White Pollution Research Articles

Photocatalytic Conversion of Waste Plastics into C2 Fuels under Simulated Natural Environment Conditions

AbstractReported here is the first highly selective conversion of various waste plastics into C2 fuels under simulated natural environment conditions by a sequential photoinduced C−C cleavage and coupling pathway, where single‐use bags, disposable food containers, food wrap films, and their main components of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride can be photocatalytically transformed into CH3COOH without using sacrificial agents. As an example, polyethylene is photodegraded 100 % into CO2 within 40 h by single‐unit‐cell thick Nb2O5 layers, while the produced CO2 is further photoreduced to CH3COOH. Various methods and experiments disclose that O2 and .OH radicals trigger the oxidative C−C cleavage of polyethylene to form CO2, while other investigations show that the yielded CH3COOH stems from CO2 photoreduction by C−C coupling of .COOH intermediates. This two‐step plastic‐to‐fuel conversion may help to simultaneously address the white pollution crisis and harvest highly valuable multicarbon fuels in natural environments.

The dynamical history of the evaporating or disrupted ice giant planet around white dwarf WD J0914+1914

ABSTRACT Robust evidence of an ice giant planet shedding its atmosphere around the white dwarf WD J0914+1914 represents a milestone in exoplanetary science, allowing us to finally supplement our knowledge of white dwarf metal pollution, debris discs, and minor planets with the presence of a major planet. Here, we discuss the possible dynamical origins of this planet, WD J0914+1914 b. The very young cooling age of the host white dwarf (13 Myr) combined with the currently estimated planet–star separation of about 0.07 au imposes particularly intriguing and restrictive coupled constraints on its current orbit and its tidal dissipation characteristics. The planet must have been scattered from a distance of at least a few au to its current location, requiring the current or former presence of at least one more major planet in the system in the absence of a hidden binary companion. We show that WD J0914+1914 b could not have subsequently shrunk its orbit through chaotic f-mode tidal excitation (characteristic of such highly eccentric orbits) unless the planet was or is highly inflated and possibly had partially thermally self-disrupted from mode-based energy release. We also demonstrate that if the planet is currently assumed to reside on a near-circular orbit at 0.07 au, then non-chaotic equilibrium tides impose unrealistic values for the planet’s tidal quality factor. We conclude that WD J0914+1914 b either (i) actually resides interior to 0.07 au, (ii) resembles a disrupted ‘Super-Puff’ whose remains reside on a circular orbit, or (iii) resembles a larger or denser ice giant on a currently eccentric orbit. Distinguishing these three possibilities strongly motivates follow-up observations.

The application of broken expanded polystyrene particles in thermal insulation coating material

Thermal insulation coating material is a kind of green thermal insulation material with high efficiency, which is used in the exterior wall of buildings and has many advantages such as strong sticking strength, low heat conductivity, flame retardancy and water resistance. The aggregates, main insulation components, play an important role in the thermal insulation coating material. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) particle is a good material, which can be used as an aggregate for its low thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.029 W/(m·K). Accordingly, by using the broken particles prepared from wasted expanded polystyrene, (EPS), the abandoned resources can be recycled and used again, resulting to the reduction of “white pollution” and cost. In the environment of establishing an economical social, it has huge significance and broad market prospects. Studies have shown that the broken expanded polystyrene particles and expanded perlite have the lowest thermal conductivity according to the weight ratio of 1:2.96. By using wasted expanded polystyrene particles and expanded perlite as aggregates, the thermal insulation coating material has good crack resistance, thermal insulation and compressive strength.

Biodegradable polymers: a cure for the planet, but a long way to go

Nowadays, vigorously researching and developing biodegradable materials is an effective way to solve the problem of white pollution. As far as we know, systematic research in environmental compatibility of biodegradable polymers has not been reported. Furthermore, there are few tangible products in the relevant frontier fields that really benefit consumers. The research and development of biodegradable materials still has a long way to go, which is mainly manifested in its low consumption nowadays and the series of degradation effects all may adding burden to the current environment. Combined with the current background, this work reviewed the general classification and the application of typical biodegradable polymers, providing readers an intuitive and systematic understanding of biodegradable polymers. Moreover, we analyzed some shortcomings of the recent research, and briefly proposed some development directions and solutions to the main existed problems, namely, cost control, in-depth development of functions and applications, materials source extension, enhancement of environmental protection awareness and regulations, and systematical assessment of environmental compatibility of the biodegradable polymers.

