Tons Of Plastic Research Articles

Interactions between Plastics, Microplastics, and Microbial Communities

Plastics have been an essential part of life. Each year, over 300 million tons of plastics are being processed each year into other products. However, only a small portion of the plastic gets recycled while up to 79% is discarded into landfills or directly into the natural environment. Microplastics refer to small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long. Because of their small sizes, microplastics are able to pass through filtration systems and remain in the environment for a longer period of time, harming microorganisms, marine life, animal life, and human life. Microorganisms have the ability to transform microplastics, and there have been numerous studies on the biodegradation of bio-based and fossil based plastics. This paper approaches the interactions of microplastics and microorganisms from three main angles— biodegradation, production, and impacts— by synthesizing and analyzing known information. In particular, biodegradability is linked to physical and chemical structures, while plastic polymers can be broken down into smaller compounds which can be potentially processed through bacterial metabolism to be ultimately mineralized as CO2 . Compared to regular plastic, microplastics are more harmful and impactful to organisms (including humans), especially at the cellular level. The analysis of this paper is a good starting point for the investigation of microplastics and how microbial communities interact with them, however, it brings up further questions and gaps. Regardless, this paper highlights the significance that we devote effort and resources to better enhance the implications on ecological processes and human health. 

Microplastics Pollution in Chile: Current Situation and Future Prospects

Millions of tons of plastics enter wild habitats, especially the oceans, every year. Despite extensive efforts, this amount is predicted to increase over in the near future, leading to a catastrophic damage to the environment. Small plastic fragments, including microplastics, are currently widely distributed in different environments and contribute significantly to pollution of the oceans. This problem is particularly poignant in Chile, a country with more than 4,000 km of coastline along the Pacific Ocean home to diverse environments, industrial activities and unique biodiversity. In this review, we compile information regarding microplastics pollution in Chilean environments in terms of transport, distribution and bioaccumulation along the country, societal actions such as environmental policies and education to tackle the plastic problem, and the Trojan effect associated with it. Finally, we identify critical scientific gaps, such as the transport of harmful chemicals and microbial communities associated, and define potential future research directions.

Overview of Bioplastic Introduction and Its Applications in Product Packaging

Each year, more than 330 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide. The main consumers of plastics are the packaging (40%), building (20%) and automotive (8%) industries, as well as for the manufacture of household appliances. The vast majority of industrial plastics are not biodegradable and, therefore, create environmental problems due to the increase in the amount of solid waste. Studies have been conducted to produce biodegradable materials such as bioplastics to overcome this environmental problem. Bioplastics are defined as materials that are bio-based, biodegradable, or both; they can provide excellent biodegradability and can be used to help alleviate environmental problems. Therefore, this article presents an overview of the introduction of bioplastic materials and classifications, and a comprehensive review of their drawbacks and areas of importance, including basic and applied research, as well as biopolymer mixtures and biocomposites developed in the last decade. At the same time, this article provides insights into the development of bioplastics research to meet the needs of many industries, especially in the packaging industry in Malaysia. This review paper also focuses generally on bioplastic packaging applications such as food and beverage, healthcare, cosmetics, etc.

Airborne microplastic concentrations and deposition across the Weser River catchment

Microplastic (MP) appears to be omnipresent in the atmosphere, raising concerns about dispersion across environmental compartments, ecological consequences and human health risks by inhalation. To date, data on the sources of atmospheric MP and deposition to river catchment areas are still sparse. We, therefore, took aerosol and total atmospheric deposition samples in the catchment area of the large German river Weser to estimate microplastic deposition fluxes (DFs) at six specific sites and airborne MP concentrations. Sampling in rural, suburban, and urban environments and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was performed, aiming at a variation in airborne MP pollution and elucidating potential MP source areas. Aerosol samples were taken twice in April and October while monthly total deposition samples were collected over a period from March to October. Microplastics were detected in all analysed aerosol samples by Raman spectroscopy down to 4 μm, and in all 32 total deposition samples by μFT-IR down to 11 μm. Average MP number concentrations of 91 ± 47 m−3 were found in aerosol samples. The measured total MP number DFs ranged between 10 and 367 N m−2 day−1 (99 ± 85 mean ± SD) corresponding to total deposition of 0.05 ± 0.1 kg ha−1 per year and to an estimated 232 metric tons of plastic being deposited in the Weser River catchment annually. MP number DFs were higher in urban than rural sites. An effect of WWTPs on the MP abundance in air was not observed. Polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and silicone fragments were found as the predominant polymer types in total deposition samples, while polyethylene particles dominated in aerosol samples. The results suggest that proximity to sources, especially to cities, increase the numbers of MP found in the atmosphere. It further indicates that atmospheric MP considerably contributes to the contamination of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

