468 Results Found

Nano-plastics (NPs) have emerged as a pervasive global contaminant, posing significant threats to carnivorous fish, in recent years. The accumulation of polystyrene nano-plastics (PS-NPs) can cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, the conc...

Polystyrene plastics present significant environmental and human health threats due to their poor recyclability and degradability. However, leveraging their properties to enhance material performance stands out as one of the most effective strategies...

A novel reinforced recycled expanded polystyrene (r-EPS) foam/natural fiber composite was successfully developed. EPS was recycled by means of the dissolution method using an accessible commercial mixed organic solvent, while natural fibers, i.e., co...

Chemical vapor deposition of graphene on transition metals is the most favored method to get large scale homogenous graphene films to date. However, this method involves a very critical step of transferring as grown graphene to desired substrates. A...

Pyrolysis is a promising technology used to recycle both the energy and chemicals in plastics. Three types of plastics, polyethylene plastic (PE), polypropylene plastic (PP) and polystyrene plastic (PS) were investigated using thermogravimetry–...

For every three people on the planet, there are approximately two Tonnes (Te) of plastic waste. We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the coaddition of solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection c...

Micro- and nano-plastics are pervasive pollutants in global ecosystems, yet their interactions with aquatic wildlife and abiotic factors are poorly understood. These particles are recognized to cause subtle detrimental effects, underscoring the neces...

Polystyrene (PS) is one of the major plastics contributing to environmental pollution with its durability and resistance to natural biodegradation. Recent research showed that mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and superworms (Zophobas morio) are naturally...

Disposing electronic plastic waste into construction materials is an eco-friendly and energy efficient solution to protect the environment. This work is aimed at enhancing the strength of self-compacting concrete (SCC) replacing sand with electronic...

This study assessed the growth performance of red palm weevil (RPW) (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus: Curculionidae) larvae on a liquid diet of yeast-enriched potato dextrose broth (control) and on diets with added polystyrene and polyurethane. For 15 days...

Bangladesh generates approximately 3000 tons of plastic waste daily, and high mismanagement leads to substantial discharge into soils, rivers, and oceans. Limited research exists on plastic pollution along Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh...

This study explores the intersection of waste management and sustainable fuel production, focusing on the pyrolysis of plastic waste, specifically polystyrene. We examine the physicochemical parameters of the resulting waste plastic pyrolytic oils (W...

Microplastic pollution is a growing global environmental and public health concern, driven by the increasing production and use of plastics. Due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment, humans and animals may be exposed to micro- and nanoplas...

Polystyrene (PS) is an extremely stable polymer with a relatively high molecular weight and a strong hydrophobic character that makes it highly resistant to biodegradation. In this study, PS was subjected to biodegradation tests by Tenebrio Molitor (...

Plastics, as a polymer material, have long been a source of environmental concern. This paper uses polystyrene plastics as the research object, and the relative contribution of each component of plastic additives to plastic degradation is screened us...

The present study employs X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to analyze plastic samples subjected to degradation processes with the aim to gain insight on the relevant chemical processes and disclose fragmentation mechanisms. Two model plastics,...

The climbing perch Anabas testudineus is widespread in the inland waters of Vietnam and according to its ecology could have contact with floating plastic waste. Fragments of expanded polystyrene (EPS) are detected in the fresh waters of Vietnam in Kh...

The inherent value and use of hydrocarbons from waste plastics and solvents can be extended through open-loop chemical recycling, as this process converts plastic to a range of non-plastic materials. This process is enhanced by first creating plastic...

In this study, four different plastic materials usually used in the agricultural sector (polystyrene film (PS), polyethylene terephthalate film (PET), low-density polyethylene film (LDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene film (LLDPE)) were subject...

Plastics pollution is a critical global environmental issue, with growing concern over the increasing presence of nanoplastic particles. Plastics are major environmental pollutants that adversely affect human health, particularly when plastics from f...

While there are a number of available reference and testing materials for micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) studies in toxicology, they are not well-characterized and do not cover all major polymer types that may potentially pollute the environment. This...

The widespread use of plastics has led to their increasing presence in the environment and subsequent pollution. Some microorganisms degrade plastics in natural ecosystems and the associated metabolic pathways can be studied to understand the degrada...

Biodiversity in ecosystems is threatened by plastic waste, a significant pollution problem. The research aims to use plastic, Pleorotus ostreatus mycelium, and sugarcane bagasse to develop an eco-friendly biomaterial. The preparation consisted of thr...

Microplastics are a major environmental issue. In marine systems, these break down into small fragments that may lodge within organisms, but they behave as vectors for chemicals when pollutants such as metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),...

Polystyrene (PS) is one of the main polymer types of plastic wastes and is known to be resistant to biodegradation, resulting in PS waste persistence in the environment. Although previous studies have reported that some microorganisms can degrade PS,...

