Corona pandemic and plastic pollution: a way forward
by Mehjabin Tishan Mahfuz; M. Sarwar Jahan; Shakhawat Hossain; Mubarak A. Khan
International Journal of Environment and Waste Management (IJEWM), Vol. 33, No. 4, 2024

Abstract: COVID-19 is a corona virus with high rate of human-to-human transmission and mortality. One major consequence of COVID-19 pandemic is the increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE), an essential component for the protection against COVID-19 and other transmissible diseases for healthcare workers and general population. Most of the PPE and biological wrapping materials are made of a petroleum-based polymer, which is non-biodegradable and leads to environmental pollution. This article discusses the preparation and characterisation of a completely biodegradable hybrid biopolymer, made of jute-cellulose derivative with oligo-chitosan. physico-mechanical, thermal, and degradable properties of cellulose-chitosan biopolymer (CCBP) were studied. The tensile strength of the CCBP is 45 MPa, soluble in normal water, and soapy water within seven days and three minutes. It degrades in soil with 2-3 months. This technology is aimed to lessen the environmental burden of plastic pollution through accumulation in landfills and air pollution through incineration.

Online publication date: Fri, 12-Apr-2024

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