluted soil remediation and soil improvement as a sustainable approach. Plants with rapid growth and increased biomass can meet the requirements for phytoremediation in large quantities. Recent research indicates significant progress in understanding the mechanisms of metal accumulation and contaminant movement in plants used for phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soil. Excessive contamination reduces plant biomass and growth, which has substantial hyperaccumulating possibilities and is detrimental to the phytoremediation process. Biochar derived from various plant sources can promote the growth and phytoremediation competence of native or wild plants grown in metal-polluted soil. Carbon-enriched biochar encourages native microbial growth by neutralizing pH and providing nutritional support. Thus, this review critically discusses the influence of plant and agricultural waste-based biochar on plant phytoremediation potential in metal-contaminated soils.

Cedar Wood-Based Biochar: Properties, Characterization, and Applications as Anodes in Microbial Fuel Cell

In this study, the relationship between pyrolysis temperature of woody biomass and physicochemical properties of derived biochar was investigated for microbial fuel cell (MFC) application. Physical and chemical properties of biochar were characterized for different pyrolysis temperatures. Results showed that biochar obtained at 400 °C was not conductor, while biochars prepared at 600 °C, 700 °C, and 900 °C exhibited decreased electrical resistivity of (7 ± 6) × 10³ Ω.m, (1.8 ± 0.2) Ω.m, and (16 ± 3) × 10^-3 Ω.m, respectively. Rising pyrolysis temperature from 400 to 700 °C exhibited honeycomb-like macroporous structures of biochar with an increase in the specific surface area from 310 to 484 m².g^-1. However, the production of biochar at 900 °C reduced its specific surface area to 136 m².g^-1 and caused the loss of the ordered honeycomb structure. MFCs using anodes based on biochar prepared at 900 °C produced maximum power densities ((9.9 ± 0.6) mW.m^-2) higher than that obtained with biochar pyrolyzed at 700 °C ((5.8 ± 0.1) mW.m^-2) and with conventional carbon felt anodes ((1.9 ± 0.2) mW.m^-2). SEM images of biochar-based anodes indicated the clogging of macropores in honeycomb structure of biochar prepared at 700 °C by growth of electroactive biofilms, which might impede the supply of substrate and the removal of metabolites from the inside of the electrode. These findings highlight that electrical conductivity of biochar is the major parameter for ensuring efficient anodes in microbial fuel cell application. Schematic representation of cedar wood-based biochar and its application as anode in MFC.

Efficient remediation of antibiotic pollutants from the environment by innovative biochar: current updates and prospects

The increased antibiotic consumption and their improper management led to serious antibiotic pollution and its exposure to the environment develops multidrug resistance in microbes against antibiotics. The entry rate of antibiotics to the environment is much higher than its exclusion; therefore, efficient removal is a high priority to reduce the harmful impact of antibiotics on human health and the environment. Recent developments in cost-effective and efficient biochar preparation are noticeable for their effective removal. Moreover, biochar engineering advancements enhanced biochar remediation performance several folds more than in its pristine forms. Biochar engineering provides several new interactions and bonding abilities with antibiotic pollutants to increase remediation efficiency. Especially heteroatoms-doping significantly increased catalysis of biochar. The main focus of this review is to underline the crucial role of biochar in the abatement of emerging antibiotic pollutants. A detailed analysis of both native and engineered biochar is provided in this article for antibiotic remediation. There has also been discussion of how biochar properties relate to feedstock, production conditions and manufacturing technologies, and engineering techniques. It is possible to produce biochar with different surface functionalities by varying the feedstock or by modifying the pristine biochar with different chemicals and preparing composites. Subsequently, the interaction of biochar with antibiotic pollutants was compared and reviewed. Depending on the surface functionalities of biochar, they offer different types of interactions e.g., π-π stacking, electrostatic, and H-bonding to adsorb on the biochar surface. This review demonstrates how biochar and related composites have optimized for maximum removal performance by regulating key parameters. Furthermore, future research directions and opportunities for biochar research are discussed.