Title: Corona pandemic and plastic pollution: a way forward

Authors: Mehjabin Tishan Mahfuz; M. Sarwar Jahan; Shakhawat Hossain; Mubarak A. Khan

Addresses: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, 68, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh ' Bangabandhu Textile Engineering College, Kalihati, Tangail, Bangladesh; BSCL Scientific Research Laboratory, Bombay Sweets & Co. Ltd., KA-63, Kuratoli, Kuril Bishwa Road, Khilkhet, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh ' Bangabandhu Textile Engineering College, Kalihati, Tangail, Bangladesh; BSCL Scientific Research Laboratory, Bombay Sweets & Co. Ltd., KA-63, Kuratoli, Kuril Bishwa Road, Khilkhet, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh ' BSCL Scientific Research Laboratory, Bombay Sweets & Co. Ltd., KA-63, Kuratoli, Kuril Bishwa Road, Khilkhet, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh; Bangladesh Jute Mill's Corporation, Ministry Jute and Textile, Bangladesh

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.

Keywords: corona virus; SARS CoV-2; COVID-19; chitosan; oligo-chitosan; jute polymer; personal protective equipment; PPE; plastic pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2024.137952

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2024 Vol.33 No.4, pp.453 - 464

Received: 29 Nov 2020
Accepted: 23 Sep 2021
Published online: 12 Apr 2024 *

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