Performance of Three DifferentSpades for Residual Plastic Film Recycling Machine

HighlightsEffectively separating the “white pollution” from agricultural soil.Three different spades for mechanical recycling residual film were tested.All spades had a similar draft requirement and soil disturbance trend.Spade A provided a higher residual film recovery rate.Abstract. Plastic film mulching cultivation provides important support for increasing the crop yield and ensuring food security, but residual plastic film pollution has become a prominent problem affecting the sustainable development of agriculture especially in northwest China. Recovery of thicker film by residual plastic film recycling machines may represent an effective way to solve this problem. In this study, a combined implement comprising three different spades (spades A, B, and C) were tested in a cotton field to compare their performance. All three types of spades were tested at a travel speed of 4.5 kmh-1 and a working depth of 40 mm. The residual plastic film recovery rate, soil draft force, soil disturbance characteristics (furrow profile), and cotton stubble uprooting were measured. Spade B had a higher draft force than the other spades. This trend was also observed for the soil disturbance area. Spades A and C produced stubble uprooting of approximately 5%, and spade B resulted in an approximately 5.7% larger degree of uprooting. Spade A had the largest recovery rate of residual film, while spade C had the smallest one. Overall, considering both recovery rate of residual film and draft force requirement, spade A showed better performance compared to spades B and C. Keywords: Draft force, Residual plastic film, Recovery rate, Soil disturbance, Spade.

Optimization of Polystyrene Biodegradation using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Measured by Simple Colorimetric Method

Nearly 280 kilotons of polystyrene (PS) waste being discarded yearly in Malaysia. Banning usage of PS food packaging aims to minimize this “white pollution”. However, the existing PS waste volume remains the same despite the termination of PS production. Therefore, this study has investigated the optimization of biodegradation of PS using isolated strain Bacillus aryabhattai as an alternative solution to the biodegradation of recalcitrant plastic. The effect of pH and temperature as independent variables were studied at three levels each (pH: 6, 7.5 and 9, temperature: 25 °C, 35 °C and 45 °C) under the designation by three level-factorial and analysed using response surface methodology (RSM) by Design Expert Version 10.0. The biodegradation activity of Bacillus aryabhattai was quantified using simple colorimetric method. Bacillus aryabhattai was inoculated on the dye PS-film and incubated under designed conditions. As a result of biodegradation, the entrapped methylene blue dye was released and measured photometrically. Optimum conditions for the highest reading of blue dye absorbance were obtained at pH 9 and temperature of 25ºC with the desirability of 75.9%. This study provides significant information on the biodegradation activity of Bacillus aryabhattai for future research that can be applied in waste management.

Optimization of Polystyrene Biodegradation using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Measured by Simple Colorimetric Method

Nearly 280 kilotons of polystyrene (PS) waste being discarded yearly in Malaysia. Banning usage of PS food packaging aims to minimize this “white pollution”. However, the existing PS waste volume remains the same despite the termination of PS production. Therefore, this study has investigated the optimization of biodegradation of PS using isolated strain Bacillus aryabhattai as an alternative solution to the biodegradation of recalcitrant plastic. The effect of pH and temperature as independent variables were studied at three levels each (pH: 6, 7.5 and 9, temperature: 25 °C, 35 °C and 45 °C) under the designation by three level-factorial and analysed using response surface methodology (RSM) by Design Expert Version 10.0. The biodegradation activity of Bacillus aryabhattai was quantified using simple colorimetric method. Bacillus aryabhattai was inoculated on the dye PS-film and incubated under designed conditions. As a result of biodegradation, the entrapped methylene blue dye was released and measured photometrically. Optimum conditions for the highest reading of blue dye absorbance were obtained at pH 9 and temperature of 25ºC with the desirability of 75.9%. This study provides significant information on the biodegradation activity of Bacillus aryabhattai for future research that can be applied in waste management.

