Green analytical chemistry applied to the investigation of agro industrial wastes generated in Brazil and Australia

Abstract

As recognized by the United Nations, there is a need to intensify research on technologies for converting agricultural waste into useful resources for society. It is estimated that about 30% of waste mass generated worldwide come from forestry and agricultural activities. This figure should be even greater in Brazil and Australia due to their intense agricultural activities. The search for compounds of interest in waste through advanced value- added strategies based on green technologies, before adding them to low value-added products has been seen as a way to preserve environmental resources and as a strategy to diversify the generation of products from a single feed-stock. These efforts would necessarily be driven by scientific research based on principles of sustainability from the earliest stage. The aim of this project is to develop sustainable analytical approaches and methodologies for the chemical investigation of biomass-derived wastes generated in Brazil and Australia. The experimental procedures will consist of extraction of agricultural waste using food grade NADES components, analysis of the prepared samples by green HPLC, MS and NMR and separation of analyses and NADES with porous polymeric adsorbents. Five missions from each side have been planned in 2 years. With the potential to derive significant value from waste biomass, it expected that future work will be in collaboration also with industry partners who can benefit from the results of this work. This will be in addition to seeking further from local agencies. (AU)