In-soil degradation of polymer materials waste – A survey of different approaches in relation with environmental impact

Abstract

Vegetal fibers from different sources, including wood fibers and plant-derived fibers, together with polymer plastics per se (natural, synthetic, and their blends), as well as their combinations as composite materials may generate significant amounts of wastes. These will undergo degradation process under exposure to different environmental factors including microorganisms, climatic changes – e.g. droughts, oxygen, temperature, soil dynamics, UV radiation, etc. This survey offers a concise review of degradation under environmental conditions, mainly after in-soil exposure, of waste made of polymer materials and natural fibers. It also describes the most common methods for evaluation of bioconversion and degradation, as well as the structural properties after degradation (e.g. macroscopic investigation; weight loss; spectrometry – UV, FTIR, NMR; X-ray diffraction for crystalline changes; SEM microscopy; and thermal stability).

Migration from inorganic to organic fertilization for a more sustainable oil palm agro-industry

“…The nutrient content of compost is higher than that of EFB for P, K and Mg [ 33 ]. Research conducted by Then et al has shown that empty fruit bundle compost acts as a carrier for nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria [ [32] , [33] , [34] ]. This suggests that the co-composting process enhances microbial activity in the compost, leading to increased nutrient availability for plants.…”

“…Furthermore, the co-composting process also contributes to the volume reduction of empty fruit bundles and palm oil granule effluent [ 33 ]. The decomposition of organic substrates by co-composting reduces the bulk of waste materials, making it easier and more cost-effective to manage [ 34 , 35 ].…”