Plastic bag bans: Lessons from the Australian Capital Territory

Bans on single-use plastic shopping bags are amongst the most popular policy interventions taken by governments to address the harms associated with plastics. Yet, there are few published studies on their effectiveness and durability. This article addresses this gap, presenting the results of a study on the impacts of a ban on single-use plastic bags introduced in the Australian Capital Territory in 2011. The study assessed whether the ban has reduced plastic bag consumption and litter, and whether community support for the ban was sustainable. The results suggests the ban has not been overly effective in reducing plastic bag consumption or litter. Over the almost seven-year study period, between 2011 and 2018, the ban reduced consumption of single-use conventional polyethylene bags by ∼2600 tonnes. However, these reductions were largely offset by increases in the consumption of other bags. The net effect of the ban on plastic consumption over the period was relatively minor; a 275 t reduction. Notwithstanding this, the ban is widely supported. When it was first introduced, 58 % of the community supported the ban. By 2018, this had increased to 68 %. The article explores the implications of the results and the need for better information on plastic bag consumption.

The ‘plastic waste era’; social perceptions towards single-use plastic consumption and impacts on the marine environment in Durban, South Africa

Plastics, one of the most abundant materials defining our society, are a major source of pollution. Plastics have redefined society's material culture and the artefacts that will be left behind. Plastic pollution in the ocean and in coastal environments is a growing concern which requires immediate attention. Single-use plastic is polluting coastal environments the world over, and this study focused on the issue within the context of Durban, South Africa. Advocating for behavioral changes from society remains a daunting task that requires an understanding of consumer perceptions towards single-use of plastics. This research paper aimed to gain an understanding of the social perceptions that beachgoers hold towards single-use plastic consumption in the coastal areas of Durban, South Africa. The sustainability science theoretical framework underpinned the research and the study used a mixed-methods approach to achieve the objectives. Questionnaires were used to accurately capture and reflect the perceptions towards single-use plastic consumption by the Durban beachgoers. The results from the study indicated that Durban beachgoers have a generally more negative perception towards single-use plastic; a high level of awareness towards their impacts on the environment; and a strong willingness to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic. Additionally, the results revealed a strong support towards potentially implementing a Container Deposit System (CDS) and a plastic bag ban in Durban to reduce the number of plastic bottles and bags polluting the coastal environment. Based on the findings, recommendations emphasized the need to incentivize reusable shopping bags; promote increased awareness and advocacy pertaining to the environmental concerns of single-use plastic; consider the implementation of a CDS; and further explore the potential of a plastic bag ban in Durban. This research can contribute towards developing adequate, appropriate strategies to address the issues of single-use plastic pollution.

Circumbinary exoplanets and brown dwarfs with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

Aims. We explore the prospects for the detection of giant circumbinary exoplanets and brown dwarfs (BDs) orbiting Galactic double white dwarfs (DWDs) binaries with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Methods. By assuming an occurrence rate of 50%, motivated by white dwarf pollution observations, we built a Galactic synthetic population of P-type giant exoplanets and BDs orbiting DWDs. We carried this out by injecting different sub-stellar populations, with various mass and orbital separation characteristics, into the DWD population used in the LISA mission proposal. We then performed a Fisher matrix analysis to measure how many of these three-body systems show a periodic Doppler-shifted gravitational wave perturbation detectable by LISA. Results. We report the number of circumbinary planets (CBPs) and BDs that can be detected by LISA for various combinations of mass and semi-major axis distributions. We identify pessimistic and optimistic scenarios corresponding, respectively, to 3 and 83 (14 and 2218) detections of CBPs (BDs), observed during the length of the nominal LISA mission. These detections are distributed all over the Galaxy following the underlying DWD distribution, and they are biased towards DWDs with higher LISA signal-to-noise ratio and shorter orbital period. Finally, we show that if LISA were to be extended for four more years, the number of systems detected will be more than doubled in both the optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. Conclusions. Our results present promising prospects for the detection of post-main sequence exoplanets and BDs, showing that gravitational waves can prove the existence of these populations over the totality of the Milky Way. Detections by LISA will deepen our knowledge on the life of exoplanets subsequent to the most extreme evolution phases of their hosts, clarifying whether new phases of planetary formation take place later in the life of the stars. Such a method is strongly complementary to electromagnetic studies within the solar region and opens a window into the investigation of planets and BDs everywhere in the entire Galaxy, and possibly even in nearby galaxies in the Local Group.

