COST Action PRIORITY: An EU Perspective on Micro- and Nanoplastics as Global Issues

Federici, Stefania; Ademović, Zahida; Amorim, Mónica J.B.; Bigalke, Moritz; Cocca, Mariacristina; Depero, Laura E.; Dutta, Joydeep; Fritzsche, Wolfgang; Hartmann, Nanna B.; Kalčíková, Gabriela; Keller, Nicolas; Meisel, Thomas; Mitrano, Denise M.; Morrison, Liam; Raquez, Jean-Marie; Tubić, Aleksandra; Velimirović, Milica

doi:10.3390/microplastics1020020

Cited by 16 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Hence, academia, organizations, governments, and humanity seek an obligatory transition from LE to CE. Notably, the "United Nations Sustainable Development Goals" [9] and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's "Circular economy" principles [10] are aligned with previous studies that have proven that enhancing wind power capacity as a green electrical resource, plus waste management and conversion into high-added-value secondary materials, can effectively improve adverse ecological issues, from "climate change" to microplastic (MP) formation and accumulation [11][12][13]. Consequently, our planet has the potential to serve humanity as a safe place to live for longer, in addition to offering all living beings long-term health and prosperity [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Waste Management of Wind Turbine Blades: A Comprehensive Review on Available Recycling Technologies with A Focus on Overcoming Potential Environmental Hazards Caused by Microplastic Production

Tayebi,

Sambucci,

Valente

2024

Sustainability

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The 2020 targets for sustainable development and circular economy encourage global leaders and countries to legislate laws and policies on several critical hot topics to prevent further global warming: (1) the increased utilization of renewable electrical power (wind turbine implants, as an example); (2) waste transformation into high-added-value materials based on the European Green Deal for energy transition; and (3) material and energy recovery and circularity. Accordingly, scholars and researchers have predicted that, hopefully, installed wind power capacity is going to increase dramatically by 2050. However, our ecosystem will have to face and deal with an enormous amount of decommissioned turbine blades. The disposal of these wastes via conventional methods could not only raise the possibility of microplastic formation, but could also boost the probability of environmental issues such as air pollution, soil, water contamination, etc. Moreover, these hazards will endanger wildlife and humans. As a result, the waste management of these retired blades composed of multi-lateral composite materials through a sustainable, effective, and feasible single/or hybrid process is necessary. This review aims to summarize all of the information about turbines, introduce all the various recycling pathways used for their blades, and provide a comparative analysis of these methods as well. In addition, the paper defines the possibility of microplastic formation from this waste (especially end-of-life turbine blade scraps), points out potential risks for the Earth, and suggests actions to inhibit their build-up and to keep the environment safe.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Waste Management of Wind Turbine Blades: A Comprehensive Review on Available Recycling Technologies with A Focus on Overcoming Potential Environmental Hazards Caused by Microplastic Production

Tayebi,

Sambucci,

Valente

2024

Sustainability

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“…Plastic pollution threatens ecosystems across the globe and affects both biotic and abiotic components ( Federici et al, 2022 ). This is a highly complex contaminant and is also the source of other contaminants.…”

Section: Mitigation Of Land Pollutantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing fungal bio-electricity: a promising path to a cleaner environment

Umar,

Mubeen,

Ali

et al. 2024

Front. Microbiol.

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Integrating fungi into fuel cell systems presents a promising opportunity to address environmental pollution while simultaneously generating energy. This review explores the innovative concept of constructing wetlands as fuel cells for pollutant degradation, offering a practical and eco-friendly solution to pollution challenges. Fungi possess unique capabilities in producing power, fuel, and electricity through metabolic processes, drawing significant interest for applications in remediation and degradation. Limited data exist on fungi’s ability to generate electricity during catalytic reactions involving various enzymes, especially while remediating pollutants. Certain species, such as Trametes versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Galactomyces reessii, Aspergillus spp., Kluyveromyce smarxianus, and Hansenula anomala, have been reported to generate electricity at 1200 mW/m3, 207 mW/m2, 1,163 mW/m3, 438 mW/m3, 850,000 mW/m3, and 2,900 mW/m3, respectively. Despite the eco-friendly potential compared to conventional methods, fungi’s role remains largely unexplored. This review delves into fungi’s exceptional potential as fuel cell catalysts, serving as anodic or cathodic agents to mitigate land, air, and water pollutants while simultaneously producing fuel and power. Applications cover a wide range of tasks, and the innovative concept of wetlands designed as fuel cells for pollutant degradation is discussed. Cost-effectiveness may vary depending on specific contexts and applications. Fungal fuel cells (FFCs) offer a versatile and innovative solution to global challenges, addressing the increasing demand for alternative bioenergy production amid population growth and expanding industrial activities. The mechanistic approach of fungal enzymes via microbial combinations and electrochemical fungal systems facilitates the oxidation of organic substrates, oxygen reduction, and ion exchange membrane orchestration of essential reactions. Fungal laccase plays a crucial role in pollutant removal and monitoring environmental contaminants. Fungal consortiums show remarkable potential in fine-tuning FFC performance, impacting both power generation and pollutant degradation. Beyond energy generation, fungal cells effectively remove pollutants. Overall, FFCs present a promising avenue to address energy needs and mitigate pollutants simultaneously.

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“…Plastic pollution is considered to be one of the most significant threats to global ecosystems and is known to impact both the abiotic and biotic components (Ogonowski et al 2018 ; Everaert et al 2020 ; Lusher et al 2021 ; Liu et al 2022 ; Su et al 2022 ; Federici et al 2022 ). In 2018, global plastic production increased to more than 360 million tons, and it is expected to triple by the year 2050 (Gumel et al 2013 ; Plastics Europe 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biotechnological methods to remove microplastics: a review

et al. 2023

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Microplastics pollution is major threat to ecosystems and is impacting abiotic and biotic components. Microplastics are diverse and highly complex contaminants that transport other contaminants and microbes. Current methods to remove microplastics include biodegradation, incineration, landfilling, and recycling. Here we review microplastics with focus on sources, toxicity, and biodegradation. We discuss the role of algae, fungi, bacteria in the biodegradation, and we present biotechnological methods to enhance degradation, e.g., gene editing tools and bioinformatics.

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COST Action PRIORITY: An EU Perspective on Micro- and Nanoplastics as Global Issues

Cited by 16 publications

References 28 publications

Waste Management of Wind Turbine Blades: A Comprehensive Review on Available Recycling Technologies with A Focus on Overcoming Potential Environmental Hazards Caused by Microplastic Production

Waste Management of Wind Turbine Blades: A Comprehensive Review on Available Recycling Technologies with A Focus on Overcoming Potential Environmental Hazards Caused by Microplastic Production

Harnessing fungal bio-electricity: a promising path to a cleaner environment

Biotechnological methods to remove microplastics: a review

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