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375053

Biodegradable Polymers Converting Environmental Challenges into Eco-Friendly Solutions

Article

Last updated: 20 Jan 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

Environmental chemistry

Abstract

Polymers play a crucial role in various industries due to their versatility, affordability, and lightweight characteristics. However, their extensive production and limited biodegradability have become significant environmental challenges. Traditional plastics, often destined for landfills, persist for centuries or contribute to pollution through incineration. The growing environmental concerns surrounding plastic waste have driven the development of biodegradable polymers. These polymers, derived from renewable resources such as starch, cellulose, and vegetable oils, or synthetic bio-based monomers like lactic acid, are designed to degrade naturally through microbial action or photodegradation. The degradation process of these polymers results in harmless byproduct, such as water which supports environmental sustainability. This study provides a detailed examination of the degradation mechanisms of both synthetic and bio-based polymers, identifying key factors that influence polymer degradation in various applications. The study highlighted the significant role of bacteria and fungi in the biodegradation of polymers in freshwater environments, with optimal pH values for landfill degradation ranging between 5.8 and 8.5. The impact of blending biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymers on the overall biodegradation process was thoroughly explored. The findings contributed to a deeper understanding of polymer degradation, offering valuable insights into enhancing the biodegradability of polymers for a more sustainable future.

DOI

10.21608/ejchem.2024.299280.10012

Keywords

Biodegradable, Sustainability, Renewable resources, Carbon footprint, Microplastics

Authors

First Name

Dina

Last Name

Aboelela

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, the British University in Egypt (BUE)

Email

dina.aboelela@bue.edu.eg

City

Cairo

Orcid

0000-0001-6843-5092

First Name

Mohamed

Last Name

Bassyouni

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Port Said University, Port Said 42526, Egypt

Email

m.bassyouni@eng.psu.edu.eg

City

Port Said

Orcid

0000-0002-8711-6019

Volume

67

Article Issue

13

Related Issue

46555

Issue Date

2024-12-01

Receive Date

2024-07-16

Publish Date

2024-12-01

Page Start

2,015

Page End

2,032

Print ISSN

0449-2285

Online ISSN

2357-0245

Link

https://ejchem.journals.ekb.eg/article_375053.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=375053

Order

375,053

Type

Review Articles

Type Code

444

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Journal of Chemistry

Publication Link

https://ejchem.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Biodegradable Polymers Converting Environmental Challenges into Eco-Friendly Solutions

Details

Type

Article

Created At

20 Jan 2025