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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Biorefiningof Thermoplastic Starch via Depolymerizationand Methane Arrested Anaerobic Digestion
ClearBiorefining of Thermoplastic Starch via Depolymerization and Methane Arrested Anaerobic Digestion
This study explored whether biodegradable thermoplastic starch packaging could be broken down into useful chemicals through a combination of heat treatment and anaerobic digestion. Higher temperatures accelerated breakdown but also produced microplastics, as the material contains PBAT and PLA plastic co-polymers. The work highlights a tension in biodegradable plastic design: materials marketed as eco-friendly can still generate microplastic fragments and resist full biological conversion without specialized industrial processing.
Thermophilic anaerobic digestion of polylactic acid, polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics: effect of inoculum-substrate ratio and microbiome
Researchers tested thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic digestion of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polylactic acid microplastics at different substrate ratios to assess methane production and MP degradation. PLA showed greater degradation under thermophilic conditions, while PE and PP were largely resistant to both digestion temperatures.
Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Bioplastics and Food Waste under Mesophilic and Thermophilic Conditions: Synergistic Effect and Biodegradation
Researchers investigated anaerobic co-digestion of bioplastics (PLA and PHA) with food waste under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, finding synergistic effects that enhanced methane production yields, demonstrating that co-digestion could be an effective strategy for managing bioplastic waste while generating renewable energy.
Fate and effect of Polyamide-6 microplastics in mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion
This study examined the fate and impact of polyamide-6 microplastics during mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion, finding that digestion temperature affects polymer degradation rates and that microplastics influence methane production and microbial communities.
Impact of the thermo-alkaline pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blended plastics
Researchers tested whether a heat-and-alkali pretreatment could improve the breakdown of biodegradable plastics PBAT and PLA through anaerobic digestion. They found that pretreatment significantly improved methane production from PLA-containing blends but had limited effect on PBAT alone, which remained resistant to digestion. The results suggest that even plastics labeled as biodegradable may not break down easily in real-world composting and waste treatment systems.
Microbial community acclimatization enhances bioplastics biodegradation and biogas production under thermophilic anaerobic digestion
Three sequential anaerobic digestion runs showed that microbial community acclimatization enhanced biodegradation and biogas production from starch-based and polylactic acid bioplastics, demonstrating that inoculum adaptation is key to improving bioplastic treatment in anaerobic systems.
Thermal hydrolysis intensifies the targeted inhibition of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on anaerobic methanogenesis in sludge: Path identification and quantitative mechanism research
Researchers found that thermal hydrolysis pretreatment intensifies the inhibitory effects of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on anaerobic methanogenesis in sludge by altering transformation pathways, and quantified the relative contributions of these pathways using isotopic labeling and metabolic flux analysis.
Assessing labelled carbon assimilation from poly butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) monomers during thermophilic anaerobic digestion
Researchers used isotopically labeled carbon to track the biodegradation of PBAT (a biodegradable plastic) monomers in anaerobic conditions using wastewater treatment sludge as inoculum, finding limited metabolization that raises questions about PBAT's true biodegradability in anaerobic environments.
Pretreatment and Anaerobic Co-digestion of Selected PHB and PLA Bioplastics
Researchers evaluated thermal and alkaline pretreatments for PHB and PLA bioplastics to enhance anaerobic digestion, finding pretreatment increased biochemical methane potential by over 100% and reduced lag times before methane production. Bench-scale co-digesters fed synthetic primary sludge with PHB achieved 80-98% conversion to biomethane, with a 5% increase in total biomethane output.
Mesophilic fermentation explorations for anaerobic carboxylates production from commercial bioplastic products: PHA-based cups & PLA-based lids
Mesophilic (moderate-temperature) fermentation conditions were explored for anaerobic carboxylation reactions, with relevance to converting plastic-derived carbon compounds into useful chemicals. The research supports valorization pathways that could reduce plastic waste accumulation.
Methanosarcina thermophila bioaugmentation and its synergy with biochar growth support particles versus polypropylene microplastics in thermophilic food waste anaerobic digestion
Researchers found that combining biochar with Methanosarcina thermophila bioaugmentation improved methane yields in thermophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste, while polypropylene microplastics used as a comparison growth support showed different performance, highlighting biochar as a promising additive for optimizing digestion systems.
Can anaerobic digestion be a suitable end-of-life scenario for biodegradable plastics? A critical review of the current situation, hurdles, and challenges
Researchers reviewed the feasibility of anaerobic digestion (AD) as an end-of-life treatment for biodegradable plastics, identifying process parameters, microbial communities, and pretreatment strategies that influence degradation rates and arguing that AD deserves more research attention alongside industrial composting.
