Week 5B - Biotechnology in Environment, Industrial Processes, and Energy Flashcards
What is biofiltration?
Use of living organisms/products of organisms to remove pollutants
What is bioremediation?
Use of living organisms/products to return contaminated areas to natural state
What is a packed bed and what is it used for?
Used in air filtration, packed bed is a dense layer of bio-product that grows a thin layer of micro-organisms
What is a packed bed used to remove?
Sulfur compounds, Volatile organic compounds and pharmaceutical/wastewater off-gas
What is Phytoremediation?
Bioremediation using plants
How does Phytoremediation work?
- Plant trees in polluted area
- Tree roots pull pollution into the tree
- Creates clean soil/ground water around it
What kind of plants are used for Phytoremediation and why?
Hyperaccumulators (Plants that take contaminants as nutrients)
What are issues with Phytoremediation?
- Contaminants are taken and stored in the plant (still there)
- Animals may eat contaminants
- Long term commitment
What is biomass?
Biological material derived from living/recently living organisms
What is biofuel?
Alcohols, ethers, esters, and other organic chemicals made from biomass
What are problems with corn ethanol?
- Not very effective (energy produced is close to or more than what is needed to make fuel)
- Raises price of corn
- Nitrous oxide is released which is more potent as a greenhouse gas
What are good characteristics of energy crops?
- Doesn’t take much energy to grow
- Lots of plant material per unit area
- More accessible cellulose