The rapid accumulation of polymer waste presents a significant environmental challenge, necessitating innovative waste management and resource recovery strategies. This study investigates the potential of chemical recycling via pyrolysis of plastic w...

The rapid increase in polystyrene (PS) production has led to substantial growth in plastic waste, posing serious environmental and waste management challenges. Current disposal techniques are unsustainable, relying heavily on harsh conditions, high e...

The increasingly intense consumption of plastics and, above all, their improper disposal in the environment are causing serious environmental concerns. Great efforts have been made for the development of new methods aimed at facilitating and speeding...

In this paper, we undertake a detailed analysis of the active and passive deformation of expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is used as a thermal insulating layer in building partitions, under short-term compressive loading. The values of residual stra...

This work investigates the sustainable reuse of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste through a multi-cycle physical recycling process involving dissolution in acetone and subsequent manufacturing via Direct Ink Write (DIW) 3D printing and casting. Morpho...

A GC-MS method has been applied to screen and evaluate the generation of chemical compounds during the biodegradation of polystyrene (PS) with Tenebrio molitor larvae. Several resulting compounds have been identified, including trimers 2,4,6-tripheny...

The current high production of plastics has prompted the exploration of alternative pathways to facilitate recycling, aiming for a progressively sustainable society. This paper presents an alternative and affordable technology for treating waste expa...

This study evaluates the potential of recycling polystyrene (PS) plastic wastes via a fixed bed (batch) slow pyrolysis reactor. The novelty lies in examining the reactor design, conversion parameters, and reaction kinetics to improve the process yiel...

Plastic pollution of the ocean is a major environmental threat. In this context, a better understanding of the microorganisms able to colonize and potentially degrade these pollutants is of interest. This study explores the colonization and biodegrad...

As emerging contaminants, nano-plastics have become a major cause for concern for their adverse effects on the ecosystem and human health. The nano-sized properties of nano-plastics enable their exposure risks to humans through the food chain or othe...

C footprint is a feature used to search the integral life cycle of a product to predict its environmental impact. The packaging industry is changing rapidly to the production of biodegradable products to mitigate the negative environmental consequenc...

The polystyrene micro-plastics (Ps-MPs) is one of the leading pollutants found in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. While most of the studies on the morphology and cyto-toxicity of MPs have been based on aquatic organisms, their effects on ter...

Several environmental and techno-economic assessments highlighted the advantage of placing polystyrene-based materials in a circular loop, from production to waste generation to product refabrication, either following the mechanical or thermochemical...

The negative impact of the modern-day lifestyle on the environment was aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic through the increased use of single-use plastics from food take-aways to medical supplies. Similarly, the closure of food outlets and disru...

Commodity PS is synthesized via free radical polymerization, whereas PS in block copolymers (BCPs) is typically synthesized via living anionic polymerization. The purpose of this work is to investigate how the synthesis method impacts important prope...

Microplastics (MPs), in the form of fragments and fibers, were recently found in honey samples collected in Ecuador as well as in honey bees collected from Denmark and China. However, little is known about how MPs impact bee health. To fill this know...

Styrene oligomers (SOs), of styrene (styrene monomer, SM), 1,3-diphenylpropane (styrene dimer, SD1), 2,4-diphenyl-1-butene (styrene dimer, SD2) and 2,4,6-triphenyl-1-hexene (styrene trimer, ST), had been detected in the natural environments far from...

The end-of-life management of plastic represents a significant environmental challenge, largely due to its limited use, low biodegradability, and high volume of disposed material, in the order of 400 million tonnes by 2019. Several types of polymers...

Fossil fuel reserves have depleted. Therefore, renewable and sustainable energy forms an important issue. Microalgae as a third-generation biomass can be an alternative carbon-neutral fuel source. However, its fuel quality is low. Co-pyrolysis is an...

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), produced from waste and renewable sources, are a promising means for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions from air travel while still maintaining the quality of air transportation expected. In this work, the cataly...

Microplastics (MPs) are widespread contaminants in seabeds, where they are bioavailable to benthic organisms including polychaetes. Among them, the bearded fireworm represents a potential target for MP, given its opportunistic predatory and scavengin...

Pyrolysis is recognized as a promising technology for waste plastics management. Although there have been many studies on pyrolysis of waste plastics, there is still a lack of in-depth research on the mechanism of synergistic effect between mixed pla...

Polyethylene and polystyrene are massively used around the world in various applications and are the most abundant plastic waste. Once in the marine environment, under the influence of physical and chemical factors, plastic products degrade, changing...

Plastic is a major organic pollutant globally but has only recently been recognized for its recalcitrant nature and resistance to degradation. Although vast amounts of plastic debris are overwhelming the planet, the search for solutions to its degrad...

As one of the most common fossil derivatives, plastics are widely used for their exceptional chemical stability, low density, and ease of processing. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the production of waste plastics, coupled...