Question
A pharmaceutical company wants to extract an ingredient from pomace supplied by a certain food processing plant. Which process is the most efficient with the lowest environmental impact? (1 point)
• organic solvent extraction
• enzyme extraction
• catalyst extraction
high pressure, high temperature water extraction
• organic solvent extraction
• enzyme extraction
• catalyst extraction
high pressure, high temperature water extraction
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Among the extraction methods listed, **enzyme extraction** is generally considered to be the most efficient with the lowest environmental impact. Here’s a brief overview of each method's characteristics:
1. **Organic Solvent Extraction**: This method can be effective for extracting specific compounds but often involves the use of hazardous chemicals that may pose environmental risks.
2. **Enzyme Extraction**: This method uses specific enzymes to break down cell walls and release the target compounds. It is usually more environmentally friendly as it can use milder conditions (temperature and pressure) and avoid harmful solvents.
3. **Catalyst Extraction**: This method can involve chemical catalysts which may not naturally occur and could have similar environmental impacts to organic solvents.
4. **High Pressure, High Temperature Water Extraction**: While this method uses water, the energy intensity and potential for thermal degradation of sensitive compounds can reduce its overall efficiency and environmental friendliness.
Given these considerations, enzyme extraction is advantageous for its specificity, efficiency, and lesser environmental footprint compared to the other methods.
1. **Organic Solvent Extraction**: This method can be effective for extracting specific compounds but often involves the use of hazardous chemicals that may pose environmental risks.
2. **Enzyme Extraction**: This method uses specific enzymes to break down cell walls and release the target compounds. It is usually more environmentally friendly as it can use milder conditions (temperature and pressure) and avoid harmful solvents.
3. **Catalyst Extraction**: This method can involve chemical catalysts which may not naturally occur and could have similar environmental impacts to organic solvents.
4. **High Pressure, High Temperature Water Extraction**: While this method uses water, the energy intensity and potential for thermal degradation of sensitive compounds can reduce its overall efficiency and environmental friendliness.
Given these considerations, enzyme extraction is advantageous for its specificity, efficiency, and lesser environmental footprint compared to the other methods.