Article Abstract:
One strategy to enhance the degradability on plastics involves the linking of readily degradable substituents in the polymer chemical structure. This rationale was employed to construct copolymers of styrene and lignin, resulting in a product more amenable to fungal degradation. Tests on various copolymer samples differing in lignin content showed that the white rot fungi could degrade the plastics at a rate dependent on the lignin content. These results demonstrate that copolymerization may be a useful strategy to produce compounds that are more easily degraded in the environment.
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Article Abstract:
Research was conducted to examine the degradation of starch-poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate-co-beta-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) bioplastic in tropical coastal waters. Experiments were conducted for one year at four stations in the coastal water southwest of Puerto Rico, wherein two stations were located in a mangrove stand while the other two were offshore. Results indicate that extended degradation lags would take place in open ocean water where microbes are sparse.
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Article Abstract:
The biodegradation of tridentate iron-citrate complex in its bidentate form is discussed. The iron-citrate complexes were prepared under anaerobic conditions and were potentiometrically titrated and measured spectrophotometrically. High-pressure liquid chromatography monitored citrate degradation. Results indicate that the biodegrability of metal citrate complex are largely determined by their structural characteristics.
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