Enzymatic Conversion of Water Hyacinth Cellulosic

Material to Glucose for the Production of

Bioethanol via Fermentation
Background of the Study
A major source of energy for our dynamic society is the burning of
fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. These sources of energy
have been found to have limited amounts available, and therefore are said to
be

depleting

resources.

Scientists

are

continuously

looking

to

find

alternatives to fossil fuels. One such alternative is using vegetable oils to

make fuel. This is achieved by the replacement of petroleum by renewable
energy

i.e., biodiesel from

ecosystems

and

agro ecosystems

which

represents a central strategy to mitigate and to adapt to climate changes

and it is eco-friendly, renewable and more biodegradable. Biodiesel is a
much better lubricant than petro-diesel and extends engine life. There are
number of vegetable oils are available, like Jatropha curcas, Pongamea
glabra, Salvalora oleoides, Madhuca indica, Azadiracta indica, Piper nigram,
castor, coconut, sunflower, ground nut, palm trees etc. But all these have
their own medicinal values and other important uses rather than the
production of biodiesel. So, while selecting the best one, it should be
considered that such a raw material is to be selected which is abundantly
available in all times at any place and which is not useful for other purpose
rather than the production of bio-diesel. As the search for alternatives to
fossil fuel intensifies in this age of modernization and industrialization,
fuelled by increasing energy costs, water hyacinth holds a strong promise in
the 21st century biofuel industry. So, an attempt was made to produce
biodiesel from water hyacinth and to discuss technical, socio-economic, and
environmental benefits of small scale biofuels such as improving energy
access, creating additional sources and means for income generation and
mitigating environmental pollution at both local and global levels

Statement of the Problem

Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is considered to be one of the
world's most destructive and unbeatable weeds. It clogs up rivers,
hydroelectric plants, waterways and entire lakes, killing aquatic life,
hampering river transport and fisheries. According to a study produced by
the World Conservation Council(IUCN), the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP), and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the water
hyacinth is now the world's most destructive pest, costing billions of dollars
in damages each year.
One of the best ways to get rid of this lurking pest is to convert them in
to something more beneficial and usable. Water hyacinth is low in lignin
content

(10%)

and

contains

high

amounts

of

cellulose

(20%)

and

hemicellulose (33%). Lignin cannot be converted into sugars. Thus, it is not

practical in biofuel production.
Compared to land biomasses like corn stovers, water hyacinth has low
lignin, which means the cellulose and hemicellulose are more easily
converted to fermentable sugar, resulting in enormous amount of utilizable
biomass for the biofuel industry. With the increasing demand for bioethanol
and the abundance of the introduced raw material, we propose our title:
Enzymatic Conversion of Water Hyacinth Cellulosic Material to
Glucose for the Production of Bioethanol via Fermentation

Review of Related Literature

Turning pest into profit: bioenergy from water hyacinth

According to a study produced by the World Conservation Council(IUCN), the

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the Ramsar Convention on
Wetlands, the water hyacinth is now the world's most destructive pest,
costing
billions
of
dollars
in
damages
each
year.

Due to its ferocious biomass growth rate (up to 17 tons per hectare per day,
doubling its biomass each week!), it colonizes water bodies in a matter of
days, laying immense and dense carpets of flowers over the water. One
flower produces up to 1000 new plants in under 50 days...
Originating from South America, the water hyacinth is now found in all major
tropical rivers and lakes of the world. There's a long history of attempts to
control the species, from mechanical destruction over manual harvesting, to,
more recently, biological control through a species of beetle which lays its
eggs in the plant on which those eggs feed. One colonial administrator
working in the Belgian Congo, tasked with coordinating a grand campaign to
destroy the hyacinth, even wrote a bizarre autobiographical novel about it
(Congo Ya Sika), narrating his encounters with crocodiles, cannibals and
Congolese curses while trying to battle the flower (a battle he lost, by the
way.)
In short: water hyacinth is a major problem in the tropics, and it produces a
lot of nasty biomass. Could it be used as a bioenergy and biofuels feedstock
perhaps?
Indeed,
it
could.
First of all, let's see how creative people are and how they are making the
best of the pest that seems to be indestructible.
People have experimented with using the water hyacinth as a substrate for
mushroom production. This seems to work for a wide variety of mushrooms
(e.g., oyster mushrooms), and the plant offers a high biological conversion
efficiency.
Others claim it makes for an excellent bio-fertilizer: water hyacinth biomass
accumulates a great amount of inorganic mineral nutrients necessary for
other plants. When its biomass is pelleted together with local rock
phosphates, it seems like it makes a good fertilizer. Some say its use will
reduce over-dependence on imported fertilizers, promote agricultural
productivity and profitability, and enhance food security for several regions
that
suffer
under
water
hyacinth
invasion.
More recently, smart small African entrepreneurs have started making
beautiful pieces of furniture from it. When compressed and dried, the
hyacinth's fibrous stalks generate soft but strong fibres, which can be used
for manufacturing paper, mats, and various categories of domestic furniture.
Check out these nice examples.

Sewage and biological waste-water treatment: by virtue of its high

photosynthetic efficiency, with the associated photosynthetic oxygen
production, water hyacinth has great potential for use in sewage treatment.
Water hyacinth absorbs nutrients voraciously and enhances evaporation
through transpiration. Growing water hyacinth in effluent streams has proved
to be a successful treatment technology.
For more on some of these uses, check out the Swedish Development
Agency's report on utilization and control of Water Hyacinths.
Now let's get to where things interest us. Biogas production. Water hyacinth's
abundant biomass can be used to produce renewable energy locally, simply
fermenting
it
in
anaerobic
digester.
Biogas production from manure and from sewage and agricultural
wastestreams has been studied well. For water hyacinth, the literature is
scarce, but some exist and they suggest the weed to make for a great biogas
feedstock.
Some conclusions:
1. the total amount of gas produced from Water hyacinth is about one
and a- half time higher than the Cow dung per gm volatile solid.
2. a blend of Water hyacinth and Cow dung in the ratio of 2:3 by weight is
most suitable for biogas production.
3. Addition of very little amount of lower volatile fatty acid particularly
acetic acid facilitates the gas production. This finding is very helpful for
projects at the village level, where farmers often use biogas plants. In
many villages all over the tropics, farmers produce sugar (from many
different plants such as palm sugar, coconut, sugar cane or other local
plants). If the leftover of the process of making sugar juice is kept for
fermentation for a few days the content will be highly rich in acetic
acid. The addition of this left over would circumvent the problem of
lower gas production during the colder nights and biogas plants could
run successfully during all the seasons.
4. The rate of production of biogas from Water hyacinth is higher as
compared to Cow dung slurry. However, the fermentation process takes
a longer time period in the case of Water hyacinth. The kinetic studies
performed with Water hyacinth + inocculum show that gas production
rate increases twelve times in a very short period of five days in
comparison to Cow dung + Water hyacinth (20 40 days) systems.

5. The digested slurry can be used as useful chemical free eco-friendly

fertilizer.