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Biodegradable and antioxidant lignin-adsorbed polylactic acid microparticles for eco-friendly primary microparticles
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Researchers synthesized biodegradable polylactic acid microparticles coated with lignin as a direct replacement for conventional primary microplastics used in cosmetics, achieving 1.3-fold faster biodegradation and 163-fold higher antioxidant activity than unmodified PLA. This offers a viable eco-friendly substitute for the microbeads and microscrubbers in personal care products that routinely enter waterways and accumulate in aquatic organisms.
The severity of environmental and ecological pollution caused by microplastics has become a prominent global concern. In this study, we prepare biodegradable microplastics to replace primary microplastics used as solid raw materials in personal care and cosmetics, synthesizing them using eco-friendly materials, including polylactic acid (PLA, base material), decyl glucoside and lignin (co-surfactants). Employing a solvent evaporation method, uniform spherical microparticles with an average diameter of approximately 5.5 μm are produced. They are potentially harmless to humans and the environment. During the process, lignin adsorbs onto the surface of PLA through non-covalent interactions, forming Lig@PLA microparticles. Additionally, the aqueous solution used in the process can be reused at least four times, presenting both economic and environmental benefits. The Lig@PLA microparticles exhibit approximately 1.3-fold faster biodegradation and 163 times higher antioxidant activity compared to neat PLA due to the presence of lignin on the PLA surface. Consequently, the biodegradable microplastics developed in this study demonstrate potential for use as solid raw materials in personal care products and cosmetics and offer a promising solution to mitigate environmental and ecological pollution by microplastics.
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Researchers demonstrated that biodegradable poly(beta-amino ester) microparticles can replace conventional microplastics in personal care products, showing effective skin exfoliation performance while degrading under physiological conditions, offering a scalable and environmentally safer alternative to synthetic plastic microbeads.
From impact to restoration: Biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in microalgal-bacterial granular sludge systems
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Even "biodegradable" plastics aren't automatically harmless: researchers found that at high concentrations, tiny bits of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic, a common eco-friendly plastic used in things like compostable cups and food packaging, can seriously disrupt the microbe communities that treat our wastewater and remove pollutants. The good news is these treatment systems bounced back within a month once the plastic exposure stopped, but the finding is a reminder that swapping regular plastics for "biodegradable" ones doesn't eliminate their environmental impact, which matters since wastewater treatment plays a role in ke
Distinct Influence of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil Microorganisms and Nitrogen Cycling: Emphasizing the Effect of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid
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A one-month soil experiment comparing polyethylene, PVC, and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics found that smaller particles and PLA had the greatest disruptive effects on bacterial diversity, nitrogen cycling, and enzyme activity, inhibiting nitrification while enhancing denitrification. The finding that biodegradable plastics can be equally or more disruptive to soil microbiomes than conventional plastics complicates assumptions that they represent a safe environmental alternative.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.