Volume : II, Issue : VII, July - 2013

Study of Biodegradable Polymers And Its Environmental Impacts

Charulata Srivastav

Abstract :

The world is facing today a very important issue of Global Warming and one of the most significant contribution in increasing Global Warming is plastic. Non biodegradable plastics cannot be oken down by the environmental agents like air, sunlight, water or ground soil substances. They produce a large amount of Carbon dioxide which leads to global temperature rise. They also emit toxic pollutants over a long period of time as they remain on earth for infinite time. In contrast, Biopolymers are long chain compounds made up of long chain subunits which can be oken down by environmental agents like air, sunlight, water or action of living organisms. Biodegradable plastics undergo degradation from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms– bacteria, fungi, algae. Most non renewable plastics are generally petroleum–based while renewable resource plastics include polymers grown from microbes. Extraordinary progress has occurred in development of practical processes and products made from polymers such as starch, cellulose and  lactic acid. Biopolymers containing starch and/or cellulose fibers   appear to be the most likely to experience continued growth in usage. Compostable plastics undergo biodegradation to yield carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and biomass leaving no visually toxic residues. There are infinite areas where biopolymers may find use. Biopolymers are disposed in landfill environments, in the hope that necessary microorganisms will be present, as the soil is inoculated with them but this may not always be the case. Microbially grown plastics is a  novel scientifically sound idea, but the required infrastructure for commercial expansion is still costly and inconvenient to develop. In spite of all this the complete substitution of petroleum–based feedstock plastics with biodegradable ones would lead to a balanced CO₂ level in the atmosphere thereby reducing Global Warming. 

Keywords :

Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijsr  

Cite This Article:

Charulata Srivastav, Study of Biodegradable Polymers And Its Environmental Impacts, International Journal of Scientific Research, Vol : 2, Issue : 7 July 2013

Number of Downloads : 304

References :