plastic
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Chemistry
After all, black plastic kitchen utensils aren’t that toxic: But you should still throw them away, says group
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A recent study that recommended immediate disposal of toxic chemicals in black plastic products contained mathematical errors that greatly exaggerated the risk of contamination, but its authors stand by their conclusions. , warns against the use of such products. Experts from the non-profit Toxic Free Future, published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere, found that flame retardants…
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Environment
The first step to integrating ocean plastic into urban recycling
From left: Amaia Mendoza, Gardar Cortaveria, Cristina Peña. Credit: Gorka Estrada. UPV/EHU. The need to address the millions of tonnes of marine debris (mostly plastic) floating in our oceans and effectively manage this waste has never been more urgent. Faced with this reality, the Materials + Technology Research Group at UPV/EHU decided to take the first step. “We evaluated the…
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Environment
Time is running out for a treaty to end plastic pollution. This is why it’s important
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain On 2 March 2022, delegates to the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted an ambitious resolution to develop the text of a new treaty to eliminate plastic pollution by the end of 2024. The fifth and final round of negotiations is about to be held in Busan, South Korea, after 24 days of formal negotiations between some…
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Chemistry
Overcoming the drawbacks of waste plastic pyrolysis through chemical-biological processes
Schematic diagram of the newly developed method for upcycling mixed plastic waste. Credit: Journal of Cleaner Production (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141890 A joint research team has developed a technology to recycle mixed waste plastics to produce high-value-added plastic raw materials called dicarboxylic acids (α,ω-diacids). The study is published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The team was led by Dr. Sang-Goo…
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Other Sciences
Saturday Quote: Everything that glitters is plastic. It awakened the diversity of trees. the gravity basin in which we live
A data visualization of the movement of galaxies within structures called gravitational basins. The Milky Way is a red dot. Credit: University of Hawaii This week, astronomers considered whether dark energy changes over cosmic time scales. Through neutron analysis, physicists have revealed that some early Iron Age swords have recently been altered by fraudsters to make them more historically exciting.…
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Environment
Poor countries are recycling far more imported plastic than previously thought, but it’s not enough
Total import volume, trade value, and average unit price of plastic waste paid by the top 22 importers from 2013 to 2022. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51923-4 Countries like Malaysia import tons of plastic waste from Europe every year, paying pennies per kilogram. This may seem strange, but Kai Li says it makes sense. “Residents in the Netherlands pay…
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Chemistry
Developing plasma-coated paper as a plastic alternative for the packaging industry
A plasma source is introduced near the surface of the paper. This image shows the direct interaction between plasma and paper. Credit: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft In recent years, the amount of plastic waste that is harmful to the environment has been increasing in Germany. Packaging generates particularly large amounts of waste. Plant-based coatings for paper packaging could be a sustainable alternative…
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Environment
A possible explanation for the ‘missing plastic problem’: New detection technique finds microplastics in coral skeletons
Various microplastics collected from corals off the coast of Koh Sichang in the Gulf of Thailand. As can be seen from their color, shape and size, the corals have ingested a variety of microplastics, many of which are thinner than a human hair. Photo courtesy of Kyushu University/Isobe Laboratory Researchers from Japan and Thailand investigating microplastics in corals have discovered…
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