This work considered the utilisation of environmentally friendly biodegradable materials instead of conventional polymeric materials, in order to prevent further environmental endangerment by ...accumulation of non-biodegradable materials. Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is an exemplary environmentally friendly biodegradable material. Blending TPS with other biodegradable polymers such as biodegradable polyesters; polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), was recognised as a successful strategy to provide a renewable, fully biodegradable and cost-effective materials. Namely, PLA, PCL and TPS polymeric materials individually show some shortcomings, which can be surpassed by blending. Using economically viable procedure, one can produce multicomponent polymeric materials complying with functional performance requirements while achieving complete biodegradation. Accordingly, PLA/PCL/TPS ternary blends with compositional variations were prepared and investigated in terms of structural, morphologic, mechanical, thermal, physicochemical (water absorption, contact angle) and processing properties in order to discuss and elucidate optimal performance of the overall material. In summary, this study could lead to a better understanding of performance behind different blends and ensure producing and using a new generation of biodegradable plastics that will not burden our environment.
High living standards and a comfortable modern way of life are related to an increased usage of various plastic products, yielding eventually the generation of an increased amount of plastic debris ...in the environment. A special concern is on microplastics (MPs), recently classified as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). This review focuses on MPs’ adverse effects on the environment based on their bioactivity. Hence, the main topic covered is MPs’ ecotoxicity on various aquatic (micro)organisms such as bacteria, algae, daphnids, and fish. The cumulative toxic effects caused by MPs and adsorbed organic/inorganic pollutants are presented and critically discussed. Since MPs’ bioactivity, including ecotoxicity, is strongly influenced by their properties (e.g., types, size, shapes), the most common classification of MPs types present in freshwater are provided, along with their main characteristics. The review includes also the sources of MPs discharge in the environment and the currently available characterization methods for monitoring MPs, including identification and quantification, to obtain a broader insight into the complex problem caused by the presence of MPs in the environment.
Microplastics (MP) are a global environmental problem because they persist in the environment for long periods of time and negatively impact aquatic organisms. Possible solutions for removing MP from ...the environment include biological processes such as bioremediation, which uses microorganisms to remove contaminants. This study investigated the biodegradation of polystyrene (PS) by two bacteria, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas alcaligenes, isolated from environmental samples in which MPs particles were present. First, determining significant factors affecting the biodegradation of MP-PS was conducted using the Taguchi design. Then, according to preliminary experiments, the optimal conditions for biodegradation were determined by a full factorial design (main experiments). The RSM methodology was applied, and statistical analysis of the obtained models was performed to analyze the influence of the studied factors. The most important factors for MP-PS biodegradation by Bacillus cereus were agitation speed, concentration, and size of PS, while agitation speed, size of PS, and optical density influenced the process by Pseudomonas alcaligenes. However, the optimal conditions for biodegradation of MP-PS by Bacillus cereus were achieved at γMP = 66.20, MP size = 413.29, and agitation speed = 100.45. The best conditions for MP-PS biodegradation by Pseudomonas alcaligenes were 161.08, 334.73, and 0.35, as agitation speed, MP size, and OD, respectively. In order to get a better insight into the process, the following analyzes were carried out. Changes in CFU, TOC, and TIC concentrations were observed during the biodegradation process. The increase in TOC values was explained by the detection of released additives from PS particles by LC-MS analysis. At the end of the process, the toxicity of the filtrate was determined, and the surface area of the particles was characterized by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Ecotoxicity results showed that the filtrate was toxic, indicating the presence of decomposition by-products. In both FTIR spectra, a characteristic weak peak at 1715 cm−1 was detected, indicating the formation of carbonyl groups (−C=O), confirming that a biodegradation process had taken place.
Dasatinib (DAS), a potent anticancer drug, has been subjected to formulation enhancements due to challenges such as significant first-pass metabolism, poor absorption, and limited oral ...bioavailability. To improve its release profile, DAS was embedded in a matrix of the hydrophilic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Drug amorphization was induced in a planetary ball mill by solvent-free co-grinding, facilitating mechanochemical activation. This process resulted in the formation of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). The ASD capsules exhibited a notable enhancement in the release rate of DAS compared to capsules containing the initial drug. Given that anticancer drugs often undergo limited metabolism in the body with unchanged excretion, the ecotoxicological effect of the native form of DAS was investigated as well, considering its potential accumulation in the environment. The highest ecotoxicological effect was observed on the bacteria
, while other test organisms (bacteria
, microalgae
sp., and duckweed
) exhibited negligible effects. The enhanced drug release not only contributes to improved oral absorption but also has the potential to reduce the proportion of DAS that enters the environment through human excretion. This comprehensive approach highlights the significance of integrating advances in drug development while considering its environmental implications.
Research on plastic pollution has recently evidenced the ubiquitous presence of tiny plastic particles called microplastics. Microplastics alter organisms because microplastics tend to bioaccumulate, ...they contain hazardous additives, and they carry other contaminants and pathogens adsorbed on their surface. Here, we review the biodegradation of the five most common microplastics: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene. Despite the fact that most plastics are hardly biodegradable, biodegradation is still a popular remediation techniques because it is highly economical and environmentally friendly. Biodegradation can be done applying single or combined bio-cultures such as bacteria, mold, yeast, and algae. We present analytical and microbiological methods used for monitoring microplastic biodegradation. Actually, no microbial method removes completely microplastics from the environment within a reasonable time interval. As a consequence, the last developments combine biodegradation with other methods such as membrane filtration.