Impact of alkaline thermal hydrolysis on anaerobic digestion of mixed sludge contaminated with microplastics
Researchers tested alkaline thermal hydrolysis pretreatment on sludge containing polyethylene and PVC microplastics before anaerobic digestion, finding that the pretreatment altered how microplastics affected subsequent methane production, with effects varying by polymer type and concentration.
Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Biodegradable Plastics: Potential Mechanisms and Pathways.
This study examined how biodegradable plastics — PBAT and PLA — break down under anaerobic conditions in digestion systems, finding that microbial communities degrade them through distinct biochemical pathways. Understanding how biodegradable plastics decompose in real-world conditions like landfills and wastewater treatment is important for evaluating whether they truly degrade safely.
Beyond simple inhibition: Unveiling the non-monotonic impact and multi-level mechanisms of aged microplastics on sludge anaerobic digestion
Researchers used plasma treatment to precisely control polypropylene microplastic aging and tested its effects on anaerobic sludge digestion, finding that while unaged microplastics strongly inhibited methane production, optimally aged microplastics at a carbonyl index of 0.219 recovered methane yield to 83%.
MicroplasticDegradation through Thermal Hydrolysisin Sewage Sludge and Its Impact on the Anaerobic Process
Researchers investigated the fate of microplastics in sewage sludge during thermal hydrolysis pretreatment and found that temperatures of 140-180°C significantly degraded microplastics while also affecting subsequent anaerobic biogas production from the treated sludge.
Thermochemical and chemo-biological molecular recycling of plastic waste and plastic-biomass waste mixtures: an updated review
This review covers thermochemical and chemo-biological approaches to recycling plastic waste and plastic-biomass waste mixtures into valuable building block molecules. The study highlights that while thermochemical and bioprocessing methods show promise, the chemo-enzymatic treatment of mixed plastic-biomass waste streams remains an open challenge due to their diverse composition.
Chemical-Physical Characterization of Bio-Based Biodegradable Plastics in View of Identifying Suitable Recycling/Recovery Strategies and Numerical Modeling of PLA Pyrolysis
Researchers characterized several bio-based and biodegradable polymer alternatives to conventional plastics using chemical-physical methods, assessing their suitability for industrial composting and identifying challenges in managing these bioplastics in the existing waste stream.
Unmasking microplastics in anaerobic digestion: Hidden threats, synergistic pollutants, and biodegradation Frontiers — A comprehensive hotspot review
Researchers reviewed how microplastics disrupt anaerobic digestion — the process used to convert organic waste into biogas — finding that microplastics suppress methane production, harm microbial communities, and carry along other pollutants like antibiotics and heavy metals into the system.
Materials challenges and opportunities to address growing micro/nanoplastics pollution: a review of thermochemical upcycling
This review examined thermochemical upcycling technologies including pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction as approaches to valorize micro- and nanoplastic waste, assessing the material challenges and opportunities for converting environmental plastic pollution into useful fuels or chemical feedstocks.
Can low-temperature thermal hydrolysis mitigate the oxidative stress of polystyrene nanoplastics on anaerobic digestion?
This study examined whether low-temperature thermal hydrolysis pretreatment can reduce the oxidative stress caused by polystyrene nanoplastics on the anaerobic microbiome in sewage sludge digestion. Results indicated that thermal hydrolysis mitigated nanoplastic-induced inhibition of anaerobic digestion performance.
Microplastics in sewage sludge destined to anaerobic digestion: The potential role of thermal pretreatment
Researchers found that thermal pretreatment of sewage sludge at 120°C did not degrade conventional PET microplastics but did alter biodegradable microplastics, which also boosted methane production during anaerobic digestion, raising concerns about how different microplastic types behave in sludge treatment.
Biogas conversion into biopolymers: strategies to boost process performance
This study explores how biogas — a renewable energy source from organic waste decomposition — can be used as a feedstock to produce biopolymers as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Developing sustainable bioplastics from waste streams could help address both plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously.
Thermal Hydrolysis of Sludge Counteracts Polystyrene Nanoplastics-Induced Stress during Anaerobic Digestion
Thermal hydrolysis pretreatment of sewage sludge was found to counteract oxidative stress and process inhibition caused by polystyrene nanoplastics during anaerobic digestion, improving biogas production and microbial community resilience. The results suggest thermal hydrolysis as a practical strategy to protect anaerobic digestion systems from nanoplastic-induced disruption.