IJEP 42(5): 581-584 : Vol. 42 Issue. 5 (May 2022)
1. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lucknow – 226 025, U.P., India
2. Gautam Buddha University, Department of Environmental Science, School of Vocational Studies and Applied Sciences, Greater Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar – 201 312, U.P., India
Abstract
Polyethylene has emerged as the most used plastic material around the globe. Main benefit of polyethylene being used widely is its durability and resistance to numerous chemicals. These properties of polyethylene have made it resistant to degradation leading to its accumulation in the environment, ultimately results in major environmental pollution. In order to deal with plastic pollution, researchers are engaged in finding eco-friendly ways to degrade plastic, like polyethylene. Commonly there are three types of methods for degrading polyethylene, like biological, chemical and physical methods. So, in the study presented here the chemical way of dealing with the low density polyethylene waste has been done. Basically three chemical surfactants sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and Tween 80 in different concentrations were used for the study. The results of energy dispersive X-ray, X- ray diffraction and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy revealed that SDS was found to be more effective in oxidizing polyethylene.
Keywords
Polyethylene, Pollution, Degradation, Energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy
References
- Skariyachan, S., et al. 2015. Selection and screening of microbial consortia for efficient and eco-friendly degradation of plastic garbage collected from urban and rural areas of Bangalore, India. Env. Monit. Assess., 187:4174.
- Urum, K., T. Pekdemir and M. Copur. 2004. Surfactants treatments of crude oil contaminated soils. J. Colloid. Interface Sci., 276:456-464.
- Mulligan, C.N., R.N. Yong and B.F. Gibbs. 2001. Surfactant-enhanced remediation of contaminated soil : A review. Eng. Geol., 60:371-380.
- Gonzalez, V.S., et al. 2011. Thermal and catalytic degradation of polyethylene wastes in the presence of silica gel, 5 A molecular sieve and activated carbon. J. Hazard. Mater., 187:101-112.
- Panizza, M., M. Delucchi and G. Cerisola. 2005. Electrochemical degradation of anionic surfactants. J. Appl. Electrochem., 35:357-361.
- Albertsson, A.C., C. Sares and S. Karlsson. 1993. Increased biodegradation of Ldpe with non-ionic surfactant. Acta Polym., 44:243-246.
- Manzur, A., M. L. Gonzales and E. F. Torres. 2004. Biodegradation of physico-chemically treated LDPE by a consortium of filamentous fungi. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 92:265-271.
- Khabbaz, F., A. Albertsson and S. Karlsson. 1999. Chemical and morphological changes of environmentally degradable polyethylene films exposed to thermo-oxidation. Polym. Degrad. Stab., 63:127-138.
- Abrusci, C., et al. 2013. Comparative effect of metal stearates as pro-oxidant additives on bacterial biodegradation of thermal and photo-degraded low density polyethylene mulching films. Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrade., 83:25-32.
- Peterson, J.D., S. Vyazovkin and C. Wight. 2001. Kinetic of the thermal and thermo-oxidative degradation of polystylene and poly(propylene). Macromol. Chem. Phys., 202:775-784.
- Esmaeili, A., et al. 2013. Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by mixed calture of Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus and Aspergillus niger in soil. PLoS One. 8:e71720.
- Volke-Sepulveda, T., et al. 2002. Thermally treated low-density polyethylene biodegradation by Penicillium pinophilum and Aspergillus niger. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 83:305-314.
- Sudhakar, M., et al. 2008. Marine microbe-mediated biodegradation of low and high-density polyethylenes. Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad., 61:203-213.
- Harshvardhan, K. and B. Jha. 2013. Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by marine bacteria from pelagic waters, Arbain sea, India. Mar. Poll. Bull., 77:100-106.
