Analysis of the microplastic emission potential of a starch-based biodegradable plastic material

Innocenti, Francesco Degli; Barbale, Marco; Chinaglia, Selene; Esposito, Ermes; Pecchiari, Marco; Razza, Francesco; Tosin, Maurizio

doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2022.109934

Cited by 14 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Erosion seems to be dominant for such small particles . The present case confirmed the expectation which Degli-Innocenti et al had inferred from disintegration and mineralization rates, that compostable plastic should have a low microplastic emission potential . In direct comparison we confirmed the high microplastic emission potential of LDPE .…”

Section: Environmental Implicationssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The present case confirmed the expectation which Degli-Innocenti et al had inferred from disintegration and mineralization rates, that compostable plastic should have a low microplastic emission potential . In direct comparison we confirmed the high microplastic emission potential of LDPE . Clearly the concept of microplastic emission potential or other fate models ,, must be refined with time-dependent particle sizes in both count and mass metrics.…”

Section: Environmental Implicationssupporting

confidence: 90%

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Fragmentation and Mineralization of a Compostable Aromatic–Aliphatic Polyester during Industrial Composting

Wohlleben

Rückel

Meyer

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett.

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Compostable plastics support the separate collection of organic waste. However, there are concerns that the fragments generated during disintegration might not fully biodegrade and leave persistent microplastic in compost. We spiked particles of an aromatic−aliphatic polyester containing polylactide into compost and then tracked disintegration under industrial composting conditions. We compared the yields against polyethylene. The validity of the extraction protocol and complementary microscopic methods (μ-Raman and fluorescence) was assessed by blank controls, spike controls, and prelabeled plastics. Fragments of 25−75 μm size represented the most pronounced peak of interim fragmentation, which was reached already after 1 week of industrial composting. Larger sizes peaked earlier, while smaller sizes peaked later and remained less frequent. For particles of all sizes, count and mass decreased to blank level when 90% of the polymer carbon were transformed into CO 2 . Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis suggested depolymerization as the main driving force for disintegration. A transient shift of the particle composition to a lower percentage of polylactide was observed. Plastic fragmentation during biodegradation is the expected route for decomposing, but no accumulation of particulate fragments of any size was observed.

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Section: Environmental Implicationssupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Environmental Implicationssupporting

confidence: 90%

Fragmentation and Mineralization of a Compostable Aromatic–Aliphatic Polyester during Industrial Composting

Wohlleben

Rückel

Meyer

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett.

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show abstract

“…However, there is also literature data considering the above-summarized concerns as over-estimated. For instance, a model has been proposed that introduces the MPEP parameter, i.e., the potential of a polymer material to add persistent microplastics to the environment, which takes into account not only the production of microplastics via fragmentation, but also its disappearance (or, eventually, no disappearance, i.e., persistence) via biodegradation; in other words, it is proposed as the way to estimate microplastics build-up as the dynamic result of fragmentation reactions (which lead to the formation of microplastics) and biodegradation reactions (which remove microplastics) [ 91 ]. It was found that HDPE had an MPEP more than 1000 times higher than cellulose or a biodegradable commercial polymer.…”

Section: Sources and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current Concerns about Microplastics and Nanoplastics: A Brief Overview

Morreale,

La Mantia

2024

Polymers

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The widespread and increasing use of plastic-based goods in the present-day world has been raising many concerns about the formation of microplastics, their release, their impacts on the environment and, ultimately, on living organisms. These concerns are even greater regarding nanoplastics, i.e., nanosized microplastics, which may have even greater impacts. In this brief review, although without any claim or intention to exhaustively cover all the aspects of such a complex and many-sided issue, the very topical problem of the formation of microplastics, and the even more worrisome nanoplastics, from polymer-based products was considered. The approach is focused on a terse, straightforward, and easily accessible analysis oriented to the main technological engineering aspects regarding the sources of microplastics and nanoplastics released into the environment, their nature, some of the consequences arising from the release, the different polymers involved, their technological form (i.e., products or processes, with particular attention towards unintentional release), the formation mechanisms, and some possible mitigation pathways.

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Everything falls apart: How solids degrade and release nanomaterials, composite fragments, and microplastics

Wohlleben,

Bossa,

Mitrano

et al. 2024

NanoImpact

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Analysis of the microplastic emission potential of a starch-based biodegradable plastic material

Cited by 14 publications

References 52 publications

Fragmentation and Mineralization of a Compostable Aromatic–Aliphatic Polyester during Industrial Composting

Fragmentation and Mineralization of a Compostable Aromatic–Aliphatic Polyester during Industrial Composting

Current Concerns about Microplastics and Nanoplastics: A Brief Overview

Everything falls apart: How solids degrade and release nanomaterials, composite fragments, and microplastics

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