Microplastic Characterization in Soil Samples in Urban and Rural Areas of Eskişehir

Plastics, which are widely used in daily life, are preferred in many areas from the construction sector to the textile sector due to some of their features such as ease of processing and being economical. Nearly 9 million tons of plastic have been produced so far, most of which is emitted as pollution. These plastics, which turn into particles smaller than 5 mm called "microplastic" by exposure to some physical effects such as sunlight, wind and waves, increase pollution due to their smaller size and densities and spread to much wider areas. Microplastics, which can be formed by the disintegration of large-sized plastics, threaten the living and non-living environment with their non-degradable structures. The severity of microplastic pollution, which can be defined as invisible pollution, should be better understood and awareness should be raised about the impact of its negative consequences. The aim of this study is to reveal the microplastic pollution in soil environments of rural and urban areas in Eskişehir. In the study, soil samples taken from urban and rural areas were visually analyzed. As a result, it was observed that the microplastic density was higher in urban samples. In addition, by visual analysis of microplastics, it was determined that the most common type was fiber type, and black colored microplastics were seen most frequently.

Investigating the effect of PET plastic bottle strips on the strength and compressibility properties of clayey soil

The production of plastic bottles by the manufacturing industry has increased drastically over the last six decades across the globe. This rapid production has led to the generation of many waste plastic bottles, thus causing environmental pollution. About 180 tonnes of plastics are generated daily in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, and around 50% is dumped into the Kiteezi landfill. Instead of putting pressure on the landfill, these plastic bottle wastes could be reused in stabilizing soils with poor engineering properties. The current study investigates the engineering properties of clayey soil reinforced with Polyethylene-terephthalate waste plastic bottle strips. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the geotechnical and engineering properties of the soil reinforced with waste plastic bottle strips at 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4% of the dry unit weight of the soil and non-stabilized soil were determined by conducting laboratory tests, such as particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, compaction test and California Bearing Ratio. The results revealed that the California Bearing Ratio of the soil reinforced with Polyethylene-terephthalate waste plastic bottle strips increased with the increase in the percentage of Polyethylene-terephthalate waste plastic bottle strips up to 0.3%. Beyond 0.3%, a drop in California Bearing Ratio was observed. It indicates that 0.3% Polyethylene-terephthalate waste plastic bottle strips is the optimum percentage for stabilizing low plasticity clayey soils.

Buy-now-pay-later: Hazards to human and planetary health from plastics production, use and waste.

More than 8 billion tonnes of plastic were produced between 1950 and 2015, that is 1 tonne for every man, woman and child on our planet. Global plastic production has been growing exponentially with an annual growth rate of 8.4% since 1950, equating to approximately 380 million tonnes per annum. A further 50 kg of plastic is now being produced for each person every year with production continuing to accelerate. Here, we discuss the human and planetary health hazards of all that plastic. We consider each step in the journey of these complex and pervasive industrial materials: from their synthesis predominantly from fossil fuel feedstocks, through an often‐brief consumer use as plastic products, and onto waste streams as fuel, permanent landfill or as unmanaged waste in our environment, food, air and bodies.

Tracking the Stranded Area of Marine Debris in Indonesian coasts by using Floating Drifter

Plastic litter had become world major concerned since 2015 and Indonesia had been placed as the second contributor after China. Around 200,000 metric tons of plastic wastes discharged from Indonesia rivers mainly from Java and Sumatra Islands every year. This surge of waste then become a serious threat to ocean and coastal ecosystem, as well as marine biota conservation in Indonesia. Therefore, it is very important to study the seasonal pattern of marine debris and monitor the dispersion within Indonesian water in near real time. By year 2020, an initiative action has been taken by The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia. More than 20 drifters were released on 3 selected rivers’ mouth in Indonesia namely Cisadane, Bengawan Solo and Musi. Results indicated that marine debris are drifted away, influenced by wind and current from time to time. The simulation will forecast the time and location where the marine debris expected to traverse and stranded in each season. This information will be ve ry important to provide the baseline information of marine debris movement, locally and even beyond of Indonesian. Also, it will improve the mitigation, better coordinative action plan and encouraging further marine debris research in Indonesia.

