Itaconic acid (C5H6O4) is an organic acid with unique structure and characteristics. In order to promote the bio-based economy, the US-Department of Energy (DOE) assigned a “top-12” of platform chemicals, which include numerous of organic acids. In particular di-carboxylic acids, like itaconic acid, can be used as monomers for bio-polymers. Thus the need to produce itaconic acid attracts much a...

Trace metals such as mercury, especially its organic compounds, are an important risk to the environment and to man due to their accumulation in the food chain. For this reason, the routine determination of the very toxic methylmercury, and of other organic and inorganic mercury compounds in marine and land animals, vegetables, fruits and fresh water is of increasing importance in health and en...

This paper reviews the current refuel valorization facilities as well as the future importance of biorefineries. A biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and chemicals from biomass. Biorefineries combine the necessary technologies of the biorenewable raw materials with those of chemical intermediates and final products. Char...

We have developed a virtual screening procedure to identify potential ligands to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) among a set of industrial chemicals. AhR is a key target for dioxin-like compounds, which is related to these compounds' potential to induce cancer and a wide range of endocrine and immune system-related effects. The virtual screening procedure included an initial filtration aimi...

Bivalves such as molluscs are widely distributed tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions (Livingstone, 1989). Mussels are filter feeders capable of filtering large volumes of water up to several litres per hour (Bayne, 1976). In this way they concentrate many chemicals and other deleterious compounds in their tissues. The gill is the initial site of uptake of such chemicals followe...

Algae pyrolytic bio-oil contains a large quantity of N-containing components (NCCs), which can be processed as valuable chemicals, while the harmful gases also released during upgrading. However, characteristics NCCs in bio-oil, especially composition heavy (molecular weight ≥200 Da), have not been fully studied due to limitation advanced analytical methods. In this study, three kinds algae ric...