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Polypropylene Recovery and Recycling from Mussel Nets
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Researchers investigated chemical oxidation using hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid to remove biofilm from polypropylene mussel-farming nets to enable polymer recovery and recycling, finding that oxidation successfully detached organic matter while FTIR spectra and tensile tests confirmed the recovered polypropylene retained properties comparable to virgin material.
Mussels represent about one-third of all aquaculture products sold in the European Union. Theoretically, mussel production should be an environmentally friendly and sustainable activity (0.252 kg CO2 eq. per 1 kg of mussel produced against over 20 kg CO2 eq. per 1 kg of beef produced) but the abandoned plastic "socks" on the seabed and along beaches represent a significant environmental problem. The recovery and recycling of those polymer materials represents the proper management of the waste issue due to mussel farming. This study was performed to investigate, for the first time, the roles of the chemical oxidation actions on the detachment (and destruction) of organic matter (biofilm in particular) from the surface of the polypropylene "socks" used in sea farms in order to recover the polymer material and recycle it. In the experiments, oxidation by H2O2 and HNO3 was performed on the studied samples. The effects of the particle size of the fragments, oxidant concentration, agitation time and ultrasound application were determined. FTIR spectra and tensile mechanical properties of the samples after treatment were measured and compared with the virgin polymer material. The biodiversity and structure of the plastic-associated biofilm was also determined before and after the oxidation process. Based on the results of the characterization of the recovered polymer material, a process scheme was designed. The application of the developed process could significantly reduce the environmental risk associated with used mussel socks. The One LIFE (the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action) Project was recently founded based on this research.
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Researchers examined the challenges of recycling polyethylene from discarded fishing nets, finding that contaminants and degradation during the nets' service life significantly reduce the mechanical properties of recycled resins. The study explores strategies to improve recycled fishing net polyethylene quality and advance circular economy approaches for marine plastic waste.
The mitigation of the ghost nets threat by recycling of polypropylene: Blends, their ageing tests and spectral characterization
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Researchers developed a method to recycle polypropylene plastic from abandoned fishing nets — a major source of ocean microplastics — by blending recycled fibers with fresh plastic and testing the resulting material in simulated seawater. The recycled blends held up as well as new plastic, suggesting ghost net recycling is a practical strategy to reduce marine microplastic pollution.
Mechanical Recycling of Post-Consumer Polypropylene Fishing Nets: Effect of Blending with Virgin Polymer
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Scientists took old, discarded fishing nets, a major source of ocean plastic pollution, and turned them into new plastic material by blending them with fresh plastic. The recycled blend performed well enough to be reused in products, which could mean less plastic waste polluting oceans, breaking down into microplastics, and eventually ending up in our food and water.
Properties and Recyclability of Abandoned Fishing Net-Based Plastic Debris
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This review examines how abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear degrades in marine environments through biocatalytic and photocatalytic mechanisms, while exploring the ecological damage caused and evaluating recycling practices and alternative uses as strategies for managing this significant source of marine plastic pollution.
Oil extraction following digestion to separate microplastics from mussels
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This study compared several chemical digestion and extraction methods for isolating microplastics from mussel tissue, finding that hydrogen peroxide digestion followed by oil-based extraction achieved over 95% recovery across multiple plastic types. Optimized extraction methods are essential for accurately detecting microplastic contamination in shellfish that humans consume.
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