Experts developed a new type of plant-based plastic, ground it into microbeads, and then used three tools to test its biodegradability.
Microplastics are tiny and nearly indestructible debris produced by everyday plastic products. A team of experts at the University of California San Diego and materials science company Algenesis developed a plant-based polymer with biodegradability, even at the microplastic level, in less than 7 months, Science Daily said today. March 25 reported. Note, all plastics are polymers, but not all polymers are plastics.
“We are trying to find alternatives to today’s materials and ensure alternative materials will biodegrade at the end of their useful life instead of accumulating in the environment,” said chemistry professor and biochemist Michael Burkart, research team member and co-founder of Algenesis, shared. The new study was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
To test its biodegradability, the team ground the new material into microscopic particles and used three different measuring tools to confirm that when added to compost, the material was digested by bacteria. chemistry.
The first tool is the spirometer. When bacteria break down compost material, they release CO2 and a spirometer can measure this CO2. The results were then compared to the degradation of cellulose, considered the industry standard for 100% biodegradability. The new plant-based polymer matches cellulose at nearly 100%.
Next, the research team used water flotation method. Plastic floats and does not dissolve in water so it can be easily picked up. During the 90-day and 200-day periods, almost 100% of petroleum-based microplastics were recovered, indicating they are not biodegradable. However, after 90 days, only 32% of algae-based microplastics were recovered, meaning more than two-thirds were biodegradable. After 200 days, this number decreased to 3%, meaning 97% was gone.
The final tool involves chemical analysis through a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS) system, which detects the presence of the monomers that make up the plastic, showing that the polymer has been broken down into real materials. original object.
“This material is the first plastic proven to leave no microplastics when used. Not only is it a sustainable solution for product lifecycles and cramped landfills, it’s also a plastic that doesn’t harm us.” pathogenesis,” said Stephen Mayfield, study co-author, professor at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California San Diego, and co-founder of Algenesis.
The current challenge is how to apply new materials on equipment that was originally manufactured for traditional plastics. Algenesis is making some progress in this process. They partner with several companies to produce products using plant-based polymers from the University of California San Diego, such as Trelleborg for coated fabrics and RhinoShield for cell phone cases.