Polyurethane Foam Residue Biodegradation through the Tenebrio molitor Digestive Tract: Microbial Communities and Enzymatic Activity
2023
Orts, José M. | Parrado Rubio, Juan | Pascual, José A. | Orts, Ángel | Cuartero, Jessica | Tejada Moral, Manuel | Ros, Margarita | Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular | Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Cristalografía, Mineralogía y Química Agrícola | Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN). España
Polyurethane (PU) is a widely used polymer with a highly complex recycling process due to its chemical structure. Eliminating polyurethane is limited to incineration or accumulation in landfills. Biodegradation by enzymes and microorganisms has been studied for decades as an effective method of biological decomposition. In this study, Tenebrio molitor larvae (T. molitor) were fed polyurethane foam. They degraded the polymer by 35% in 17 days, resulting in a 14% weight loss in the mealworms. Changes in the T. molitor gut bacterial community and diversity were observed, which may be due to the colonization of the species associated with PU degradation. The physical and structural biodegradation of the PU, as achieved by T. molitor, was observed and compared to the characteristics of the original PU (PU-virgin) using Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Scanning Electron Microphotography (SEM).
Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación 2i18sae00058, TED2021-131894B-C21
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