Contribution of seaweed farming to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and microplastics pollution

Abstract

In recent decades, human activities have caused many adverse environmental issues that continue to pose a threat to the earth's ecosystems. Global warming and the widespread detection of microplastics are examples of these activities, both of which are largely associated with the use of fossil fuels. Farming and utilization of seaweeds for commercial and industrial applications presents a potential solution to alleviate these problems. Seaweed farming can sequester CO2 from the atmosphere without competing with human activities that rely on agricultural land and water resources and will therefore not contribute to deforestation. Polysaccharides extracted from seaweeds are raw materials for some biodegradable bioplastics and their use may limit the generation of microplastics in the environment. Under the right conditions, the degradation of seaweed bioplastics also produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to the degradation of conventional plastics. However, the commercial acceptance of seaweed polymers is currently hindered by the relatively high manufacturing cost and quality of the final products. Therefore, further research is essential to advance the development of seaweed farming and the use of seaweed polymers as potential replacements for fossil-fuel based polymers.