Science, Space and Technology News 2024
Microplastics, tiny and nearly indestructible fragments from plastic products, are found everywhere from oceans to human bodies, posing serious environmental and health risks. Breakthrough research by the University of California San Diego and Algenesis reveals algae-based polymers that biodegrade at the microplastic level within seven months, offering a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics.Microplastics are tiny, nearly indestructible fragments shed from everyday plastic products.
“When we first created these algae-based polymers about six years ago, our intention was always that it be completely biodegradable,” said another of the paper’s authors, Robert Pomeroy, who is also a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and an Algenesis co-founder. “We had plenty of data to suggest that our material was disappearing in the compost, but this is the first time we’ve measured it at the microparticle level.
Particle counts of petroleum-based and plant-based microplastics show that, over time, EVAs exhibit virtually no biodegradation, while the TPUs have mostly disappeared by day 200. Credit: Algenesis Corporation The last measurement involved chemical analysis via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry , which detected the presence of the monomers used to make the plastic, indicating that the polymer was being broken into its starting plant materials. Scanning-electron microscopy further showed how microorganisms colonize the biodegradable microplastics during composting.
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