Biodegradability of a Selected Range of Polymers and Polymer Blends and Standard Methods for Assessment of Biodegradation

Synthetic polymers are important to the packaging industry but their use raises aesthetic and environmental concerns, particularly with regard to solid waste accumulation problems and the threat to wildlife. Some concerns are addressed by attention to problems associated with source reduction, incineration, recycling and landfill. Others are addressed by the development of new biodegradable polymers either alone or in blends. Materials used for biodegradable polymers include various forms of starch and products derived from it, biopolyesters and some synthetic polymers. Starch is rapidly metabolised and is an excellent base material for polymer blends or for infill of more environmentally inert polymers where it is metabolised to leave less residual polymer on biodegradation. This should help to improve the environmental impact of waste disposal. A number of standard methods have been developed to estimate the extent of biodegradability of polymers under various conditions and with a variety of organisms. They tend to be used mainly in the countries where they were developed but there is much overlap between the standards of different countries and wide scope for development of consistent and international standards.     

Individual and simultaneous degradation of brominated high impact polystyrene and brominated acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and removal of heteroelements (Br,N, and O) from degradation oil by multiphase catalytic systems

Brominated high-impact polystyrene (HIPS-Br), which contained decabromodiphenyl ether flame retardant, and brominated acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS-Br), which contained bromine-containing epoxy-type flame retardant, were degraded at 450°C individually and in a 1/1 mixture by a thermal and catalytic procedure using folded sheet mesoporous (FSM) and ZSM-5 zeolite in liquid phase contact mode. The two polymers produced similar degradation oils but at a higher yield for HIPS-Br. However, the composition and distribution of Br-, N-, and O-containing compounds depended on the type of flame retardant in HIPS-Br and ABS-Br. Multiphase catalytic systems consisting of FSM in liquid phase contact mode and various CaH-, FeO-, CoMo-, and NiMo-based catalysts, or combinations of these catalysts, in vapor phase contact mode were used to decrease the amount of heteroatoms (Br, N, and O) in the degradation oils. Each system gave particular results in terms of mass balance and concentrations of heteroatoms. A FSM (liquid phase contact)/CaHC (vapor phase contact) combination was the best catalytic system to remove Br-, N-, and O-containing compounds from degradation oils.     

Biodegradability of Thermally Aged PHB,PHB-V,and PCL in Soil Compostage

The biodegradability of poly--hydroxybutyrate (PHB), poly--hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHB-V) and poly--caprolactone (PCL) were examined following thermal aging in an oven for 192, 425 and 600 h. Different temperatures, 100, 120 and 140°C for PHB and PHB-V and 30, 40 and 50^oC for PCL were used to assess the influence of this parameter on biodegradation. The biodegradability tests were done in soil compostage at pH 11.0 and involved measuring the residual mass of polymer. Thermal analysis of the polymers was done using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The melting temperature and crystallinity were also determined. Thermal ageing increased the biodegradability only for PHB at 120 and 140^oC, and there was no correlation between crystallinity and the biodegradation of the polymers.     

Adsorption of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions by aminated hypercrosslinked polymers

Two novel polymers （NJ-1 and N J-2） were synthesized by chemically modified a hypercrosslinked polymer NJ-0 with dimethylamine and trimethylamine, respectively. The comparison of the adsorption properties of the three polymers toward phenol, resorcin and phloroglucin was made. The study focused on the static equilibrium adsorption behaviors and the adsorption thermodynamics. Freundlich equation was found to fit the adsorption results well. The effect of amino groups introduced onto the surface of the resin and the structure of phenolic compounds on the adsorption were also studied. The hydrogen-bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction could happen between the amino groups and the adsorbates. The adsorption impetus increased as quantity of hydroxyl groups increased, but the adsorption capacity decreased due to the drop of the matching degree of the aperture of resins and the diameter of adsorbate molecules.     

Earthworms and the Degradation of Lactic Acid–Based Stereocopolymers

Two lactic acid–based stereocopolymers, namely 50/50 and 96/4 L/D poly(l-lactic-co-d-lactic acids) and corresponding oligomers, were allowed to age under different conditions in order to investigate their toxicity and that of some potential degradation by-products, namely lactic acid and sodium and calcium lactates, to earthworms. Degradation characteristics in various worm-free and worm-containing media were also investigated under various conditions including direct feeding using impregnated paper or coated tree-leaves, model composting, and vermi composting. Data were compared with abiotic degradation in sterile neutral phosphate buffer. Last but not least, a novel method aimed at assessing the bioassimilation of degradable polymers and oligomers was utilized, which is based on the monitoring of weight changes of a population of starved worms when the worms are given the polymeric or oligomeric compounds as potential nutrients. The work shows that high molar mass poly(lactic acids) can be ingested by earthworms provided they are disintegrated first. However, they cannot be bioassimilated before hydrolytic degradation generates oligomers. The involvement of microorganisms in the bioassimilation is discussed.     

Poly(aspartic acid): Synthesis, biodegradation, and current applications

Poly(aspartic acid) is a biodegradable, water-soluble polymer that is valuable in numerous industrial applications. A variety of synthetic methods can be utilized to prepare poly(aspartic acid) and related polymeric materials with a range of tailored physical and chemical characteristics. This review of current investigative and patent literature describes methods of synthesis, biodegradative studies, and important current and potential applications of both poly(aspartic acid) homopolymers and copolymers.     

