Seaweed Plastic Bags? Bacteria Could Make it Happen

In 2018, a study on images taken at the bottom of the Marianne Trench, the world’s deepest ocean floor, revealed plastic waste 3,300 feet deep. Veskovo also reported the presence of plastic bags in the area. Now he has one eloquent fact. The United Nations predicts that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.In this way, coupled with global warming, plastic and micro plastic It has become one of the most pressing environmental problems. And while recycling can ease the problem, it is by no means a surefire solution.development only innovative materials You can work efficiently. Ironically, remedies may be found where this kind of contamination is most severe. A group of scientists from Tel Aviv University technology project We are trying to create a new generation of seaweed-based bioplastics.

“Scientists at Tel Aviv University are developing a new generation of seaweed-based bioplastics.”

To achieve that, they have relied on Haloferax mediterranea Bacteria that feed on carbohydrates in seaweed metabolize them, usually by fermentation of sugars and lipids, as polyhydroxycarbonates, a type of natural polyester produced by bacteria. is one of bio plastic Fully biodegradable while producing zero toxic waste. So far, the production of this type of bioplastic required food crops at the expense of food production. It’s a similar situation to using edible plants to make biofuel. Generate electricity Or plastic could affect malnourished people and cause price spikes. Luckily, seaweed is a bountiful resource that doesn’t require resources. agricultural technology, This is the main reason Israeli researchers chose it to develop these new bioplastic that deteriorate over the course of a year.

Technological research is still ongoing as scientists study techniques to develop plastics with specific qualities for producing plastic bags and different types of food packaging.

What other raw materials can be used to make bioplastics?

Israeli researchers are not the only scientists dedicated to research. Development of new biodegradable plasticsPotato starch-based plastic bags are one of the most common choices, but cassava starch-based plastic, which is derived from roots used in African, Latin American, and Asian cuisine, is another candidate. Used for nutritional purposes. SoluBag is therefore one of the most interesting things he could be. technology solutionA water-soluble bag developed by a Chilean company that uses limestone as a raw material. Those bags are cold water and he dissolves within 5 minutes. This is considerably less time than the 400 years required for some petroleum-based plastics to fully decompose. In addition to this, carbon, a completely harmless compound, is the sole by-product of He SoluBag after dissolution.

sauce: National Geographic, Science Direct



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