Recycling Marine Plastic into Clothing Apparel via Global Collaborations

Abstract: According to the United Nations, aquatic pollution affects at least 800 species worldwide, with plastic responsible for up to 80% of the waste. Every minute, up to 13 million metric tonnes of plastic is expected to end up in the ocean, the equivalent of a trash or garbage truck load. Plastic is a design failure; it was never intended to end up in animals' stomachs or at the bottom of the food chain in humans. The fashion industry is a massive contributor to the plastic waste found in the oceans and so it becomes necessary for corporations to take sustainable steps in the direction of reducing Ocean Plastic Pollution. One of the ways to do so would be by recycling ocean plastic into clothes. Our study focuses on analysing global collaborations and suggesting a series of steps for recycling ocean plastic. Keywords: Marine Plastic, Recycling, Supply Chain, Plastic Pollution, Polymers

The Valero Tip and Attachment for Cooper Surgical Rumi Uterine Manipulator

<h3>Study Objective</h3> To produce a Stainless-Steel surgical degree tip and attachment that works with uterine manipulator and allows the use of cervical cup for different types of surgeries. - Plastic pollution continue to be a serious problem for human health and environment, it's estimate that for 2030, 53 million tonnes of plastic could end up in rivers, lakes and oceans. One example of how changing consumption patterns can improve the environment is the use and disposal of plastics. The global theme of World Environment Day is "Beat Plastic Pollution". It aims to change consumer behaviour with the challenge, "If you can't reuse it, refuse it." In OR we don't have exception, for reducing Medical Waste and optimizing our ORs for the future, we design a stainless-steel surgical degree tip and attachment for the uterine manipulator. <h3>Design</h3> We produce a 3-D Model plastic tip as a prototype, subsequently a stainless-steel tip and attachment <h3>Setting</h3> Like it adapts to a uterine manipulator, patient position is lithotomy, the Tip attaches by a "ring" then allows the use of a cervical cup that adapts to the ring. <h3>Patients or Participants</h3> N/A. <h3>Interventions</h3> N/A. <h3>Measurements and Main Results</h3> The design patent pending through the School of Medicine and Engineer, attach to the three types of uterine manipulator also it allows to use the cervical cup and provides the ability to use it in hysterectomy or other procedures without the cervical cup. Base on this we present the prototype guide and assemble. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The reestirilization of the tip allows us not promote the use of plastic waste.

Dog poop bags: A non-negligible source of plastic pollution

Plastic pollution derived from the disposal of plastic bags in the environment is clearly evidenced. However, little attention has been directed towards plastic waste derived from plastic dog poop bags (DPBs), which are widely used and can never be recycled. Herein, we raise concerns about the contribution of DPBs to plastic pollution in the environment. Combining the weight of each DPB, the number of bags daily used for a dog, and the number of pet dogs around the world, we estimated the number of annual consumed and disposed DPBs at more than 415 billion, or equivalently 0.76–1.23 million tons of plastics based on various weights of different DPBs. Although plastic waste produced by DPBs only accounts for a small fraction (0.6%) of the total plastic waste generation, the extremely short life cycle of DPBs has made them a non-negligible source of plastic pollution in the environment.

Update about the disrupting-effects of phthalates on the human reproductive system.

Phthalate esters are synthetic chemicals used in the plastic industry as plasticizers and consumable products. According to United Nations, about 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year. In parallel with increased production, the concerns about its effects on human health have increased because phthalates are endocrine-disrupting compounds. Humans are continuously exposed to phthalates through different routes of exposure. Experimental data have associated the phthalates exposure to adverse effects on development and reproduction in women (e.g., earlier puberty, primary ovarian insufficiency, endometriosis, preterm birth, or in vitro fertilization) and men (e.g., anogenital distance, cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and changes in adult reproductive function) although there is no consensus. Therefore, one question arises: could the increase in infertility be related to phthalates exposure? To answer this question, we aimed to assess the disrupting-effects of phthalates on the human reproductive system. For this, we reviewed the current literature based on epidemiological and experimental data and experimental studies in humans. The phthalate effects were discussed in a separate mode for female and male reproductive systems. In summary, phthalates induce toxicity in the reproductive system and human development. The increased plastic production may be related to the increase in human infertility.

From outbreak of COVID-19 to launching of vaccination drive: invigorating single-use plastics, mitigation strategies, and way forward.