Microbial degradation of petroleum-based plastics

Synthetic plastics include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PUR), etc. Because of their large molecular weights, high hydrophobic characters and high chemical bond energies, they are difficult to be degraded by microbes. More and more plastic products are widespread consumed and gradually accumulated in the environment, so that the "white pollution" has become a global concern. Therefore, safe and economic microbial degradation of synthetic plastics is an option. This article reviews microbial degradation of six petroleum-based plastics, including polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate and polyvinyl chloride, from the aspects of microbial strains involved and the related enzymatic studies. This paper provides clues for the further study of the microbial degradation of synthetic plastics, including the screening of a variety of plastic degrading bacteria and microflora, and the functional identification of their degradation mechanism at the genetic, molecular and biochemical levels. Hopefully, efficient resolutions for complete biodegradation of plastics together with production of high added-value products can then be materialized in the future.

Modelling the distributions of white dwarf atmospheric pollution: a low Mg abundance for accreted planetesimals?

Abstract The accretion of planetesimals onto white dwarf atmospheres allows determination of the composition of this polluting material. This composition is usually inferred from observed pollution levels by assuming it originated from a single body. This paper instead uses a stochastic model wherein polluting planetesimals are chosen randomly from a mass distribution, finding that the single body assumption is invalid in ${>20\%}$ of cases. Planetesimal compositions are modelled assuming parent bodies that differentiated into core, mantle and crust components. Atmospheric levels of Ca, Mg and Fe in the model are compared to a sample of 230 DZ white dwarfs for which such pollution is measured. A good fit is obtained when each planetesimal has its core, mantle and crust fractions chosen independently from logit-normal distributions which lead to average mass fractions of fCru = 0.15, fMan = 0.49 and fCor = 0.36. However, achieving this fit requires a factor 4 depletion of Mg relative to stellar material. This depletion is unlikely to originate in planetesimal formation processes, but might occur from heating while the star is on the giant branch. Alternatively the accreted material has stellar abundance, and either the inferred low Mg abundance was caused by an incorrect assumption that Mg sinks slower than Ca and Fe, or there are unmodelled biases in the observed sample. Finally, the model makes predictions for the timescale on which the observed pollutant composition varies, which should be the longer of the sinking and disc timescales, implying variability on decadal timescales for DA white dwarfs.

TiO2‐PDVB Janus particles enhanced compatibility of titanium dioxide and recycled waste styrofoam

ABSTRACTPeople are always puzzled by “white pollution” in recent decade. Recycling of waste styrofoam as a coating is a good sustainable solution to resolve this problem. However, the poor compatibility between inorganic additives and polymer hinders the application of recycled polystyrene. In this article, anisotropic Janus particles were used to increase the compatibility of titanium dioxide/waste styrofoam coatings. SEM results show that Janus particles can be anchored at the interface between styrofoam and titanium dioxide, increasing the dispersion of titanium dioxide, and improving the compatibility of inorganic particles and organic polymer. The glass‐transition temperature of styrofoam coating increases from 77 °C to 89 °C in titanium dioxide/styrofoam contained 1 wt % of Janus particles, which certified that Janus particles have compatibilization on titanium dioxide/styrofoam coating. Attributing to this compatibilization, the tensile strength of titanium dioxide/styrofoam with 1 wt % of Janus particles rises about 45% compared with titanium dioxide/styrofoam. The yield stress, storage modulus, and viscosity of titanium dioxide/styrofoam contained 1 wt % of Janus particles are the smallest and the closest to Newtonian fluid. Janus particles used in the recycled styrofoam coating is benefit to expand the application of waste styrofoam and the new anisotropic Janus compatibilizer. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48691.

Near infrared light responsive self-healing superhydrophobic coating based on solid wastes

Solid wastes, such as polystyrene foam waste and silica gel waste which are ubiquitous products have caused serious environmental issues, such as “white pollution”, threatening the health of humans and animals. As such, the need to recycle and re-use of solid wastes has attracted increasing attention in the last few years.In this work, a self-healing superhydrophobic coating is successfully fabricated by blending polystyrene foam waste with fluorinated silica gel waste (F-silica gel waste), octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) modified silica particles (OTMS-silica particles), and near-infrared (NIR) light responsive microcapsules. The F-silica gel waste and OTMS-silica nanoparticles act as hydrophobic fillers meanwhile the polystyrene foam waste acts as a coating binder. The NIR-responsive microcapsules are obtained by the electrostatic adsorption of carbon nanoparticles onto the surface of microcapsules loaded with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane.The superhydrophobic property of the coating can be healed after 10 min of NIR irradiation. Additionally, the as-prepared coating can be coated on several different substrates, similar to commercial coatings, and it is seen that its excellent superhydrophobic property is durable and is maintained even when the coating is subjected to a sand-drop test. The self-healing mechanism of the superhydrophobic coatings is also investigated.

