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Ferreri M, Pedullà A, Calabrò PS. Degradation dynamics of Mater-Bi and crystalline PLA during anaerobic co-digestion of household organic waste and wastewater sludge, and phytotoxicity assessment of digestate. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2025; 388:125976. [PMID: 40449420 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2025] [Revised: 05/21/2025] [Accepted: 05/24/2025] [Indexed: 06/03/2025]
Abstract
The increasing use of biodegradable bioplastics, such as Mater-Bi (MB) and Crystalline Polylactic Acid (CPLA), as alternatives to traditional polymers has raised concerns about their degradation and environmental impact. This study examines the biodegradability of MB and CPLA during the anaerobic co-digestion of organic municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and thickened sewage sludge in semi-continuous lab-scale reactors operated under mesophilic conditions. Bioplastics were tested at different concentrations (0-8 %) under two operating phases with varying organic loading rates (1 or 3 gVS/L·d for MB and 1 or 2 gVS/L·d for CPLA) and retention times (14 or 21 days). Biomethane production, process stability, and degradation efficiency were monitored. Results show limited degradation, with MB degrading faster than CPLA (23 % vs. 15 % weight loss after six weeks). Most MB degradation is due to abiotic factors. Higher bioplastic concentrations destabilise the process, reducing methane yield and causing volatile fatty acid spikes. Phytotoxicity tests indicate that the digestate may be suitable for agriculture, though bioplastic concentration impacts require further study. These findings stress the need to identify more biodegradable biopolymers, improve waste management, optimise anaerobic digestion, and screen digestate for agricultural use. This study is among the first to combine semi-continuous anaerobic digestion with abiotic degradation tests and phytotoxicity assessment, providing a comprehensive evaluation of bioplastic behaviour and its implications for digestate reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariastella Ferreri
- Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, Department of Civil, Energy, Environmental and Materials Engineering, Via Zehender, Località Feo di Vito, I-89124, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Altea Pedullà
- Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, Department of Civil, Energy, Environmental and Materials Engineering, Via Zehender, Località Feo di Vito, I-89124, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Paolo S Calabrò
- Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, Department of Civil, Energy, Environmental and Materials Engineering, Via Zehender, Località Feo di Vito, I-89124, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
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Chen S, Wang C, Xiong C, Qin Y, Zhu J, Shen Y, Xiao L. Enhancing Single-Mode Characteristics and Reducing Confinement Loss in Liquid-Core Anti-Resonant Fibers via Selective Filling and Geometrical Optimization. MICROMACHINES 2025; 16:438. [PMID: 40283313 PMCID: PMC12029950 DOI: 10.3390/mi16040438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2025] [Revised: 04/02/2025] [Accepted: 04/04/2025] [Indexed: 04/29/2025]
Abstract
The liquid-core anti-resonant fiber (LCARF) has emerged as a versatile platform for applications in nonlinear photonics, biological sensing, and other domains. In this study, a systematic and comprehensive analysis of LCARF was conducted via the finite element method to evaluate its performance across a wavelength range of 400-1200 nm. This included an assessment of the effects of structural parameters such as capillary wall thickness and the ratio of cladding tube diameter to core diameter on confinement loss and effective refractive index. The results reveal that the proposed core-only-filled approach significantly reduces the confinement loss compared to the conventional fully filled approach, thus facilitating signal transmission. Furthermore, the optimization of geometrical parameters greatly improves the single-mode characteristics of LCARFs. This work establishes a robust theoretical framework and provides valuable support for enhancing the LCARF applications in optofluidics, thereby contributing to the evolution of specialty fiber technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Chen
- Advanced Fiber Devices and Systems Group, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (MoE), Key Laboratory for Information Science of Electromagnetic Waves (MoE), Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; (S.C.); (C.W.); (C.X.); (Y.Q.); (J.Z.)
| | - Caoyuan Wang
- Advanced Fiber Devices and Systems Group, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (MoE), Key Laboratory for Information Science of Electromagnetic Waves (MoE), Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; (S.C.); (C.W.); (C.X.); (Y.Q.); (J.Z.)
| | - Cong Xiong
- Advanced Fiber Devices and Systems Group, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (MoE), Key Laboratory for Information Science of Electromagnetic Waves (MoE), Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; (S.C.); (C.W.); (C.X.); (Y.Q.); (J.Z.)
| | - Yu Qin
- Advanced Fiber Devices and Systems Group, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (MoE), Key Laboratory for Information Science of Electromagnetic Waves (MoE), Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; (S.C.); (C.W.); (C.X.); (Y.Q.); (J.Z.)
| | - Jie Zhu
- Advanced Fiber Devices and Systems Group, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (MoE), Key Laboratory for Information Science of Electromagnetic Waves (MoE), Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; (S.C.); (C.W.); (C.X.); (Y.Q.); (J.Z.)
- Zhongtian Technology Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., Nantong 226009, China;
| | - Yichun Shen
- Zhongtian Technology Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., Nantong 226009, China;
| | - Limin Xiao
- Advanced Fiber Devices and Systems Group, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (MoE), Key Laboratory for Information Science of Electromagnetic Waves (MoE), Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; (S.C.); (C.W.); (C.X.); (Y.Q.); (J.Z.)
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Vargas-Estrada L, García-Depraect O, Zimmer J, Muñoz R. Analysis of biological treatment technologies, their present infrastructures and suitability for biodegradable food packaging - A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2025; 376:124395. [PMID: 39933383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2025] [Accepted: 01/29/2025] [Indexed: 02/13/2025]
Abstract
Recently, there has been an increased demand for biodegradable plastics in the food packaging industry, especially for highly food soiled packaging items containing food/beverage solids that will not be recycled using a non-biological process. However, the increased usage of those materials have also raised concerns and confusion, as a major part of these biodegradable plastics are not effectively separated nor recycled. The lack of acceptance in recycling facilities, related to confusion with their conventional polymers counterparts, as well as short retention times of recycling facilities, often incompatible with the degradation kinetics of biodegradable plastics, stand as the major drawbacks for bioplastics treatment. Additionally, the presence of incompletely biodegraded bioplastics during biological treatments or in the final products i.e. compost or digestate, could lead to process failure or limit the commercialization of the compost. This work critically reviews the fundamentals of the biological treatments, anaerobic digestion and composting processes, and discusses the current strategies to improve their performance. In addition, this work summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge and the impact of bioplastics on full-scale treatment plants. Finally, an overview of the current installed treatment capacity is given to show the areas of opportunity that can be improved and exploited to achieve a better waste management of biodegradable plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vargas-Estrada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n., Valladolid, 47011, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Octavio García-Depraect
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n., Valladolid, 47011, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Johannes Zimmer
- Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Route Du Jorat 57, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raúl Muñoz
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n., Valladolid, 47011, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
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