Mohamed Samer

By M. Samer

Part of the book: Biogas

By Mohamed Samer

This chapter elucidates the technologies of biological and chemical wastewater treatment processes. The presented biological wastewater treatment processes include: (1) bioremediation of wastewater that includes aerobic treatment (oxidation ponds, aeration lagoons, aerobic bioreactors, activated sludge, percolating or trickling filters, biological filters, rotating biological contactors, biological removal of nutrients) and anaerobic treatment (anaerobic bioreactors, anaerobic lagoons); (2) phytoremediation of wastewater that includes constructed wetlands, rhizofiltration, rhizodegradation, phytodegradation, phytoaccumulation, phytotransformation, and hyperaccumulators; and (3) mycoremediation of wastewater. The discussed chemical wastewater treatment processes include chemical precipitation (coagulation, flocculation), ion exchange, neutralization, adsorption, and disinfection (chlorination/dechlorination, ozone, UV light). Additionally, this chapter elucidates and illustrates the wastewater treatment plants in terms of plant sizing, plant layout, plant design, and plant location.

Part of the book: Wastewater Treatment Engineering

By M. Samer

Part of the book: Urban Agriculture

By Mohamed Samer

The existing agricultural and agro-industrial systems are not economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable as they implement the linear mode of production, which should be amended to the cyclic mode of production to promote sustainability. Therefore, this study aims at providing an approach to transform the present agricultural systems (beef, dairy, and poultry farms as well as cereals and vegetable crops production) and agro-industrial systems (ethanol industry and fish industry) into integrated bioindustrial systems and biorefineries by altering their linear mode of production into a circular mode of production to create a coherent bioeconomy, where the bioeconomy includes the conversion of renewable bioresources and waste streams into value-added bioproducts, such as food, feed, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, biomaterials, biochemicals, biofuels, and bioenergy. Whereas the integrated bioindustrial systems allow designing cyclic production and consumption systems to maximize the resources and energy use efficiencies, forming a further ecologically sound and healthy environment through conversion of biowaste into value-added bioproducts, and emphasizing the socio-economic development through creating new employment opportunities and ground-breaking technologies and novel bioproducts. An important key issue is that digitalization is essential to the development of the bioeconomy, where digitalization supports practices innovation by boosting both supply and value chains in the circular bio-based economy.

Part of the book: Biomass, Biorefineries and Bioeconomy

By Mohamed Samer and Mariam Amer

Part of the book: Bioplastics Within the Circular Bioeconomy

By Heba Younis, Fatma Abdelrahman, Mohamed Samer and Hassan Abdellatif

Biodegradable polymers are a promising field of study in the quest for a sustainable circular bioeconomy. They offer a pragmatic alternative to conventional polymers. These polymers are specifically engineered to disintegrate more effectively in natural environments, thereby addressing urgent environmental concerns such as plastic pollution and resource depletion. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of biodegradable polymers, starting with their introduction and the environmental impacts they aim to mitigate. This review categorizes many types of bioplastics, including those obtained from sustainable sources such as plant-based materials and agricultural byproducts. An examination is carried out on the manufacturing techniques of these bioplastics, specifically emphasizing their ability to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and minimize carbon footprints. The study also assesses the biodegradability of these materials, recognizing both their advantages and the challenges they face, such as limited degradation rates and scalability issues. The research showcases the potential of biodegradable polymers in promoting sustainability through the analysis of closed-loop systems and resource efficiency. This strategy encourages the ongoing utilization of resources and reduces the generation of trash, thus enhancing the long-term well-being of the environment and the ability to withstand economic challenges.

Part of the book: Bioplastics Within the Circular Bioeconomy