发展生物可降解塑料的途径和前景

塑料作为高分子聚合物的第三代材料应用于工业、农业,医药、国防以及人们日常生活等方面发挥重要作用,塑料制品处处司见,但这类人造的化学塑料制品不论以何种形式存在,一旦废弃于环境,则难以为生物降解。这种性能有其利也有其弊,作为一种“塑料垃圾”就必然给环境造成一大危害,如一些旅游地区及海洋等水域都可见到这些塑料废弃物。为此,从     

塑料的生物降解与转化专刊序言

合成塑料已广泛应用于国民经济各领域,是国民经济的支柱产业。然而,不规范生产、使用塑料制品以及处置塑料废弃物等问题,造成塑料在环境中长期累积,导致了严重的环境污染和碳资源浪费。生物降解是实现废塑料污染治理与资源化的新途径,已成为国内外废弃塑料处置研究的热点。近年来,在塑料降解微生物/酶资源的分离、筛选、鉴定以及对其进行工程化改造等方面取得了重要突破,为环境中微塑料的治理、废塑料的闭环循环再生提供了新的思路和方案。另一方面,利用微生物(纯菌或菌群)将塑料降解产生的单体进一步转化为生物可降解塑料及其他具有高附加值的化合物,对于解决废塑料的生态环境污染、推动塑料循环经济发展以及减少塑料在生命周期中的碳排放等方面具有重要意义。《生物工程学报》特组织出版“塑料的生物降解与转化”专刊,邀请了国内外塑料生物降解与转化领域的相关专家学者介绍了塑料生物降解资源的发掘、塑料解聚酶的设计与改造、塑料降解物的生物高值转化等领域最新进展和研究成果,收录了包括评论、综述、研究论文等类型的相关文章16篇,为塑料生物降解与转化的进一步研究提供借鉴和指导。     

典型河蟹养殖池塘不同养殖阶段水体微塑料特征

研究对典型河蟹养殖池塘水体在不同养殖阶段的微塑料丰度和赋存特征进行了研究。河蟹养殖池塘中微塑料丰度处于200—1640个/m³的水平,在全国与世界范围内处于中等水平。养殖前中期微塑料丰度较低,而养殖末期微塑料丰度较高。河蟹养殖周期中的引水和排水过程、养殖过程中塑料制品的使用和老化及养殖过程中水环境的变化都可能对河蟹养殖池塘的微塑料丰度变化产生影响。而养殖过程不仅影响了微塑料丰度,还影响了河蟹养殖池塘的微塑料特征,微塑料的形状、粒径、颜色及聚合物类型都在不同养殖期发生变化。研究进一步揭示了水样养殖过程中微塑料生成和变化的过程和机制。养殖末期较高的微塑料丰度表明可能需要关注养殖尾水排放对天然水体微塑料赋存的影响。     

聚乙烯废弃塑料生物解聚与高值化转化

聚乙烯废弃塑料在环境中日益积累不仅导致视觉污染,也形成潜在的生态污染问题,开发回收和高值化转化聚乙烯废弃塑料的新方法是大势所趋。近年来,废弃塑料生物处理技术因其绿色可持续等优点,成为国内外研究热点,有望成为未来废弃塑料回收管理的重要手段。本文重点综述了聚乙烯废弃塑料生物解聚技术的研究进展,并对聚乙烯废弃塑料化学高值化和生物高值化产品的差异进行分析,在此基础上,总结和展望了目前聚乙烯废弃塑料生物解聚与生物高值化中的挑战以及相应的解决方案,期望联合多学科交叉技术协同生物技术实现聚乙烯废弃塑料的升级循环。     

生物可降解塑料在不同环境条件下的降解研究进展北大核心CSCD

当前社会塑料制品的使用需求持续增加,塑料垃圾处理压力不断增大,减缓塑料污染成为当务之急,生物可降解塑料因可在一定生物活性环境下较快降解而备受关注,具有广阔的应用前景。生物可降解塑料降解条件复杂,影响因素众多,对不同生物可降解塑料降解规律,降解微生物和功能酶的透彻掌握,是实现其全面利用和高效资源化处理处置的基础和前提。文章系统梳理了常见生物可降解塑料的种类、性能、优缺点和主要用途,全面综述了生物可降解塑料的降解机理、降解微生物和功能酶,以及生物可降解塑料在不同环境条件下的降解周期和程度,以期为生物可降解塑料的微生物降解研究提供借鉴,为生物可降解塑料废弃物的高效处理处置和彻底降解提供科学参考。     

