Sep 9 2010
The recent episode in the "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions" podcast series of the American Chemical Society (ACS) has indicated that biodiesel could be manufactured from the municipal sewage sludge even at a low cost of few cents per gallon towards being competitive with traditional diesel that is refined from petroleum.
In order to catapult the biodiesel production to higher levels, the sewage treatment facilities could as well use the microorganisms present in the sludge for producing oil in higher amounts, as per the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).
This step could bolster biodiesel production by taking it to 10 billion gallons, amounting to thrice the nation’s present biodiesel production capacity. The podcast series from ACS is an award-winning series.
The demand for biodiesel resulted in the seeking of cost-effective biodiesel raw materials or feedstocks. Raw materials such as sunflower seeds and soybeans are expensive while the sewage sludge presents an attractive option as an alternative feedstock. Thus, sewage sludge has proven to be a good source for raw materials in biodiesel production. The podcast series describes the most daunting problems in the 21st century and analyses the methods in which leading research in the area of Chemistry can provide possible solutions.
Source: http://www.acs.org/globalchallenges