Biomass
Nowadays, Biomass is a topic that has gained relevance in various areas. From politics to science, Biomass has become a point of interest for researchers, activists, and citizens in general. With the advancement of technology and globalization, Biomass has acquired a dimension never seen before, impacting not only the way we interact with our environment, but also our perception of the world. In this article, we will explore different aspects related to Biomass, from its origins to its impact on modern society.
Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how biomass is defined, e.g. only from plants, from plants and algae, from plants and animals. The vast majority of biomass used for bioenergy does come from plants. Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy with potential to assist with climate change mitigation.
biomass: Material produced by the growth of microorganisms, plants or animals.
Uses in different contexts
Ecology
- Biomass (ecology), the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. This can be the biomass of particular species or the biomass of a particular community or habitat.
Energy
- Biomass (energy), biomass used for energy production or in other words: biological mass used as a renewable energy source (usually produced through agriculture, forestry or aquaculture methods)
- Bioenergy, energy sources derived from biological material
- Solid fuel, forms of bioenergy that are solid
- Biofuel
- Energy crops
Biotechnology
Biomass is also used as a term for the mass of microorganisms that are used to produce industrial products like enzymes and medicines.[citation needed]
Bioproducts
Examples of emerging bioproducts or biobased products include biofuels, bioenergy, biochar, starch-based and cellulose-based ethanol, bio-based adhesives, biochemicals, bioplastics, etc.[citation needed]
Biological wastewater treatment
In biological wastewater treatment processes, such as the activated sludge process, the term "biomass" is used to denote the mass of bacteria and other microorganisms that break down pollutants in wastewater.: 243 The biomass forms part of sewage sludge.
Others
- Biomass (satellite) - an Earth observation satellite
References
- ^ Houghton, R. A. (2008-01-01), "Biomass", in Jørgensen, Sven Erik; Fath, Brian D. (eds.), Encyclopedia of Ecology, Oxford: Academic Press, pp. 448–453, ISBN 978-0-08-045405-4, retrieved 2023-01-13
- ^ "Bioenergy – Analysis". IEA. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
- ^ "Bioenergy Basics". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
- ^ "Biomass explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
- ^ "Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" (PDF). IPCC. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-04-12.
- ^ "biomass". Gold Book. IUPAC. doi:10.1351/goldbook.B00660. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Von Sperling, M. (2015). "Wastewater Characteristics, Treatment and Disposal". Water Intelligence Online. 6: 9781780402086. doi:10.2166/9781780402086. ISSN 1476-1777.