"白色污染"的防治动态

“白色污染”是指废弃的、不可降解的塑料制品被遗弃于环境中 ,并对环境所造成的污染。造成污染的塑料制品主要有塑料包装袋、泡沫塑料餐盒、一次性饮料杯、农用塑料薄膜及其他塑料包装用品等 ,其中尤其以塑料餐盒和包装袋危害最为严重。“白色污染”像瘟疫一样在世界各国蔓延 ,已成为世界级的公害。1　面对现实 ,科学决策面对危害日益严重的“白色污染”,我国借鉴国外的治理经验 ,提出了“回收为主 ,替代为辅 ,区别对待 ,综合防治”的科学决策。自 1995年以来 ,上海、北京、武汉、广州等 10多个城市相继出台禁止使用泡沫塑料盒的有关法规。…     

生物可降解塑料——人类消除白色污染的希望

随着塑料工业的发展,各行各业对塑料制品的需求越来越大,从而使塑料的消耗逐年增加,近年来废弃塑料对环境造成的污染也日趋严重:包括对野生动植物的影响;对城市、森林景观的破坏;可利用土地的减少等。人们逐渐认识到,过去对工业及日常使用的塑料制品所要求的持久性、耐降解性,如今却成了消除“白色污染”的难题。     

城乡景观中土壤生态系统微塑料的来源、迁移特征及其风险

土壤微塑料污染的持久性、复杂性及其对土壤生态系统的影响受到越来越广泛的关注,但对其来源、迁移过程等仍有许多问题尚未理清。从复合生态系统的角度,通过对城乡景观中土壤微塑料的来源、迁移过程及其风险等相关研究进展进行了系统梳理,分析了城乡不同景观中土壤微塑料的主要来源和特点,讨论了土壤微塑料在城乡景观中的迁移特征及其驱动力,探讨了土壤微塑料在城乡景观中的生态和健康风险。今后需进一步明确城乡景观中土壤微塑料污染的物质流过程与环境归趋特征,加强微塑料对土壤生态系统的作用过程及生态系统服务影响的研究,揭示土壤微塑料对人类健康的直接或间接影响,建立城乡复合生态系统土壤微塑料污染预测模型,以维护土壤生态安全与人居环境健康。     

聚氨酯塑料生物降解的研究现状

目前,聚氨酯(PUR)塑料占据全球塑料市场的6%左右,然而,由于处置不合理,大量聚氨酯塑料被丢弃到环境当中,造成了严重的资源浪费和环境污染等问题。废弃塑料的资源再利用已成为各个国家关注的重要问题。废弃塑料处理主要包括掩埋、焚烧以及机械回收、物理化学和生物利用等。与传统物理和化学法的降级利用相比,生物法因其绿色安全和潜在的高值化利用而成为研究者关注的热点。然而,塑料高分子特殊的分子结构使得目前塑料生物处理依然存在诸多问题,难以实现规模化应用。本文综述了PUR的化学结构和PUR降解性微生物的筛选方法,并总结了PUR降解微生物和降解酶的研究现状以及评价其降解效果的方法,为推进PUR生物降解研究提供了一定参考。     

塑料生物降解检测方法的研究进展

塑料处理不当造成的污染问题已成为全球性难题。目前的解决办法除回收利用与使用可生物降解塑料替代之外,最主要途径仍是寻求高效的塑料降解方法。其中,采用微生物或酶处理塑料的方法因其具有条件温和、不产生次生环境污染的优势而受到越来越多的关注。塑料生物降解技术的核心是高效解聚微生物/酶,然而当前的分析检测方法无法满足塑料生物降解资源的高效筛选,因此开发准确、快速的塑料降解过程分析方法,对于生物降解资源筛选和降解效能评价具有重要意义。本文介绍了近年来在塑料生物降解领域的常用分析检测技术,包括高效液相色谱、红外光谱、凝胶渗透色谱以及透明圈测定等,重点讨论了荧光分析策略在快速表征塑料生物降解过程中的应用,为进一步规范塑料生物降解过程的表征与分析研究,以及开发更高效的塑料生物降解资源筛选方法提供借鉴。     

