Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Taghavi, Navid
• Zhuang, Wei-Qin
• Baroutian, Saeid

Titel

Enhanced biodegradation of non-biodegradable plastics by UV radiation: Part 1

Ist Teil von

• Journal of environmental chemical engineering, 2021-12, Vol.9 (6), p.106464, Article 106464

Ort / Verlag

Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Optimum UV pretreatment of polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics for their efficient biodegradation were evaluated in this study. It was found that a longer incubation time and shorter distance to UV source (t2d2 condition) (UV dose of 7.02 × 1012 μW·cm-2·s) resulted in a higher roughness, hydrophilicity, microbial viability, biofilm formation, surface degradation, and a more significant physical and molecular weight reduction. The highest biodegradation within 45 days happened to PE and PS with respective 7.8 and 5.13% physical weight loss, and 4.71 and 2.1 fold molecular weight reduction compared to the “un-pretreated & strain-free bio-treated” (control-3). The hydrophilicity of PS and PE were increased to the “UV-pretreated & bio-treated” samples with a reduction in water contact angle from 105° to 5° in PS and 102° to 60° in PE. Microscopic analysis indicated significant surface property changes or degradation (cracks and holes) on “UV-pretreated & bio-treated” samples. The thermal gravimetric analysis also showed 73, 25 and 20 °C reductions in degradation temperature of “UV-pretreated & bio-treated” PE, PS and PET, respectively. Chemical transformation revealed new peaks in “UV-pretreated & bio-treated” samples, indicating the positive role of UV in biodegradation efficiency. Statistics analysis showed that 45 days was adequate to obtain optimum biodegradation efficiency (p < 0.05). [Display omitted] •The biodegradation efficiency of UV-pretreated PS and PET studied for the first time.•UV-pretreatment improves the biodegradation efficiency of PE and PS.•Shorter distance to UV source and longer radiation period was more effective.•Biodegradation for 45 days is adequate for optimum efficiency.•Maximum physical weight loss within 45 days occurred in PE (7.8%) and PS (5.13%).