Exploring the hidden environmental pollution of microplastics derived from bioplastics: A review

Piyathilake, Udara; Lin, Chuxia; Bolan, Nanthi; Bundschuh, Jochen; Rinklebe, Jörg; Herath, Indika

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141773

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 223 publications

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“…Some of these plastics are compostable, such as PLA 10 , however, their degradation typically requires industrial composting facilities, which are very slow under natural conditions in soil or marine 11 , 12 . In addition to accumulation, the microplastics produced by bio-based/biodegradable plastics in the environment cannot be ignored, and they can accumulate in ecosystem, which in turn bioaccumulate in the bodies of humans and other organisms 13 , 14 . An increasing number of researchers are realizing that sustainable disposal strategies are indispensable for bio-based/biodegradable plastic wastes 15 , 16 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selective recovery of pyrolyzates of biodegradable (PLA, PHBH) and common plastics (HDPE, PP, PS) during co-pyrolysis under slow heating

Adachi,

Kumagai,

Shao

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Pyrolytic synergistic interactions, in which the production of pyrolyzates is enhanced or inhibited, commonly occur during the co-pyrolysis of different polymeric materials, such as plastics and biomass. Although these interactions can increase the yield of desired pyrolysis products under controlled degradation conditions, the desired compounds must be separated from complex pyrolyzates and further purified. To balance these dual effects, this study was aimed at examining pyrolytic synergistic interactions during slow heating co-pyrolysis of biodegradable plastics including polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexaoate) (PHBH) and petroleum-based plastics including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). Comprehensive investigations based on thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and evolved gas analysis-mass spectrometry revealed that PLA and PHBH decompose at lower temperatures (273–378 °C) than HDPE, PP, and PS (386–499 °C), with each polymer undergoing independent decomposition without any pyrolytic interactions. Thus, the independent pyrolysis of biodegradable plastics, such as PLA and PHBH, with common plastics, such as HDPE, PP, and PS, can theoretically be realized through temperature control, enabling the selective recovery of their pyrolyzates in different temperature ranges. Thus, pyrolytic approaches can facilitate the treatment of mixed biodegradable and common plastics.

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