聚乳酸塑料合成、生物降解及其废弃物处置的研究进展

随着国内外禁塑令和限塑令的升级,以聚乳酸(polylactic acid, PLA)为代表的生物基塑料成为传统石油基塑料市场的主要替代品,备受产业界的青睐。然而,公众对生物基塑料的认识仍存在诸多误解。事实上,生物基塑料的降解需要在特定条件下才能实现,泄入到自然环境中同样难以降解,会对人体、生物多样性和生态系统功能造成危害,这与传统石油基塑料相似。近年来,随着我国PLA产能和市场规模不断的提高,亟需进一步加强对PLA等生物基塑料降解性能的认识,挖掘PLA生物降解资源,关注和研究生物基塑料回收处理模式。基于上述背景,本文首先介绍了PLA塑料的性质及合成方式,以及PLA塑料的产业化与市场规模;其次,对目前聚乳酸塑料微生物与酶法降解的研究进展进行了综述,并对其生物降解机制进行了探讨;最后,提出了微生物原位处理和酶法闭环回收两种聚乳酸塑料废弃物生物处置方法,并对PLA生物基塑料的发展前景和趋势进行了展望。     

Degradation of Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic by Pleurotus ostreatus

Growing concerns regarding the impact of the accumulation of plastic waste over several decades on the environmental have led to the development of biodegradable plastic. These plastics can be degraded by microorganisms and absorbed by the environment and are therefore gaining public support as a possible alternative to petroleum-derived plastics. Among the developed biodegradable plastics, oxo-biodegradable polymers have been used to produce plastic bags. Exposure of this waste plastic to ultraviolet light (UV) or heat can lead to breakage of the polymer chains in the plastic, and the resulting compounds are easily degraded by microorganisms. However, few studies have characterized the microbial degradation of oxo-biodegradable plastics. In this study, we tested the capability of Pleurotus ostreatus to degrade oxo-biodegradable (D₂W) plastic without prior physical treatment, such as exposure to UV or thermal heating. After 45 d of incubation in substrate-containing plastic bags, the oxo-biodegradable plastic, which is commonly used in supermarkets, developed cracks and small holes in the plastic surface as a result of the formation of hydroxyl groups and carbon-oxygen bonds. These alterations may be due to laccase activity. Furthermore, we observed the degradation of the dye found in these bags as well as mushroom formation. Thus, P. ostreatus degrades oxo-biodegradable plastics and produces mushrooms using this plastic as substrate.     

环境中的黑色微塑料——轮胎磨损颗粒的来源、迁移扩散及环境风险

近年来,随着汽车人均保有量的持续增长,轮胎在道路上磨损产生的轮胎磨损颗粒也在各种环境介质中被广泛发现,其环境行为和效应已引起广泛关注。这些微、纳米级轮胎磨损颗粒在道路上产生后,会飘散到大气或随雨水、径流进入周边土壤、河流,部分甚至流入海洋。轮胎磨损颗粒的存在会显著影响环境中有机物的构成,同时其载带的重金属和有机添加剂的释放也会对环境生物及人体健康产生潜在危害。本文总结了近年来有关轮胎磨损颗粒的来源、特征,在水体、大气和土壤环境中的迁移扩散,分析了其环境影响和生态风险,探讨了轮胎磨损颗粒污染研究中亟待解决的关键问题和防治措施。     

Recycling plastics from e-waste: Implications for effective eco-design

This paper presents five case studies on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling to provide a coherent overview on the likely impact of eco-design measures on recycling of plastics used in energy-related products within the EU. Whilst some eco-design measures, such as improving disassembly of plastic parts, may generally benefit recycling operations, other measures were found to be ineffective or requiring further investigation. For example, product polymer marking, and provision of product-specific information was rarely utilized by participant organizations, if at all. Additionally, this study highlights a disconnect between the aims of substance bans as an eco-design measure and the impact upon plastics recycling in practice. Future research could help with quantitative and/or statistical analysis of WEEE processing to investigate across a wider selection of recyclers and recycling processes. Despite 20 years of research on eco-design, it appears that EU eco-design policies and voluntary initiatives are still being devised without adequate understanding of their impact on different types of recycling practices. Empirical research on recycling processes can provide important insight to ensure eco-design measures are effective and avoid unintended consequences for the environment.     

