United States – Researchers at the University of California (UC), San Diego, have developed a plant-based polymer (bioplastic) from algae that biodegrades 97% in landfills over 200 days.
In comparison, only 35% of conventional plastic decomposes in the same time frame.
In the study, the team ground plant polymers into fine particles and used three measuring instruments to test whether microbes in the compost break down the material.
They used a tool that measures the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released when the material is broken down, and found that it met 100% industry standards for biodegradability (product decomposes 90% in less than six months).
“We are only beginning to understand the implications of microplastics,” said Michael Burkhart, a professor of biochemistry at UCLA. “We are trying to find alternatives to existing materials and ensure that these alternatives will biodegrade at the end of their useful life rather than accumulating in the environment.”
“This is the first plastic material that has been shown to not produce microplastics when we use it,” said Stephen Mayfield, co-author of the paper. This is more than just a sustainable solution to the end product life cycle and our landfills. “This is actually plastic that won’t make us sick.”
This discovery represents an important step towards eliminating the amount of toxic microplastics that can cause heart attacks, some types of cancer, fertility problems and dementia.
The research team revealed that it has established a partnership with an engineering group to use bioplastics, which might lead to the production of mobile phone cases.
Recently, microplastics have gained a lot of attention due to their ubiquity and abundance in our daily lives, and small particles have been found in almost every part of the world, from the deepest place on the planet, the Mariana Trench, to the summit of Mount Everest.
In 2016, three researchers from the University of California set out to convert algae into fuel, which turned into an effort to create the first biodegradable shoe.
The team successfully created an algae-based polymer, called TPU-FC1, and launched the first biodegradable polyurethane shoe soles made from fossil algae oil in 2022.
Source: Daily Mail
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2024-04-01 08:53:35