The improper disposal of plastics is a growing concern due to increasing global environmental problems such as the rise of CO
emissions, diminishing petroleum sources, and pollution, which ...necessitates the research and development of biodegradable materials as an alternative to conventional packaging materials. The purpose of this research was to analyse the properties of biodegradable polymer blends of thermoplastic potato starch (TPS) and polylactide, (PLA) without and with the addition of citric acid (CA) as a potential compatibilizer and plasticizer. The prepared blends were subjected to a comprehensive physicochemical characterization, which included: FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), determination of thermal and mechanical properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), water vapour permeability (
), as well as biodegradation testing in soil. The obtained results indicate an improvement in adhesion between the TPS and PLA phases due to the addition of citric acid, better homogeneity of the structure, and greater compatibility of the polymer blends, leading to better thermal, mechanical and barrier properties of the studied biodegradable TPS/PLA polymer blends. After conducting the comprehensive research outlined in this paper, it has been determined that the addition of 5 wt.% of citric acid serves as an effective compatibilizer and plasticizer. This supplementation achieves an optimal equilibrium across thermal, mechanical, morphological, and barrier properties, while also promoting material sustainability through biodegradation. In conclusion, it can be stated that the use of thermoplastic starch in TPS/PLA blends accelerates the biodegradation of PLA as a slowly biodegradable polymer. While the addition of citric acid offers significant advantages for TPS/PLA blends, further research is needed to optimize the formulation and processing parameters to achieve the desired balance between mechanical strength, thermal and barrier properties and biodegradability.
The harmful effects of microplastics are not yet fully revealed. This study tested harmful effects of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and ...polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics were tested. Growth inhibition tests were conducted using three microorganisms with different characteristics:
sp.,
, and
. The growth inhibition test with
sp. is relatively widely used, while the tests with
and
were, to our knowledge, applied to microplastics for the first time. The influence of concentration and size of microplastic particles, in the range of 50-1000 mg/L and 200-600 µm, was tested. Determined inhibitions on all three microorganisms confirmed the hazardous potential of the microplastics used. Modeling of the inhibition surface showed the increase in harmfulness with increasing concentration of the microplastics. Particle size showed no effect for
with PE, PP and PET,
with PS, and
with PP. In the remaining cases, higher inhibitions followed a decrease in particle size. The exception was
sp. with PS, where the lowest inhibitions were obtained at 400 µm. Finally, among the applied tests, the test with
proved to be the most sensitive to microplastics.
Electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies are increasingly being used in practice, and the combination of electrocoagulation with advanced oxidation processes has been shown to increase ...treatment efficiency. The treatment of oily wastewater produces electrocoagulated metal sludge (EMS). In this work, the possibility of using different ratios of EMS produced during oily wastewater treatment was investigated. EMS was dried conventionally in an oven at 105 °C and used as a partial substitute for clay in the manufacture of laboratory bricks. The main research objectives of this study were to examine the possibility and justification of introducing EMS in brick production. The results show that an increase in the proportion of EMS in the manufacturing of bricks leads to a deterioration in the quality of the bricks. Bricks with an addition of 1 wt% and 5 wt% EMS showed the best properties. The loss on ignition (LOI), compressive strength, boiling water absorption and initial water absorption were determined at 5.7%; 49 N/mm2, 16%, 14 g/min/200 cm2, 15% for modified bricks with 1 wt% EMS and 6.3%, 48 N/mm2, 20%, 15 g/min/200 cm2 for modified brick with 5 wt%.
Hydrogels have been investigated due to their unique properties. These include high water content and biocompatibility. Here, hydrogels with different ratios of ...poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethylmethacrylate) (PDMAEMA) were grafted onto cellulose (Cel-g-PDMAEMA) by the free radical polymerization method and gamma-ray radiation was applied in order to increase crosslinking and content of PDMAEMA. Gamma irradiation enabled an increase of PDMAEMA content in hydrogels in case of higher ratio of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate in the initial reaction mixture. The swelling of synthesized hydrogels was monitored in dependence of pH (3, 5.5 and 10) during up to 60 days. The swelling increased from 270% to 900%. Testing of antimicrobial activity of selected hydrogel films showed weak inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis. The results obtained by the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicate that chemically synthesized hydrogels have good characteristics for the supercapacitor application.
In the last two decades, microplastics (MP) have been identified as an emerging environmental pollutant. Due to their small size, MP particles may easily enter the food chain, where they can have ...adverse effects on organisms and the environment in general. The common methods for the removal of pollutants from the environment are not fully effective in the elimination of MP; thus, it is necessary to find a more suitable treatment method(s). Among the various approaches tested, biodegradation is by far the most environmentally friendly and economically acceptable remediation approach. However, it has serious drawbacks, generally related to the rather low removal rate and often insufficient efficiency. Therefore, it would be beneficial to use some of the less economical but more efficient methods as pretreatment prior to biodegradation. Such pretreatment would primarily serve to increase the roughness and hydrophilicity of the surface of MP, making it more susceptible to bioassimilation. This review focuses on advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) as treatment methods that can enhance the biodegradation of MP particles. It considers MP particles of the six most commonly used plastic polymers, namely: polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane. The review highlights organisms with a high potential for biodegradation of selected MP particles and presents the potential benefits that AOP pretreatment can provide for MP biodegradation.
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