Polymeric materials have become an integral part of every aspect of today's industry. They have wide applications, inter alia, in areas such as medicine, food industry and agriculture. In agriculture, for example, they are used for the production of pots, irrigation systems and for soil mulching. The aim of this study was the attempt to produce a biodecomposable agricultural mat, by coating cot...

biodegradation of phenanthrene (phe) was studied in aqueous culture to demonstrate the potential of the mixed culture in degrading high concentration of phe. the experiments were conducted to monitor biodegradation of phenanthrene for duration of 6 days. biodegradation of phe was successfully achieved in low and middle concentration by the isolated mixed culture. a full factorial central compos...

This research paper deals with the synthesis and characterization of corn starch based composites using resorcinolformaldehyde as cross linker. Acid, base and moisture resistance studies of the composites were also done. Moreover, biodegradation studies of the composites were also done using composting method and the different stages of the biodegradation were evaluated using scanning electron ...

The biodegradation process of lignin by Penicillium simplicissimum was studied to reveal the lignin biodegradation mechanisms. The biodegradation products of lignin were detected using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectrophotometer, different scanning calorimeter (DSC), and stereoscopic microscope. The analysis of FTIR spectrum showed the cleavage of various ether link...

3 Testing Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370 3.1 General Principles in Testing Biodegradable Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 3.2 Analytical Procedures for Monitoring Biodegradation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 3.2.1 Visual Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 3.2.2 Changes in Mechanical ...

A number of ethoxylated nonionic surfactants differing in hydrophobe branching and chain lengths have been evaluated for environmental responses. Screening biodegradation tests show those non-ionics having more than one methyl group per hy-drophobe degrade considerably slower than those having less extensive branching. Continuous flow-through activated sludge tests, simulating actual waste trea...

The effect of different concentrations of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on biodegradation of diesel oil was assessed during 32 days at 10 degrees C, under simulated environmental conditions, in liquid culture and in an alpine soil. Low SDS concentrations (50-100 mg l-1) significantly enhanced oil biodegradation by a psychrotrophic inoculum in liquid culture, whereas higher...

The biodegradation of South Louisiana (SL) crude oil and the effects of nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron supplements on this process were compared in a polluted (10,900 oil degraders per liter) and in a relatively clean (750 oil degraders per liter) littoral seawater sample taken along the New Jersey coast. Without supplements, the biodegradation of SL crude oil was negligible in both seawater sa...

Triton X-100, as one of the most popular surfactants used in bioremediation techniques, has been reported as an effective agent enhancing the biodegradation of hydrocarbons. However efficient, the surfactant's role in different processes that together enable the satisfying biodegradation should be thoroughly analysed and verified. In this research, we present the interactions of Triton X-100 wi...