Changes in metal adsorption ability of microplastics upon loss of calcium carbonate filler masterbatch through natural aging.

CaCO3 filler masterbatch (CFM) is one of the most commonly used fillers in polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) products, and its is used to enhance the toughness of the polymer matrix. This is the first study to investigate the loss of CaCO3 and its impact on the adsorption ability of microplastics from plastic woven bags throughout the natural aging process. PP wire (PPw, 85% PP + 15% CFM) and PE film (PEf, 80% PE + 20% CFM) samples from plastic woven bags underwent a 250 d aging process in an open-air environment. Changes in the surface properties, morphology, CaCO3 content, and density of PPw microplastics (PPw-MP) and PEf microplastics (PEf-MP) after various durations of aging were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that CaCO3 separated and agglomerated on the surfaces of PPw-MP and PEf-MP after 30 d. After 250 d, 42% of CaCO3 was lost from PPw-MP and 28% was lost from PEf-MP, decreasing the density of the microplastic samples. CFM presented a considerably higher adsorption affinity toward Cu(II) than PP particles and PE particles; therefore, its presence in plastic matrix increased the adsorption ability of the products. The adsorption of Cu(II) on PPw-MP and PEf-MP decreased with aging because of the loss of CaCO3 and poor development of O-containing functional groups. The qm value (maximum adsorption quantity of Langmuir model) decreased from 11.01 mg/g in unaged PPw-MP to 1.35 mg/g in aged PPw-MP, and from 9.00 mg/g in unaged PEf-MP to 1.05 mg/g in aged PEf-MP. Overall, the findings demonstrate that CaCO3 was crucial for the heavy metal-plastic interactions of the samples. Therefore, the results provide a basis to further clarify the potential environmental risks of plastic woven bags associated with heavy metal mobility.

Cost-effective production of bacterial cellulose in static cultures using distillery wastewater.

Thin stillage (TS), wastewater from rice wine distillery, was used as a cost-free feedstock to replace the costly traditional Hestrin and Schramm (HS) medium for BC production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus. Due to the rich organic acids and amino acids content in TS, BC production was significantly enhanced as 50 (v/v) % of HS medium was replaced with TS. In the 50/50 TS-HS medium, BC concentration of 6.26 g/l could be obtained after 7 days static cultivation which is approximately 50% higher than that could be produced in HS-only medium. The BC produced by TS containing medium had slightly denser reticulated structures and higher crystallinity index values but with lower water holding capacities than that obtained from HS medium. Based on the 50% cost-free TS, the 50/50 TS-HS medium had a BC production feedstock cost about 67% lower than that of traditional HS medium. The employment of cost-free TS to replace a portion of HS medium to achieve a higher BC production not only can reduce the BC production cost but also solve the wastewater disposal problem of winery industry.

Thin stillage supplementation greatly enhances bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus.

Thin stillage (TS), a wastewater from rice wine distillery can well sustain the growth of Gluconacetobacter xylinus for production of bacterial cellulose (BC). When used as a supplement to the traditional BC production medium (Hestrin and Schramm medium), the enhancement of BC production increased with the amount of TS supplemented in a static culture of G. xylinus. When TS was employed to replace distilled water for preparing HS medium (100%TS-HS medium), the BC production in this 100%TS-HS medium was enhanced 2.5-fold to a concentration of 10.38 g/l with sugar to BC conversion yield of 57% after 7 days cultivation. The cost-free TS as a supplement in BC production medium not only can greatly enhance the BC production, but also can effectively dispose the nuisance wastewater of rice wine distillery.