Irrigators Inc

Biodegradable Plastics

- TRANSGENIC PLANTS PROVIDING A SOLUTION

Almost all the products we buy most foods we eat and lots of liquids we drink are enclosed in plastic packaging, which provides excellent protection for the product. It is inexpensive to manufacture and seems to last forever. Lasting forever, however, proves to be a major environmental issue. Plastics are made from many non-renewable resources like natural gas, coal and oil. Plastics can not be easily degraded in natural environment because their long polymer molecules that are too large and too tightly bound.

A type of solid hard plastic and is made with a molecule known as bisphenol A, BPA. EPS as a man of many other chemicals is now detectable in the blood stream the most popular and could cause dangerous hormonal changes in children. BPA may have a tendency to cause cancer, early puberty, obesity and even deficit disorder attention.

To overcome this problem biodegradable plastics have been developed which are made from renewable resources, like plants. Biodegradable plastics are made from materials from plants and lead to 15% less carbon. Infact plastics biodegradable failed to replace the widespread use of traditional petrochemical plastics.

The following are some elements and the time required for decomposition,

The tin-50 to 100 years

Aluminum Cans-80 to 100 years

Bottles glass, 1 million years

Newspapers-25 to 50 years

Polystyrene-1000 years

Plastic bags-400 years

So now we know the alarm being raised in the environment caused by the use of plastics. But a solution is always there

"Green Film" Sacks and Plastic Products-9 months to 5 years.

Plastics that are decomposed in the natural environment are known as "biodegradable plastics". ( 'Means biodegradable substance that can decompose naturally using micro-organisms and will not persist in the environment beyond a certain period of time). The chemical bonds of biodegradable compounds are easily destroyed by a variety of bacteria over a short period of time for decomposition. Beginning in 1926, Lemoigne successfully isolated the first of polyhydroxyalkanoates - polyhydroxybutyrate (a homopolymer of which the building unit is the 3-hydroxybutyric acid) from the bacterium Bacillus megaterium. In the late 1950s, the presence of polyhydroxybutyrate was confirmed as an energy and carbon source and storage in many other bacteria. Several species of bacteria accumulate polyhydroxyalkonoates compounds as energy storage, part of polymers PHA are of commercial value as biodegradable plastics.

Polyhyroxybutyrate PHA is produced in Ralstonia eutropha via three routes enzyme synthetic organic compound of? - Ketothiolase, aceto acetyl Co-A reductase, and PHB synthase. PHB synthase in plants was first demonstrated in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Qu'alcanoates polyhydroxy (PLWHA), for example, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), are synthesized from acetyl-CoA used as precursor, and are used for the synthesis of biodegradable plastics with thermoplastic properties. At present, PHAs are produced by bacterial fermentation, and the cost of biodegradable plastic is significantly higher than that of plastics.

Attempts were made to produce PHAs in transgenic plants to reduce the cost. The genes encoding the two enzymes, aceto-acetyl-CoA reductase (PhbB) and PHB synthase (phbC), involved in the synthesis of PHB precursor of acetyl-CoA were transferred from the bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus, and expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. When both enzymes were targeted to plastids, PHB accumulated in leaves. Production of PHB transgenic plants is an example of a new compound synthesized by plants.

Standards that certify the biodegradability and compostability,

Following international organizations have established standards and test methods for compostability: American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM ASTM 6400-99

European Committee for Standardization (CEN) EN13432

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO14855 (only for biodegradation)

German Institute for Standardization (DIN) DIN V49000

The ASTM, CEN and DIN standards specify the criteria of biodegradability, the disintegration and eco-toxicity for a plastic to be called compostable. While ISO 14855 does not make provisions relating disintegrations or toxins remaining.

Dealing with plastic waste has become important close to the final redemption. Expand biodegradable plastics that are solutions to the existing problem. Its our responsibility to remind that the uncontrolled use of materials plastics we contribute our share to a deadly pollution whose ill effects are irreversible and can reach out to the generation of many to come.

REFERENCES

1. Nature, Nature Biotechnology.

2.Crop journal Science.

3. India Together, science and environment plastics and the environment.

4. Australian Academy of Science.

5. Greenware Eco.

6. Abc News - Health

7. Institute for Science and Society

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Biodegredable Plastics - Transgenic Plants Providing a Solution

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