微生物降解塑料的研究进展

塑料广泛应用于人类的生活中,其中约80%的塑料垃圾被填埋,最终成为陆地和海洋垃圾。由于管理与处置不善,这些废弃物造成了巨大的环境污染,目前回收再利用是较好的处置方式,但对某些塑料废弃物并没有妥善的处置方式。生物降解作为环境友好的处置方式,具有巨大的应用潜力。本文对聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯、聚乙烯、聚氯乙烯、聚丙烯、聚苯乙烯和聚氨酯这6种常用塑料的降解微生物及生物降解机制进行了总结,对目前微生物降解塑料存在的问题进行了分析,并提出了促进微生物降解塑料应用的途径,为生物降解塑料菌株和降解酶的开发应用、降解机制研究提供理论参考。     

CO2 reduction potentials by utilizing waste plastics in steel works

Background, aim, and scope  Feedstock recycling has received attention as an effective method to recycle waste plastics. However, estimating the reduction potential by life cycle assessment using coke oven and blast furnace in steel works has been a challenging task due to the complex structure of energy flow in steel works. Municipal waste plastics consist of several plastic resins. Previous studies have generally disregarded the composition of waste plastics, which varies significantly depending on the geographical area. If the reduction potentials by using each plastic resin in steel works can be quantified, the potential of municipal waste plastics (mixtures of plastic resins) can be estimated by summing up the potential of each resin multiplied by the composition of each resin in municipal waste plastics. Therefore, the goal of this study is to investigate the reduction potentials of CO₂ emissions by using individual plastic resins (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and those for municipal waste plastics in the coke oven and blast furnace. Materials and methods  A model was developed to clarify the energy flow in steel works. In order to estimate the changes in energy and material balance in coke ovens when waste plastics are charged, the equations to calculate the coke product yield, gas product yield, and oil product yields of each plastic resin were derived from previous studies. The Rist model was adopted to quantify the changes in the inputs and outputs when plastics were fed into a blast furnace. Then, a matrix calculation method was used to calculate the change in energy balance before and after plastics are fed into a coke oven. Results  It was confirmed that product yields of municipal waste plastics (mixtures of plastic resins) could be estimated by summing up the product yield of each plastic resin multiplied by the composition of each resin in municipal waste plastics. In both cases of coke oven and blast furnace feedstock recycling, the reduction potential of CO₂ emissions varies significantly depending on the plastic resins. For example, in the case of coke oven chemical feedstock recycling, the reduction potential of PS and PP is larger than that of PE. On the other hand, in the case of blast furnace feedstock recycling, PE has the largest CO₂ emissions reduction potential, whereas the CO₂ emission reduction potential of PP is smaller than those of PE and PS. In both cases, PET has negative CO₂ emission reduction potentials, i.e., there is an increase of CO₂ emissions. In addition, the reduction potentials of CO₂ emissions are slightly different in each city. Discussions  The differences in the reduction potentials of CO₂ emissions by coke oven chemical feedstock recycling of each plastic resin is attributable to the differences in calorific values and coke product yields of each plastic resin. On the other hand, the difference in the CO₂ emission reduction potential for each plastic resin in blast furnace feedstock recycling is attributable to the difference in calorific values and the carbon and hydrogen content of each plastic resin, which leads to a difference in the coke substitution effect by each plastic resin. In both cases, the difference in those of municipal waste plastics is mostly attributable to the amount of impurities (e.g., ash, water) in the municipal waste plastics. Conclusions  It was found that the reduction potential of CO₂ emissions by coke oven and blast furnace feedstock recycling of municipal waste plastics (mixtures of plastic resins) could be estimated by summing up the potential of each resin multiplied by the composition of each resin in municipal waste plastics. It was also clarified that feedstock recycling of waste plastic in steel works is effective for avoiding the increase in CO₂ emissions by incinerating waste plastics, such as those from household mixtures of different resins. Recommendations and perspectives  With the results obtained in this study, reduction potentials of CO₂ emissions can be calculated for any waste plastics because differences in composition are taken into account.     

生物降解聚烯烃类塑料研究进展

聚烯烃类塑料是一类以C–C键为骨架的高分子材料,被广泛应用于日常生活的各个领域。由于具有稳定的化学性质并且难以被环境中的微生物快速降解,聚烯烃塑料废弃物在全球范围内持续积累,造成了严重的环境污染及生态危机。近年来,利用生物方法降解聚烯烃类塑料引起了研究人员的广泛关注。自然界丰富的微生物资源为生物降解聚烯烃类塑料废弃物提供了可能,已经有一些对聚烯烃塑料具有降解能力的微生物被陆续报道。本文总结了聚烯烃类塑料生物降解资源及生物降解机制的研究进展,提出了目前聚烯烃类塑料生物降解过程存在的问题,并对未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

A study on the environmental aspects of WEEE plastic recycling in a Brazilian company

Purpose

The high consumption of electrical and electronic equipment motivated by the rapid technological advances seen over the years has lead to an increase in the generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Such residues contain various dangerous substances and therefore deserve special attention. To that end, the Brazilian Policy on Solid Waste has provided guidelines on integrated and solid waste management, such as consumer electronics, aiming at their appropriate disposal and treatment through reverse logistics. In this context, the present work focuses on studying the recycling of some WEEE plastics.