Bioplastic production from wastewater sludge and application

Plastic is considered as one of the most useful materials in the world. Plastic products are utilized in almost any field such as industry, manufacturing, agriculture, and service. Although plastic products can meet the needs of human beings, they also cause environmental problems such as white pollution. The current utilized plastic is non-biodegraded. It suggests that they would remain in long time in the environment when they are Activated sludge (sludge is called for short) is generated during the wastewater treatment process in large quantity. Its management gradually becomes a great problem. The problem of difficult recycling of plastic waste has attracted more and more attention. Recycling technology is an effective but incomplete measure to address these environmental issues. Based on this, bioplastics can solve this problem as a new material. Studies have found that high temperature lysates of sludge can be used to produce biodegradable plastic poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). And acetic acid produced by the anaerobic fermentation sludge thermal cracking solution can replace glucose as a carbon source to support the growth of microorganisms. In this way, the use of sludge thermal cracking fluid to produce bioplastic PHB can be achieved. In this paper, the development of bioplastics is introduced in the context of understanding the development of bioplastics. This paper also introduces the various types of bioplastics widely used at present, discusses the principle of producing bioplastics from activated sludge, and prospects the application prospects of bioplastics.

Ensuring sustainability in plastics use in Africa: consumption, waste generation, and projections

BackgroundCurrently, plastic is at the top of the international agenda for waste management. Recent meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel and the Stockholm Conventions have expressed concerns over the impact of plastic waste, marine plastic litter, and microplastics, and emphasised the importance of reducing consumption and ensuring the environmentally sound management of waste plastics. This study presents the first continental historical analysis of mass importation and consumption of different polymers and plastics (primary and secondary forms, respectively) in Africa and the associated pollution potential. We identified, collated and synthesised dispersed international trade data on the importation of polymers and plastics into several African countries.ResultsThe 33 African countries (total population of 856,671,366) with available data for more than 10 years imported approximately 86.14 Mt of polymers in primary form and 31.5 Mt of plastic products between 1990 and 2017. Extrapolating to the continental level (African population of 1.216 billion in 54 countries), about 172 Mt of polymers and plastics valued at $285 billion were imported between 1990 and 2017. Considering also the components of products, an estimated 230 Mt of plastics entered Africa during that time period, with the largest share going to Egypt (43 Mt, 18.7%), Nigeria (39 Mt, 17.0%), South Africa (27 Mt, 11.7%), Algeria (26 Mt, 11.3%), Morocco (22 Mt, 9.6%), and Tunisia (16 Mt, 7.0%). Additionally, primary plastic production in 8 African countries contributed 15 Mt during 2009–2015. The assessment showed that environmentally sound end-of-life management of waste plastics by recycling and energy recovery is in its infancy in Africa, but recycling activities and thermal recovery have started in a few countries.ConclusionsGlobally, the perception is that production and consumption of plastics can only increase in the future. Solutions are needed to tackle this global challenge. Certain policies and plastic bag bans could help reduce plastic consumption in the near future, as demonstrated by Rwanda. Furthermore, there is a need for innovative solutions such as the introduction of biodegradable polymers and other alternatives, especially for packaging.

Crisis of Plastic Waste in Vietnam is Real

The issue of "white pollution" at popular tourist destinations of environmental pollution is rising at an alarming rate. According to statistics, Vietnam currently ranks fourth in the world in volume of plastic waste, with approximately 730,000 tons of plastic waste going to the sea every year. Vietnam is also known as a country with twice the amount of plastic waste compared to low-income countries. Plastic waste in the ocean will destroy the natural environment, negatively affecting the lives of aquatic products. On land, plastic waste is abundant in many places and has serious impacts on human health and life. Analysts point out that, if the pace of use of plastic products continues to increase, there will be an additional 33 billion tons of plastic produced by 2050 and thus more than 13 billion tons of plastic waste will be buried. backfill into landfills or into the ocean. Meanwhile, the recycling of Vietnam's plastic waste, has not been developed. The rate of waste sorting at the source is very low, most types of waste are put together and collected by waste trucks. Plastic recycling technology used in Vietnam's major cities is outdated, low in efficiency, high in costs and polluting the environment. The paper presents the current situation of plastic waste in Vietnam as of June 2019. The authors focus on highlighting the serious "white pollution" in Vietnam, a country with a very long coastline. But the coast is really threatened by plastic waste. This is really a wake-up call to the authorities about the promulgation of policies and the people on the morality of survival with nature.

