Future Plans On Plastic Technology By The Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association
Oxo-biodegradation is basically biodegradation resulting from oxidative, as well as cell-mediated phenomena, which are either successively or simultaneously; this was defined by the European Committee for Standardization in their CEN/TR 1535–2006.
How does OXO-Biodegradable Plastic Work?
When it comes to the process steps of chemical degradation, it always involves the reaction of large polymer molecules of plastic. In general, plastic contains hydrogen and carbon, with oxygen in the air. As for the reaction that typically occurs within the said process steps, it is evident yet at a very slow rate. With that in mind, why does plastic persists for a long time in the environment even when it has already been discarded?
To answer this question, it is important to take into consideration EPI’s TDPA in which formulations have been accelerated or catalyzed for increasing the rate of degradation by a number of orders of magnitude. As a result, the products that have been incorporated by EPI’s TDPA will physically disintegrate after a few weeks. Of course, the success of this procedure heavily relies on the formulation as well as the disposal environment.
According to Michael Stephen, the Chairman of Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association, to qualify as an oxo-biodegradable plastic, it must pass several tests which are typically prescribed by the ASTM D6954, the BS8472, or the AFNOR T51–808. Furthermore, it should not only show the possibility of it degrading, then biodegrade in the open environment, but it should also provide evidence that it contains no heavy metals whatsoever and that the substance is not eco-toxic.
Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association
With the rising concern of plastic consumption around the globe, there have been several organizations that have worked on various procedures to eliminate, or even minimize, the harmful effects of plastic consumption on a global scale.
With that in mind, the Chairman of Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association shared the truth about the plastic consumption rate of humans. In fact, there are about 335m tons of plastic that is produced on a yearly basis. It degrades on a very slow rate resulting in the possibility of breaking these into smaller and smaller pieces. Moreover, these tiny pieces are blown all over the world by the wind.
What Are Scientists Saying About the Plastic Plague?
The Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association is a not-for-profit organization that has always existed for the purpose of providing and relaying information that has the power to encourage and elicit action from the public. Its main goal is to encourage a greater understanding of oxo-biodegradable plastic technology.
This non-profit organization also aims to protect the environment for the use of future generation. It heavily focuses on pieces of technological equipment as well as ideologies as to how the world can combat the increasing rate of plastic production and consumption.
One of the many types of research conducted in an attempt to achieve this goal was the ability of micro plastics being blown by the wind across the world. To make things more cohesive, micro plastics are defined as extremely tiny pieces of plastic debris which can be found in the environment. Micro plastics have resulted from the disposal as well as the breakdown of industrial waste and consumer products.
For scientists, micro plastic is everywhere. The winds can carry pollution anywhere around the world. This recent discovery astounded scientists and environmentalists alike. Moreover, the amount of micro plastic that is falling from the sky in the Pyrenees mountains was horrifying. Researchers are now finding plastic debris everywhere — in the deepest oceans, in rivers, and soils across the various countries of the world.
There has been another study which is concerned with the discovery of micro plastic in the farmland soils of Shanghai in the great country of China. It’s quite surprising that there are also micro plastics in the Galapagos Islands, the rivers in the Czech Republic, and even in various Unesco world heritage sites.
Micro plastics have been discovered in the farm soils near Shanghai, China. These are considered as emerging pollutants and have been detected mostly in bodies of water in the environment. Scientists have studied and investigated micro plastics as well as mesoplastics in the farmland soils of China; this calls for a serious meeting on the unhealthy level of consumption and usage of plastic in the manufacturing and production processes of various industries.
These micro plastics, as well as mesoplastics, have also threatened the Galapagos Island fauna. Environmentalists have shown their growing concern and worry on the plastic waste which has been washed up on the once beautiful shores of the Galapagos Islands. Here, microparticles have the potential to end up in the stomach of a number of water species which are only found in the Pacific archipelago which is 600 miles west of mainland Ecuador.
The horrifying truth is that this plastic debris came all the way from the big cities of the world. Some of the species that are most likely to become endangered due to this plastic pollution include fishes, birds, tortoises, and iguanas of the Galapagos Islands. Moreover, this is not the only research conducted on the dangers of micro plastics.
There is a study which was published in the Nature Communications issue a few years back. It was considered as the first research to show evidence that there have been micro plastic raining down on certain parts of the world. It was just as hard in various remote environments as it has been in well-developed cities around the globe. The said research also showed that micro plastics and mesoplastics can travel across long distances by wind. The team of environmental scientists has collected samples from high altitudes and areas that are far from sources of plastic. The Pyrenees was the closest prospect. It was about 6 km away; the nearest town about 25 km away; and the nearest city was 120 km away.
The findings of this study were truly shocking. The scientists have found an average of 365 plastic particles, films, and fibers which were all deposited per square meter daily for the past months. Steve Allen, a scientist working at the EcoLab research institute near Toulouse was the one who worked on the Pyrenees Case. He said that it was indeed astounding, not to mention worrying, to find so many plastic particles in an area that is far from its source. Surely, this will be a problem in the upcoming years.
Allen shared that there is a need to take this matter seriously as early as now. He shared that there is no possible organism on this planet that can survive what is to come. No one is immune to this kind of problem.
Deonie Allen, a scientist who also worked at the EcoLab and was part of Allen’s team shared that what was discovered is comparable to what was found in the center of Dongguan and Paris. Do note that these are considered as megacities where pollution is expected. Because the sample of micro plastic was taken from the highest peak of a remote mountain states that there is no near source. Truly, with the wind, there is a possibility that micro plastic and mesoplastic can be anywhere and everywhere.
In November 2014, a research team from one of the leading universities in France, which was led by Blaise Pascal, published one of the most important briefing paper in the history of environmental science. The published study did not only re-affirm the wide array of advantages of oxo-biodegradable plastic, but it also criticized the current spate of “misinformation” provided to the public. This includes the erroneous data released to the public on which the European Parliamentarians had based their opinions. Nevertheless, they also state that certain fields of oxo-biodegradation of polymers are considered as a very critical aspect in the protection of the environment.
There are several scientists who are concerned about the possible health impacts of micro plastics, which can easily absorb a number of toxic chemicals, as well as host harmful bacteria, with other scientists even suggesting that people from certain parts of the world are already breathing the particles. Moreover, there have been studies showing micro plastics can remain airborne.
In the end, the effectiveness of oxo-biodegradable has been confirmed by several world-class universities as well as independent research institutions around the world. Furthermore, these institutions and organizations have unimpeachable standing. These are the people that have been in satisfactory use around the globe for over 10 years. Thus, it is important to truly assess our role in the increasing rate of plastic pollution around the globe.
