Primer on Bioproducts - BIOCAP Canada

consume less energy and produce lessgreenhouse gases than conventionallyproduced products. However, the same reportconcluded that bioproducts are rarely superiorto conventional products in all categories ofenvironmental effects. For example, somebioproducts industries that rely on biomass cancontribute to the eutrophication of lakes, riversand other surface waters. Eutrophication isassociated with nitrogen and phosphate runofffrom fertilizers used in growing crops.Green ChemistryIndustrial chemistry that seeks to reducepollution, increase efficiency and limit the use ofhazardous materials in the manufacture and useof chemicals is often called “green chemistry.”The object of green chemistry is to create saferand more environmentally benign chemicals,as well as the synthesis processes, reagents,solvents, products and byproducts involved intheir production and use. It also aims to bemore chemically and energy efficient.Green chemistry often uses biologically derived(from biomass) chemicals and materials toachieve its goals, since these chemicals are lesslikely to be as persistent and as toxic aspetrochemical derivatives. Green chemistry hasalso focused on using chemical processes basedon, or involving, naturally occurring biologicalstructures, such as enzymes or the metabolicpathways of living cells, that are often veryefficient and more likely to be environmentallyneutral than other industrial chemical processes.Biomass to Produce IndustrialProductsIn some cases, the chemically manufacturedmaterials we rely on today can be readilyreplaced by materials found in nature. In somecases, small modifications to naturally occurringsubstances can yield useful, easily obtainableproducts.For example, polylactic acid is a plastic materialderived from renewable sources, such as thestarch from wheat and corn. In the future, itwill also be extracted from plant cellulose.Source:www.comstock.com/ca34CHAPTER 4 — BIOCHEMICALS AND BIOMATERIALS