PRODUCTION OF BIOETHANOL FROM CASSAVA PEEL WASTE HYDROLYSATE USING SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH FOR AGRICULTURAL WASTE VALORIZATION

Abstract

The increasing demand for renewable energy and sustainable waste management strategies has stimulated interest in converting agricultural residues into biofuels. Cassava processing generates massive volumes of peel waste that pose disposal challenges and environmental pollution risks in major producing regions such as Nigeria. Valorizing this lignocellulosic biomass into second-generation (2G) bioethanol offers a dual solution for waste management and renewable energy generation. This study investigated the production of bioethanol from cassava peel waste using dilute acid hydrolysis (1% v/v H₂SO₄ at 100°C for 60 min) and subsequent fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from overripe banana (Musa acuminata) fruit surfaces. The isolate was characterized morphologically and screened for ethanol tolerance across 4%, 12%, and 20% v/v ethanol concentrations via spectrophotometric monitoring (OD₆₀₀). Detoxified hydrolysate (pH 5.0-6.0, neutralized with Ca(OH)₂ was fermented under anaerobic conditions at 30°C for 5-7 days. Simple distillation yielded 5.2 mL of bioethanol distillate. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the functional group composition of the distillate, displaying strong characteristic bands at 3330 cm^-1 (O–H stretching), 2980cm^-1 (aliphatic C–H stretching), 1640 cm^-1 (O–H bending), and 1085-1043cm^-1 (C–O stretching fingerprint). These results demonstrate the technical feasibility of utilizing cassava peel waste as a low-cost feedstock for bioethanol production using wild-type S. cerevisiae.