Microplastics are one of the main ones “enemies” of the environment and our health. These tiny pieces of plastic that come from the breakdown of plastic products accumulate in the seas and on the ground, and from there they pass into the body of animals as well as humans – characteristically, microplastics are now found in human arteries, lungs and even the placenta.
Given that it takes from 100 to 1,000 years for their decomposition, one can easily understand how much they can “poison” the environment, people and animals and for how long…
Decomposition in less than seven months
Thus, sustainable alternatives to “traditional” petroleum-based plastics and microplastics are being sought. And now a new study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) and materials science company Algenesis appears to provide such a…. plastic but environmentally friendly alternative. As the researchers reported in their publication in the scientific journal “Scientific Reports” of the Nature group, they developed algae-based polymers that biodegrade – even at the level of very small plastic particles – in less than seven months.
“We are now beginning to understand the effects of microplastics on both the environment and health,” said UC San Diego Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Michael Barkart, one of the authors of the study and co-founder of Algenesis, adding: “We are trying to find replacements for what already exists materials and ensure that these substitutes biodegrade at the end of their life cycle rather than accumulating in the environment. And that’s not easy.”
First measurement at the level of microplastics
For his part, Robert Pomeroy, also a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UC San Diego and co-founder of Algenesis noted that “when we first created these algae polymers about six years ago, our intention was that they would be completely biodegradable. Until now we had a lot of data showing that the materials we developed were degrading in compost, but this is the first time we have measured what is happening at the level of microplastics.”
Take three different tests
In order to test the biodegradability of their… phyco-plastic, the scientists pulverized it to produce microparticles. They then used three different measuring tools to confirm that when these microplastics are placed in compost… they disappear as they become “food” for the microorganisms present in the soil.
The breath test
The first tool was a spirometer. When the microbes break down the compost they release carbon dioxide (CO2), which the respirometer measures. The results were compared to cellulose degradation which is considered by the industry as the standard of 100% biodegradation. As it turned out, the polymer from the algae was almost 100% biodegraded as was the cellulose.
Measurement of buoyancy in water
The next test involved floating in water. Given that plastics are not water soluble and float, scientists could easily see them on the surface of the water and collect them. Over 90 days as well as 200 days, nearly 100% of the oil-derived microplastics were removed by the researchers from the surface of the water, meaning none had biodegraded. However, in regards to… plant microplastics, after 90 days only 32% was still present in the water while after 200 days only 3% was still present in the water – commonly 97% had already biodegraded.
Chemical analysis
The final test involved chemical analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS), which detects the presence of monomers used to create the plastic. The analysis showed that the algal polymer was breaking down into its original materials.
The plastic that won’t make us sick
“This material is the first plastic that has been shown not to create harmful microplastics,” said Steven Mayfield, one of the authors of the study, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego and co-founder of Algenesis. “We’re not just talking about a sustainable solution to end-of-life plastics. We’re talking about a plastic that won’t make us sick.”
Use of the ecological polymer in products
In fact, the “ecological” plastic is expected to be used in products soon. Algenesis already has agreements with companies to develop products that will use the algal polymer created at UC San Diego, including Trelleborg, which will use the polymer in coated fabrics, and RhinoShield, which will rely on the environmentally friendly polymer the production of cases for mobile phones.
Making the impossible possible
“When we started this research, we were told it was impossible to succeed. But now we see a different reality. There is still a lot of work to do, but we want to give hope to the world. Yes, it is possible,” concluded Dr. Barkart.
#Algaemicroplastics #burden #environment #organism