The unforeseen outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic has significantly stipulated the use of plastics to minimize the exposure and spread of the novel coronavirus. With the onset of the vaccination drive, the issue draws even more attention due to additional demand for vaccine packaging, transport, disposable syringes, and other allied devices scaling up to many million tonnes of plastic. Plastic materials in personal protective equipment (PPE), disposable pharmaceutical devices, and packaging for e-commerce facilities are perceived to be a lifesaver for the frontline healthcare personnel and the general public amidst recurring waves of the pandemic. However, the same material poses a threat as an evil environmental polluter when attributed to its indiscriminate and improper littering as well as mismanagement. The review not only highlights the environmental consequences due to the excessive use of disposable plastics amidst COVID-19 but also recommends mixed approaches to its management by adopting the combined and step-by-step methodology of adequate segregation, sterilization, sanitization activities, technological intervention, and process optimization measures. The overview finally concludes with some crucial way-forward measures and recommendations like the development of bioplastics and focusing on biodegradable/bio-compostable material alternatives to holistically deal with future pandemics.Graphical abstract

Before/after intervention study to determine impact on life-cycle carbon footprint of converting from single-use to reusable sharps containers in 40 UK NHS trusts

ObjectivesTo compare global warming potential (GWP) of hospitals converting from single-use sharps containers to reusable sharps containers (SSC, RSC). Does conversion to RSC result in GWP reduction?DesignUsing BS PAS 2050:2011...

Beating Plastic Pollution: UNEP’s Priorities and Partnership in India

Plastic pollution has become a major environmental concern around the world due to the rapidly increasing production, consumption of single-use plastic products, and our inability to manage it properly. Plastic production increased exponentially, from about 2 million metric tonnes in 1950 to 348 million metric tonnes in 2017, and it is expected to double in capacity yet again by 2040. However, only 9 percent of the 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic produced since the early 1950s, has been recycled, and that most plastic ends its life in landfills, dumps and the environment is an increasing cause of concern. Plastic pollution is a major challenge in developing nations like India, where garbage collection systems are often informal with low recycling rates. The COVID 19 pandemic has exacerbated the use of plastic through personal protective equipments (PPEs). Management of this biomedical plastic waste is an addition to this existing challenge. Tackling plastic pollution is high up on UNEP’s global agenda to enhance the political visibility of this concern, UNEP along with the Government of India designated it as the theme of World Environment Day 2018. UNEP also provides technical assistance through its partners to support India towards its national and sub-national initiatives. This paper highlights the magnitude of the problem and the role UNEP is playing in addressing some concerns.

Soil Stabilization Using Plastic Chips, Granules &amp; Sugarcane Bagasse Ash Mixture

Soil is mainly the foundation of structure, that actually supports the structure from its beneath and hold it for a life long time and spread the load uniformly. If the stability of a soil would not be proportionate enough to hold or to support the structure then the chances of the breakdown of the structure might occur in the true form of its settlement and development of cracks. So, the soil stabilization will help in enhancing the shear strength of the soil as well as it enhancing the shrinkage and swelling properties of soil. It will also help in increasing the load bearing capacity of our soil in support of foundations and pavements. Soil stabilization can also be done by using the various admixtures such as lime, fly ash, cment etc. but in present day, these admixtures happen to be more expansive to be use as soil stabilizing mixture. So this problem is demanding an alternative solution in making the soil stabilizing process cheap and economic by using wastes as a stabilizer.This research work present the use of excess waste generated in our present and make it hazardeous. India generates nearly around 2600-2700 tons of plastic wastes everyday which is seriously one of the major problems not too for the India but also for the whole world. The harmful gases being generated by the various plastics such as furnace, dioxin, mercury e.t.c. into the open atmosphere and have a threat to our vegetation, humans life and animals as well. In the past recent years, the researchers from the various fields have attempt their best to solved the ecological problems occurred by plastic. But our major motive of this project is to properly analyse the potential capabilities of using plastic types as a stabilizer as well as sugarcane bagasse and its ashes. Bagasse ash as we all know, spread generally over the farms and dumped in ponds which causes severe environmental problems and also many researchers stated that ashes being dumped in the open workplace exposure can cause chronic lung infections. So there is seriously a major concern to reuse the sugarcane bagasse ash. This new techniques of soil stabilization could be essentially meet the various challenges in terms environmental concern. Plastic wastes being converted into chips will be used as a reinforcement in stabilizing the soil. So recommendation of using plastic waste and bagasse ash as a soil stabilizer will reduce the problem of disposing wastes and also helps to reduce the environmental problems.

