Post by account_disabled on Mar 4, 2024 22:50:54 GMT -5
María Neftalí Rojas, a prominent Mexican biologist, master in Aquatic Resources and doctor in Environmental Engineering, has committed herself to the task of reducing the environmental impact caused by human activity on our planet. Her research work focuses on innovative solutions: the degradation of plastic by fungi and larvae, and the manufacture of eco-bricks , from construction waste and plastic , such as tires or bags.
Excessive production and consumption of plastics, which are highly durable and difficult to decompose, have led to the massive accumulation of plastic waste around the world. Every year more than million tons of this material are prod Chinese Overseas Asia Number Data uced in the world . Half is intended for single use, less than % is recycled and much of the waste contaminates lakes, rivers and seas. A good portion of the billion tons of plastic that humans have made since they learned to do so has ended up in the oceans. It is known how many tons of these polymers are produced per year: million in But it is unknown how much plastic ends up burning in landfills or in rivers.
We visited the UNAM laboratories at the Engineering Institute where Dr. María Neftalí carries out her...
We visited the UNAM laboratories, in the Engineering Institute, where Dr. María Neftalí carries out her experiments with plastic. HECTOR CHAVEZ
On average, in the world, each person uses plastic bags per week; per month and per year. Currently between billion and one trillion bags are in circulation. Plastic recycling is a fundamental strategy to reduce the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and oceans. It is about collecting, processing and reusing plastics instead of throwing them away. The other promising solution involves the adoption of biodegradable plastics . These materials decompose naturally under specific conditions, reducing their environmental impact.
They use larvae to identify plastics in less time
Dr. María Neftalí has decided to develop projects on both fronts. In recycling, with ecobricks, and in the evaluation of biodegradable plastics. In the case of plastics, it started in , with the company BioElements , which produces products that decompose thanks to the action of biological agents such as animals, fungi and bacteria. “We have already been involved in more than a dozen projects identifying bags: whether they are toxic, biological, biodegradable or compostable; We also evaluate its decomposition through filamentous fungi, such as penicillium, or larvae, which are cutting-edge techniques, which give us results in days and not in months, as normally happens," says María Neftalí Rojas, in an interview with WIRED in Spanish.
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A notable advance in their research is the use of two species of beetle larvae from the family Tenebrionidae to effectively identify biodegradable and compostable plastics in a significantly shorter time than conventional methods . This approach has led to the application of a patent for his innovative method. María Neftalí Rojas highlights the need to develop more efficient methods that meet the criteria established by the regulations, but that also offer faster results to determine if a bioplastic is compostable or biodegradable. “There is no test that confirms % biodegradability, and those that exist cannot be considered rapid, since they take more than a year,” explained the scientist.
Excessive production and consumption of plastics, which are highly durable and difficult to decompose, have led to the massive accumulation of plastic waste around the world. Every year more than million tons of this material are prod Chinese Overseas Asia Number Data uced in the world . Half is intended for single use, less than % is recycled and much of the waste contaminates lakes, rivers and seas. A good portion of the billion tons of plastic that humans have made since they learned to do so has ended up in the oceans. It is known how many tons of these polymers are produced per year: million in But it is unknown how much plastic ends up burning in landfills or in rivers.
We visited the UNAM laboratories at the Engineering Institute where Dr. María Neftalí carries out her...
We visited the UNAM laboratories, in the Engineering Institute, where Dr. María Neftalí carries out her experiments with plastic. HECTOR CHAVEZ
On average, in the world, each person uses plastic bags per week; per month and per year. Currently between billion and one trillion bags are in circulation. Plastic recycling is a fundamental strategy to reduce the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and oceans. It is about collecting, processing and reusing plastics instead of throwing them away. The other promising solution involves the adoption of biodegradable plastics . These materials decompose naturally under specific conditions, reducing their environmental impact.
They use larvae to identify plastics in less time
Dr. María Neftalí has decided to develop projects on both fronts. In recycling, with ecobricks, and in the evaluation of biodegradable plastics. In the case of plastics, it started in , with the company BioElements , which produces products that decompose thanks to the action of biological agents such as animals, fungi and bacteria. “We have already been involved in more than a dozen projects identifying bags: whether they are toxic, biological, biodegradable or compostable; We also evaluate its decomposition through filamentous fungi, such as penicillium, or larvae, which are cutting-edge techniques, which give us results in days and not in months, as normally happens," says María Neftalí Rojas, in an interview with WIRED in Spanish.
ADVERTISING
A notable advance in their research is the use of two species of beetle larvae from the family Tenebrionidae to effectively identify biodegradable and compostable plastics in a significantly shorter time than conventional methods . This approach has led to the application of a patent for his innovative method. María Neftalí Rojas highlights the need to develop more efficient methods that meet the criteria established by the regulations, but that also offer faster results to determine if a bioplastic is compostable or biodegradable. “There is no test that confirms % biodegradability, and those that exist cannot be considered rapid, since they take more than a year,” explained the scientist.