Degradation and lifetime prediction of plastics in subsea and offshore infrastructures

Oluwoye, Ibukun; Machuca, Laura L.; Higgins, Stuart; Suh, Sangwon; Galloway, Tamara S.; Halley, Peter; Tanaka, Shuhei; Iannuzzi, Mariano

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166719

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 171 publications

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“…The degradation of the cork, coffee-grounds and walnut-shell fractions was not monitored because they are all natural products that are expected to be biodegradable (though this is known to occur at a much lower rate than pectin). Plastic- or paper-packaging degradation is an extremely gradual process, and it may require numerous years for these materials to completely decompose, as this is contingent upon the specific type of plastic or paper and the prevailing environmental conditions [ 69 , 70 ]. Chamas et al [ 71 ] have reported that low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags are projected to decompose by 50% within approximately 4.6 years when buried inland, and within around 3.4 years in marine environments.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties

Cruz,

Rainer,

Wagner

et al. 2024

Polymers

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The development of sustainable materials from the valorization of waste is a good alternative to reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging. The objectives of this study were to develop and characterize pectin-based composite films incorporated with cork or cork with either coffee grounds or walnut shells, as well as to test the films’ genotoxicity, antioxidant properties, and biodegradation capacity in soil and seawater. The addition of cork, coffee grounds, or walnut shells modified the films’ characteristics. The results showed that those films were thicker (0.487 ± 0.014 mm to 0.572 ± 0.014 mm), more opaque (around 100%), darker (L* = 25.30 ± 0.78 to 33.93 ± 0.84), and had a higher total phenolic content (3.17 ± 0.01 mg GA/g to 4.24 ± 0.02 mg GA/g). On the other hand, the films incorporated only with cork showed higher values of elongation at break (32.24 ± 1.88% to 36.30 ± 3.25%) but lower tensile strength (0.91 ± 0.19 MPa to 1.09 ± 0.08 MPa). All the films presented more heterogeneous and rougher microstructures than the pectin film. This study also revealed that the developed films do not contain DNA-reactive substances and that they are biodegradable in soil and seawater. These positive properties could subsequently make the developed films an interesting eco-friendly food packaging solution that contributes to the valorization of organic waste and by-products, thus promoting the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of plastic materials.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties

Cruz,

Rainer,

Wagner

et al. 2024

Polymers

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“…The occurences of plastic pollution tend to escalate, and even if plastic use was stopped immediately, the pollution would continue to persist due to the very low capacity of environmental factors and microbiomes to biodegrade these polymers (for example, polyethylene needs between <400 and >800 years to degrade [10]). The problem has become even more critical with the increase of plastics use due to our urge to cope with the protection requirements imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic (gloves, gowns, masks, glasses, etc.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laboratory Assessment for Determining Microplastics in Freshwater Systems—Characterization and Identification along the Somesul Mic River

Gheorghe,

Stoica,

Harabagiu

et al. 2024

Water

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Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become a persisting problem over the last decades and is a critical issue for environmental protection and human health. In this context, scientific data able to reveal MPs presence and improve the characterization and identification of this pollution via different systems are valuable. The aim of this paper is to assess available techniques for determining MPs in real freshwater samples and subsequently to highlight the occurrence and type of MPs in the study case area (Somesul Mic River). The MPs sampling was performed from fresh water and sediment using planktonic nets and sieves with different mesh sizes (from 20 to 500 µm). Using both classical microscopic techniques as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), large (1–5 mm) and small (1 µm to 1 mm) MPs were observed in the shape of fibers, fragments, foam, foils and spheres in various colors (red, green, blue, purple, pink, white, black, transparent, and opaque). Raman and FT-IR spectroscopic methods were used for MPs identification. The presence of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) was registered for all sampling points. The MPs laboratory investigations have raised some issues regarding the identification of MPs particles smaller than 500 µm, these being characterized especially under microscope. Some small MPs particles were identified using micro-Raman spectroscopy that highlighted the same type of polymers. No differences were registered between the sampling points due to the widespread presence of MPs. The sediment samples presented a greater abundance as compared to the water samples. Overall, it is necessary to continue the optimization of MPs separation protocol and identification according to the complexity of samples, mainly due to the limitation and lack of spectral databases.

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“…From an environmental viewpoint, the synthetic polymer and plastic components should be properly managed to avoid persistent contamination of the environment in the form of micro-and nano-plastics. This is so because many offshore infrastructures are ladened with plastics for (i) protection against seawater corrosion, (ii) thermal insulation, (iii) electrical insulation, and (iv) inner protection and paddings [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cryogenic Comminution of Subsea Cables and Flowlines: A Pathway for Circular Recycling of End-of-Life Offshore Infrastructure

Oluwoye,

Mathew

2023

Sustainability

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Hundreds of thousands of kilometers of communication and power (umbilical) cables and flowlines lie undersea worldwide. Most of these offshore cables and flowlines have reached or will soon be nearing the end of their service life, prompting the need for a viable recycling approach to recover some valuable material, e.g., copper. However, separation into constituent materials has proven very challenging due to the highly robust design of the composite cables (and flowlines) to withstand service conditions and the tough external plastic sheaths that protect against seawater corrosion. This study aims at promoting sustainable practices in the offshore energy sector. Here, we summarize the findings of the cryogenic comminution of subsea cables and flowlines for an effective separation and recovery of component materials. Heat transfer analyses of complex multilayer flowlines and umbilicals were conducted to evaluate the time required for these structures to reach their respective critical brittle-transition temperatures. Subsequently, the time was used as a guide to crush the flowline and umbilical cables under cryogenic conditions. The results show that the flowlines and umbilical cables will reach the brittle-transition temperature after approximately 1000s (i.e., 17 min) of submergence in liquid nitrogen (LN). Comminution of the materials at temperatures near the brittle-transition temperature was proven relatively efficient compared to room-temperature processing. The present evaluation of heat transfer and lab-scale crushing will afford accurate process modelling and design of a pilot cryogenic comminution of decommissioned subsea cables and flowlines, enabling the sustainable recovery of valuable materials that can provide a new stream of waste-to-wealth economy.

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Degradation and lifetime prediction of plastics in subsea and offshore infrastructures

Cited by 9 publications

References 171 publications

Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties

Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties

Laboratory Assessment for Determining Microplastics in Freshwater Systems—Characterization and Identification along the Somesul Mic River

Cryogenic Comminution of Subsea Cables and Flowlines: A Pathway for Circular Recycling of End-of-Life Offshore Infrastructure

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