Biodegradable Organic Polymers for Environmental Protection and Remediation
- Title
- Biodegradable Organic Polymers for Environmental Protection and Remediation
- Creator
- Santhosh A.S.; Suresh S.; Umesh M.; Stanly L.M.; Grigary S.; James N.
- Description
- As the era of urbanization and industrialization progressed, non-biodegradable polymers became a severe threat to the environment and the world's rapidly growing population. These synthetic polymers possess flexible applications and cost effectiveness which makes their usage more feasible and convenient. Today they are used from simple packaging to critical biomedical tools. Although these polymers possess many merits, all come to halt when it comes to biodegradability. The inherent mechanisms in nature are unable to degrade and decompose these synthetic polymers leading to their accumulation and persistence in nature for decades causing calamitous effects. In search of solutions for the adverse effects caused by synthetic polymers, the world turned toward biologically synthesized biodegradable organic polymers. These biopolymers have a diverse set of physical and chemical characteristics that can be easily manipulated, allowing for a wide range of applications. Biopolymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates and levan have adaptable qualities that resemble those of synthetic plastics which makes them a promising alternative to synthetic plastics. However, the setback in the large-scale usage of biopolymers is their high cost of production and commercialization. The biopolymers are broadly classified into three major classes based on their origin: plant-based biopolymers (cellulose, starch), animal-based biopolymers (chitin, chitosan, keratin), and microbial biopolymers (polyhydroxyalkanoates, levan). The extraction or synthesis of these biopolymers from their biological sources varies significantly from each other; however, in order to bring out the sustainable production, these polymers should be produced by coupling with waste valorization approaches. The waste materials from plants and animals, particularly agro-industrial wastes, can be used as inexpensive substrates for the commercial manufacture of these crucial biopolymers, thereby reducing the accumulation in the environment. Another field of biopolymer usage is in remediation of pollutants. Many biopolymers are currently being used in the active removal of heavy metal, dye, and other similar pollutants. The numerous physical, chemical, and biological processes for extraction or synthesis of industrially valuable biopolymers from the waste raw materials are discussed in this chapter, along with their application in remediation of pollutants and environmental protection. 2025 WILEY-VCH GmbH, Boschstra 12, 69469 Weinheim, Germany. All rights reserved.
- Source
- Organic Polymers in Energy-Environmental Applications, pp. 381-402.
- Date
- 2024-01-01
- Publisher
- wiley
- Subject
- Agro-waste; Biopolymers; Cellulose; Chitin; Chitosan; Keratin; Levan; Polyhydroxyalkanoates; Remediation; Starch
- Coverage
- Santhosh A.S., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore, 560029, India; Suresh S., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore, 560029, India; Umesh M., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore, 560029, India; Stanly L.M., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore, 560029, India; Grigary S., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore, 560029, India; James N., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore, 560029, India
- Rights
- Restricted Access
- Relation
- ISBN: 978-352784281-0; 978-352735237-1
- Format
- Online
- Language
- English
- Type
- Book chapter
Collection
Citation
Santhosh A.S.; Suresh S.; Umesh M.; Stanly L.M.; Grigary S.; James N., “Biodegradable Organic Polymers for Environmental Protection and Remediation,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed February 22, 2025, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/17955.