Microplastics destabilize lipid membranes by mechanical stretching

Estimated millions of tons of plastic are dumped annually into oceans. Plastic has been produced only for 70 y, but the exponential rise of mass production leads to its widespread proliferation in all environments. As a consequence of their large abundance globally, microplastics are also found in many living organisms including humans. While the health impact of digested microplastics on living organisms is debatable, we reveal a physical mechanism of mechanical stretching of model cell lipid membranes induced by adsorbed micrometer-sized microplastic particles most commonly found in oceans. Combining experimental and theoretical approaches, we demonstrate that microplastic particles adsorbed on lipid membranes considerably increase membrane tension even at low particle concentrations. Each particle adsorbed at the membrane consumes surface area that is proportional to the contact area between particle and the membrane. Although lipid membranes are liquid and able to accommodate mechanical stress, the relaxation time is much slower than the rate of adsorption; thus, the cumulative effect from arriving microplastic particles to the membrane leads to the global reduction of the membrane area and increase of membrane tension. This, in turn, leads to a strong reduction of membrane lifetime. The effect of mechanical stretching of microplastics on living cells membranes was demonstrated by using the aspiration micropipette technique on red blood cells. The described mechanical stretching mechanism on lipid bilayers may provide better understanding of the impact of microplastic particles in living systems.

Remanufacturing using end-of-life vehicles and electrical and electronic equipment polymer recyclates - a paradigm for assessing the value proposition

Over 400 million tonnes of plastics are produced on earth every year and are the most used materials on the globe. As a result, polymeric material-based waste has been accumulating, and now can be found not only in designated waste tips on land, but also as pollution all over the world. Therefore, it is timely to accelerate global recycling plans to minimize the use of natural resources. At present, end-of-life vehicles (EOLV) and electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are two major sources of waste. Such waste includes a combination of polymers, which are hard to separate. Because the properties of blends of polymer are not well-understood, the recycling opportunities for such wastes are hindered. Hence, this paper aims to extend the knowledge concerning the re-processing of such recycled polymers, as a first step towards developing a more effective circular manufacturing economy. Three types of recycled polymers were tested under various processing conditions, and the effects of six different process parameters were investigated, including chip size and morphology. The results confirm that properties and processing behaviour of recycled materials can be highly variable, and hence difficult to predict. This highlights the importance of better selection and screening of scrap polymers, to remove undesirable content from the material batch. Knowing the exact constituents of each batch of material to be recycled means that appropriate process settings can be selected, to achieve better material properties in the recycled end product. In addition, energy and materials costs can be reduced by optimizing process parameters such as the set temperatures, pressures, and product dimensions. Tests carried out with different recycled polymer chip sizes indicate that size grading would be worthwhile, as would the reforming of chips to flattened discs or strings. Such additional processing could represent considerable value proposition to the recycled material preparation industry.

Microplastics release from victuals packaging materials during daily usage

AbstractPlastic packaging materials are widely used because of their advantages of light weight, low cost, and convenience, especially as victuals packaging materials. Approximately 146 million metric tons of plastics were used for packaging in 2015, but most of these plastics had already been discarded and followed by serious white pollution. What's worse, the victuals packaging materials, especially polystyrene (PS) foam containers, can release microplastics (MPs) during daily usage. Through the combination of various appropriate chemical (eg, spectroscopy) and physical (eg, microscopy) characterization and analysis, the existence of MPs is proved and MPs can be intuitively observed. Although the impacts of MPs on ecosystems and human health are still under discussion, existing studies have shown that MPs can be integrated into habitats through soil transportation, affecting the health of various terrestrial invertebrates. Faced with this shocking reality, reducing the use of PS foam containers at high temperatures and developing healthy materials to substitute these plastics are promising solutions.image

Towards bio-upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate

Over 359 million tons of plastics were produced worldwide in 2018, with significant growth expected in the near future, resulting in the global challenge of end-of-life management. The recent identification of enzymes that degrade plastics previously considered non-biodegradable opens up opportunities to steer the plastic recycling industry into the realm of biotechnology.Here, the sequential conversion of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into two types of bioplastics is presented: a medium chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and a novel bio-based poly(amide urethane) (bio-PU). PET films are hydrolyzed by a thermostable polyester hydrolase yielding highly pure terephthalate and ethylene glycol. The obtained hydrolysate is used directly as a feedstock for a terephthalate-degrading Pseudomonas umsongensis GO16, also evolved to efficiently metabolize ethylene glycol, to produce PHA. The strain is further modified to secrete hydroxyalkanoyloxy-alkanoates (HAAs), which are used as monomers for the chemo-catalytic synthesis of bio-PU. In short, a novel value-chain for PET upcycling is shown that circumvents the costly purification of PET monomers, adding technological flexibility to the global challenge of end-of-life management of plastics.