A Method for Measuring Degradation of Individual Components in Multicomponent Biodegradable Plastics by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry

A new chemometric method based on Beer's law was derived that uses peak ratios from Fourier transform infrared spectra of neat polymers and their composite plastics to quantify degradation of the individual polymers after biodegradation. The method affords direct measurement of polymer concentrations and weight losses without prior calibration against known composites. Unlike traditional chemometric methods, this method does not require sampling of as many or more different composites as the number of polymers in the composite being analyzed. When the neat polymer spectra are known, only two measurements, one before and one after biodegradation, are needed. A potentially major advance is that the method allows automation of analytical infrared wavelength selection by computer from all possible wavelength combinations. In this paper, the theoretical basis and derivation of the mathematical model for multicomponent systems is presented. The validity of the model was proved initially by applying the method to simulated two-polymer and three-polymer composites and finally by comparing test results with known samples of biodegradable composites prepared in the laboratory. Potential future development of the method for more challenging multicomponent plastics is discussed.     

Competitive effects of humic acid and wastewater on adsorption of Methylene Blue dye by activated carbon and non-imprinted polymers

Natural organic matter(NOM), present in natural waters and wastewater, decreases adsorption of micropollutants, increasing treatment costs. This research investigated mechanisms of competition for non-imprinted polymers(NIPs) and activated carbon with humic acid and wastewater. Three different types of activated carbons(Norit PAC 200,Darco KB-M, and Darco S-51) were used for comparison with the NIP. The lower surface area and micropore to mesopore ratio of the NIP led to decreased adsorption capacity in comparison to the activated carbons. In addition, experiments were conducted for single-solute adsorption of Methylene Blue(MB) dye, simultaneous adsorption with humic acid and wastewater, and pre-loading with humic acid and wastewater followed by adsorption of MB dye using NIP and Norit PAC 200. Both the NIP and PAC 200 showed significant decreases of 27% for NIP(p = 0.087) and 29% for PAC 200(p = 0.096) during simultaneous exposure to humic acid and MB dye. There was no corresponding decrease for NIP or PAC 200 pre-loaded with humic acid and then exposed to MB. In fact, for PAC 200, the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon increased when it was pre-loaded with humic acid by 39%(p = 0.0005). For wastewater, the NIP showed no significant increase or decrease in adsorption capacity during either simultaneous exposure or pre-loading. The adsorption capacity of PAC 200 increased by 40%(p = 0.001) for simultaneous exposure to wastewater and MB. Pre-loading with wastewater had no effect on MB adsorption by PAC 200.     

Exploitation of Fenton and Fenton-like reagents as alternative conditioners for alum sludge conditioning

The use of Fenton’s reagent (Fe2+/H2O2) and Fenton-like reagents containing transition metals of Cu(II), Zn(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) for an alum sludge conditioning to improve its dewaterability was investigated. The results obtained were compared with those obtained from conditioning the same alum sludge using cationic and anionic polymers. Experimental results show that Fenton’s reagent was the best among the Fenton and Fenton-like reagents for the alum sludge conditioning. A considerable e ectiveness of capillary suction time (CST) reduction e ciency of 47% can be achieved under test conditions of Fe2+/H2O2 = 20/125 mg/g DS (dry solid) and pH 6.0. The observation of floc-like particles after Fenton’s reagent conditioning of alum sludge suggested that the mechanism of Fenton’s reagent conditioning was di erent from that of polymer conditioning. In spite of the lower e ciency in the CST reduction of Fenton’s reagent in alum sludge conditioning compared to that of polymer conditioning, Fenton’s reagent o ers a more environmentally safe option. This study provided an example of proactive treatment engineering, which is aimed at seeking a safe alternative to the use of polymers in sludge conditioning towards achieving a more sustainable sludge management strategy.     

盐度冲击下MBR污泥SMP和EPS的三维荧光光谱解析

利用三维荧光(EEM)技术研究了不同盐度冲击下膜-生物反应器(MBR)污泥微生物溶解性产物(SMP)和胞外聚合物(EPS)的变化规律,分析不同盐度冲击下MBR污泥SMP和EPS的EEM图谱.结果表明,当冲击盐度大于2.5g/L时,SMP的EEM图谱中色氨酸荧光峰B(270nm,350nm)、类胡敏酸荧光峰C(375,475nm)、类富里酸荧光峰D(260,460nm)以及EPS的EEM图谱中色氨酸荧光峰B的荧光强度随冲击盐度的提升而增加,EPS的EEM图谱中类胡敏酸C峰的荧光强度则随冲击盐度的提升而下降.用平行因子分析(PARAFAC)方法确定EEM图谱中存在的4个组分,分别为类蛋白质组分C1(230/280,350nm),类胡敏酸组分C2(290/310,380nm)、C3(290/360,460nm)和C4(270/340,440nm);当冲击盐度大于2.5g/L时,SMP中C1、C3和C4组分的荧光强度与冲击盐度呈正相关,而EPS中C3和C4组分的荧光强度分别与冲击盐度呈正相关和负相关,其相关系数均≥0.90;SMP中类蛋白质荧光组分和类胡敏酸组分的荧光强度之和分别与测定的蛋白质含量和胡敏酸含量呈明显的正相关性,相关系数均＞0.93,可作为荧光组分强度定量计算的依据,而EPS中此相关性并不明显.