Numerous plastics are principally biodegradable, but are only degraded very slowly in the open air, wastewater, or composting plants. Known enzymes with the ability to degrade plastics could solve this problem.
Biochemistry
Nov 30, 2022
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47
Biodegradable microplastic particles in soils can lead to an increased rise in CO2 emissions to the Earth's atmosphere. This is shown by an interdisciplinary study published in Applied Soil Ecology by the Collaborative Research ...
Ecology
Nov 8, 2022
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10
In a UK-wide study, researchers have found that 60% of home-compostable plastics do not fully disintegrate in home compost bins, and inevitably end up in our soil. The study also found that citizens are confused about the ...
Environment
Nov 3, 2022
4
213
Modern agriculture uses a lot of plastic, especially in the form of mulch film that farmers use to cover field soils. This keeps the soils moist for crops, suppresses weeds and promotes crop growth.
Polymers
Oct 12, 2022
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38
Much effort has been put into making plastics not only durable and convenient but also environmentally friendly materials for everyday products. Osaka Metropolitan University scientists made a significant advance in this ...
Biochemistry
Oct 3, 2022
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8
A team of Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists has developed a system that uses carbon dioxide, CO2, to produce biodegradable plastics, or bioplastics, that could replace the nondegradable plastics used today. The research ...
Biochemistry
Sep 28, 2022
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167
In plants, natural photosynthesis binds carbon dioxide (CO2) to organic compounds, which can then be converted into glucose or starch. These useful molecules can be sequestered, storing the carbon in a solid form. Artificial ...
Biochemistry
Aug 22, 2022
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16
Composting plants process biowaste into finished compost, which ends up as fertilizer in soils. A study by the University of Bayreuth shows that finished compost from composting plants in Germany contains a large number ...
Environment
Jun 29, 2022
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658
Plastic film mulching has been applied globally in various agricultural settings and inevitably disintegrates into microplastics (MPs, which are less than 5 mm in size) due to a series of natural and artificial forces. However, ...
Ecology
Jun 7, 2022
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8
Over one-fifth of all plastic produced worldwide is tossed into uncontrolled dumpsites, burned in open pits or leaked into the environment. In Australia, 1.1 million tonnes of plastic is placed in the market, yet just 16% ...
Environment
Apr 6, 2022
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4