The Crisis of Plastic Waste in Vietnam is Real

The issue of "white pollution" at popular tourist destinations of environmental pollution is rising at an alarming rate. According to statistics, Vietnam currently ranks fourth in the world in volume of plastic waste, with approximately 730,000 tons of plastic waste going to the sea every year. Vietnam is also known as a country with twice the amount of plastic waste compared to low-income countries. Plastic waste in the ocean will destroy the natural environment, negatively affecting the lives of aquatic products. On land, plastic waste is abundant in many places and has serious impacts on human health and life. Analysts point out that, if the pace of use of plastic products continues to increase, there will be an additional 33 billion tons of plastic produced by 2050 and thus more than 13 billion tons of plastic waste will be buried. backfill into landfills or into the ocean. Meanwhile, the recycling of Vietnam's plastic waste, has not been developed. The rate of waste sorting at the source is very low, most types of waste are put together and collected by waste trucks. Plastic recycling technology used in Vietnam's major cities is outdated, low in efficiency, high in costs and polluting the environment. The paper presents the current situation of plastic waste in Vietnam as of June 2019. The authors focus on highlighting the serious "white pollution" in Vietnam, a country with a very long coastline. But the coast is really threatened by plastic waste. This is really a wake-up call to the authorities about the promulgation of policies and the people on the morality of survival with nature.

Driving white dwarf metal pollution through unstable eccentric periodic orbits

Context. Planetary debris is observed in the atmospheres of over 1000 white dwarfs, and two white dwarfs are now observed to contain orbiting minor planets. Exoasteroids and planetary core fragments achieve orbits close to the white dwarf through scattering with major planets. However, the architectures that allow for this scattering to take place are time-consuming to explore with N-body simulations lasting ∼1010 yr; these long-running simulations restrict the amount of phase space that can be investigated. Aims. Here we use planar and three-dimensional (spatial) elliptic periodic orbits, as well as chaotic indicators through dynamical stability maps, as quick scale-free analytic alternatives to N-body simulations in order to locate and predict instability in white dwarf planetary systems that consist of one major and one minor planet on very long timescales. We then classify the instability according to ejection versus collisional events. Methods. We generalized our previous work by allowing eccentricity and inclination of the periodic orbits to increase, thereby adding more realism but also significantly more degrees of freedom to our architectures. We also carried out a suite of computationally expensive 10 Gyr N-body simulations to provide comparisons with chaotic indicators in a limited region of phase space. Results. We compute dynamical stability maps that are specific to white dwarf planetary systems and that can be used as tools in future studies to quickly estimate pollution prospects and timescales for one-planet architectures. We find that these maps also agree well with the outcomes of our N-body simulations. Conclusions. As observations of metal-polluted white dwarfs mount exponentially, particularly in the era of Gaia, tools such as periodic orbits can help infer dynamical histories for ensembles of systems.

Biodegradable food packaging membrane from bacterial cellulose and bacteriocin for preserving raw food

Raw foods such as fish and meat sold at local markets are easily pathogenically infected because retailers do not keep them in proper food preservation equipment. In addition, food packaging using single-use plastic grocery bags is a burden for waste management and aggravates the “white pollution”. In this research, we created biodegradable bacterial cellulose membrane (BCm) loaded with raw bacteriocins that were collected from isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and test their ability to preserveraw fish and meat. The 2mm thick and 94% wet BC membrane was obtained from the surface fermentation of Acetobacterxylinum in the medium containing 50% of coconut water and 15% sucrose after 03 days. The isolated LAB from sour cabbage, kimchi and yogurt were microscopically observed, biochemically characterized and species identified by mass spectrometry. The raw bacteriocin from Lactobacillus plantarum showing the most antimicrobial capability among the isolates could inhibit the growth of 3 tested strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis at the antimicrobial activity of 100 AU/ml by agar-well diffusion method. BCm treated with the bacteriocins of 100 AU/ml in 45 minutes was proved to be able to well preserve fish for 24 hours and pork for 18 hours at ambient temperatures, following Vietnam Standard for catfish fillet (TCVN 8338:2010) and for meat (TCVN 7046:2009).