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Kumar R, Lalnundiki V, Shelare SD, Abhishek GJ, Sharma S, Sharma D, Kumar A, Abbas M. An investigation of the environmental implications of bioplastics: Recent advancements on the development of environmentally friendly bioplastics solutions. Environ Res 2024; 244:117707. [PMID: 38008206 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
The production and utilization of plastics may prove beneficial, but the environmental impact suggests the opposite. The single-use plastics (SUP) and conventional plastics are harmful to the environment and need prompt disposal. Bioplastics are increasingly being considered as a viable alternative to conventional plastics due to their potential to alleviate environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. However, the previous reviews revealed a lack of consistency in the methodologies used in the Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), making it difficult to compare the results across studies. The current study provides a systematic review of LCAs that assess the environmental impact of bioplastics. The different mechanical characteristics of bio plastics, like tensile strength, Young's modulus, flexural modulus, and elongation at break are reviewed which suggest that bio plastics are comparatively much better than synthetic plastics. Bioplastics have more efficient mechanical properties compared to synthetic plastics which signifies that bioplastics are more sustainable and reliable than synthetic plastics. The key challenges in bioplastic adoption and production include competition with food production for feedstock, high production costs, uncertainty in end-of-life management, limited biodegradability, lack of standardization, and technical performance limitations. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among stakeholders to drive innovation, reduce costs, improve end-of-life management, and promote awareness and education. Overall, the study suggests that while bioplastics have the potential to reduce environmental impact, further research is needed to better understand their life cycle and optimize their end-of-life (EoL) management and production to maximize their environmental benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Kumar
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India.
| | - V Lalnundiki
- School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India.
| | - Sagar D Shelare
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Priyadarshini College of Engineering, Nagpur, M.S, 440019, India.
| | - Galla John Abhishek
- School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India.
| | - Shubham Sharma
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University Centre for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, 140413, India; School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, 266520, Qingdao, China; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lebanese American University, Kraytem, 1102-2801, Beirut, Lebanon; Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura, 140401, Punjab, India.
| | - Deepti Sharma
- Department of Management, Uttaranchal Institute of Management, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, India.
| | - Abhinav Kumar
- Department of Nuclear and Renewable Energy, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, 19 Mira Street, 620002, Ekaterinburg, Russia.
| | - Mohamed Abbas
- Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia.
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Bhanot V, Mamta, Gupta S, Panwar J. Phylloplane fungus Curvularia dactyloctenicola VJP08 effectively degrades commercially available PS product. J Environ Manage 2024; 351:119920. [PMID: 38157570 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Polystyrene (PS), a widely produced plastic with an extended carbon (C-C) backbone that resists microbial attack, is produced in enormous quantities throughout the World. Naturally occurring plasticizers such as plant cuticle and lignocelluloses share similar properties to synthetic plastics such as hydrophobicity, structural complexity, and higher recalcitrance to degradation. In due course of time, phytopathogenic fungi have evolved strategies to overcome these limitations and utilize lignocellulosic waste for their nutrition. The present investigation focuses on the utilization of phylloplane fungus, Curvularia dactyloctenicola VJP08 towards its ability to colonize and degrade commercially available PS lids. The fungus was observed to densely grow onto PS samples over an incubation period of 30 days. The morphological changes showcased extensive fungal growth with mycelial imbrication invading the PS surface for carbon extraction leading to the appearance of cracks and holes in the PS surface. It was further confirmed by EDS analysis which indicated that carbon was extracted from PS for the fungal growth. Further, 3.57% decrease in the weight, 8.8% decrease in the thickness and 2 °C decrease in the glass transition temperature (Tg) confirmed alterations in the structural integrity of PS samples by the fungal action. GC-MS/MS analysis of the treated PS samples also showed significant decrease in the concentration of benzene and associated aromatic derivatives confirming the degradation of PS samples and subsequent utilization of generated by-products by the fungus for growth. Overall, the present study confirmed the degradation and utilization of commercially available PS samples by phylloplane fungus C. dactyloctenicola VJP08. These findings establish a clear cross-assessment of the phylloplane fungi for their prospective use in the development of degradation strategies of synthetic plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishalakshi Bhanot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Mamta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Suresh Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Jitendra Panwar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India.