Methods

This study was conducted using the methodological framework presented in the International Standard ISO 14040:2006 and aimed to determine the life cycle inventory (LCI) of a WEEE plastic recycling process in a company in Brazil. Having collected the data, it was possible to identify and quantify the environmental aspects caused by the recycling process of major plastics (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS). The study was conducted in the only company in Brazil that operates WEEE plastic recycling in large scale.

Results and discussion

Some of the environmental aspects caused during the recycling process of the plastics under study were identified and quantified. As a result, besides presenting the inventory, it was also possible to determine a reduction in the consumption of energy and in CO₂ emissions. When compared to the production of virgin ABS and HIPS, the recycling processes for such plastics showed a reduction in energy consumption by approximately 90% for both plastics and a reduction in CO₂ emissions by approximately 84% for HIPS and 87% for ABS. The plastics recycled by the company retain over 90% of their virgin mechanical properties.

Conclusions

The study shows that recycling is highly relevant and that components present in WEEE received appropriate destination and treatment. Recycling avoids environmental impacts as it prevents WEEE from being disposed of in landfills and as the pellets of recycled plastics can re-enter the supply chain as raw materials. Considering the legislation in Brazil, the stage of collection/transport/treatment of WEEE conducted by the company under study presents strong indications of contributions to the environment, society, and economy of the country.

     

Plastics recycling: challenges and opportunities

Plastics are inexpensive, lightweight and durable materials, which can readily be moulded into a variety of products that find use in a wide range of applications. As a consequence, the production of plastics has increased markedly over the last 60 years. However, current levels of their usage and disposal generate several environmental problems. Around 4 per cent of world oil and gas production, a non-renewable resource, is used as feedstock for plastics and a further 3–4% is expended to provide energy for their manufacture. A major portion of plastic produced each year is used to make disposable items of packaging or other short-lived products that are discarded within a year of manufacture. These two observations alone indicate that our current use of plastics is not sustainable. In addition, because of the durability of the polymers involved, substantial quantities of discarded end-of-life plastics are accumulating as debris in landfills and in natural habitats worldwide.Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts and represents one of the most dynamic areas in the plastics industry today. Recycling provides opportunities to reduce oil usage, carbon dioxide emissions and the quantities of waste requiring disposal. Here, we briefly set recycling into context against other waste-reduction strategies, namely reduction in material use through downgauging or product reuse, the use of alternative biodegradable materials and energy recovery as fuel.While plastics have been recycled since the 1970s, the quantities that are recycled vary geographically, according to plastic type and application. Recycling of packaging materials has seen rapid expansion over the last decades in a number of countries. Advances in technologies and systems for the collection, sorting and reprocessing of recyclable plastics are creating new opportunities for recycling, and with the combined actions of the public, industry and governments it may be possible to divert the majority of plastic waste from landfills to recycling over the next decades.     

Biological degradation of plastics: a comprehensive review

Lack of degradability and the closing of landfill sites as well as growing water and land pollution problems have led to concern about plastics. With the excessive use of plastics and increasing pressure being placed on capacities available for plastic waste disposal, the need for biodegradable plastics and biodegradation of plastic wastes has assumed increasing importance in the last few years. Awareness of the waste problem and its impact on the environment has awakened new interest in the area of degradable polymers. The interest in environmental issues is growing and there are increasing demands to develop material which do not burden the environment significantly. Biodegradation is necessary for water-soluble or water-immiscible polymers because they eventually enter streams which can neither be recycled nor incinerated. It is important to consider the microbial degradation of natural and synthetic polymers in order to understand what is necessary for biodegradation and the mechanisms involved. This requires understanding of the interactions between materials and microorganisms and the biochemical changes involved. Widespread studies on the biodegradation of plastics have been carried out in order to overcome the environmental problems associated with synthetic plastic waste. This paper reviews the current research on the biodegradation of biodegradable and also the conventional synthetic plastics and also use of various techniques for the analysis of degradation in vitro.