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Bhanot V, Panwar J. Unveiling the potential of Lichtheimia ramosa AJP11 for myco-transformation of polystyrene sulfonate and its driving molecular mechanism. J Environ Manage 2023; 325:116579. [PMID: 36302301 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is a major environmental concern due to its deleterious effects on various ecosystems. The limitations and shortcomings of waste management strategies has led to the over-accumulation of plastic waste, mainly comprised of single-use plastics, such as polystyrene (PS). Considering the advantages of biotransformation over the other plastic disposal methods, it has become a major focus of the modern research. Biotransformation of plastics involves its microbial hydrolysis into short chain oligomers and monomers that are eventually assimilated as carbon source by the microbes leading to the release of CO2. As fungi are known to possess multifarious and highly regulated enzyme system capable of utilizing diverse nutrient sources, the present study explored the potential of Lichtheimia ramosa AJP11 towards myco-transformation of polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), a structural analogue of polystyrene (PS). During the 30-day incubation period of L. ramosa AJP11 in minimal salt medium (MSM)+1% PSS, the fungus showed 41.6% increment in its fresh weight biomass, indicating the utilization of PSS as sole carbon source. Further analysis revealed the generation of various reaction intermediates such as alkanes and fatty acids, crucial for the continuum of fungal metabolic pathways. Moreover, detection of PS oligomers such as cyclohexane and 2,4-DTBP confirmed the myco-transformation of PSS. The extracellular fungal protein profile showed considerable overexpression of a 14.4 kDa protein, characterized to be a hydrophobic surface binding (Hsb) protein, which is hypothesized to adsorb onto the PSS to facilitate its transformation. Further, in silico analysis of Hsb protein indicated it to be an amphiphilic α-helical protein with ability to bind styrene sulfonate unit via both hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions, with a binding energy of -5.02 kcal mol-1. These findings open new avenues for over expression of Hsb under controlled reactor conditions to accelerate the PS waste disposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishalakshi Bhanot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Jitendra Panwar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, 333031, Rajasthan, India.
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Ali SS, Elsamahy T, Al-Tohamy R, Zhu D, Mahmoud YAG, Koutra E, Metwally MA, Kornaros M, Sun J. Plastic wastes biodegradation: Mechanisms, challenges and future prospects. Sci Total Environ 2021; 780:146590. [PMID: 34030345 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The growing accumulation of plastic wastes is one of the main environmental challenges currently faced by modern societies. These wastes are considered a serious global problem because of their effects on all forms of life. There is thus an urgent need to demonstrate effective eco-environmental techniques to overcome the hazardous environmental impacts of traditional disposal paths. However, our current knowledge on the prevailing mechanisms and the efficacy of synthetic plastics' biodegradation still appears limited. Under this scope, our review aims to comprehensively highlight the role of microbes, with special emphasis on algae, on the entire plastic biodegradation process focusing on the depolarization of various synthetic plastic types. Moreover, our review emphasizes on the ability of insects' gut microbial consortium to degrade synthetic plastic wastes. In this view, we discuss the schematic pathway of the biodegradation process of six types of synthetic plastics. These findings may contribute to establishing bio-upcycling processes of plastic wastes towards biosynthesis of valuable metabolic products. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for microbial valorization of degraded plastic wastes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameh S Ali
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Tamer Elsamahy
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Rania Al-Tohamy
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Daochen Zhu
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yehia A-G Mahmoud
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Eleni Koutra
- Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 1 Karatheodori Str., University Campus, 26504 Patras, Greece; INVALOR: Research Infrastructure for Waste Valorization and Sustainable Management, University Campus, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | | | - Michael Kornaros
- Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 1 Karatheodori Str., University Campus, 26504 Patras, Greece; INVALOR: Research Infrastructure for Waste Valorization and Sustainable Management, University Campus, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Jianzhong Sun
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
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