That’s a wrap on harmful plastic?
Microplastics — which slough off larger plastics — plague everything we touch, from our food to our cleaning tools, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and more.
Now, a team of researchers may have devised the ideal solution.
Scientists at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan have developed a new type of plastic that’s strong, flexible and biodegradable.
It’s said to be made from the world’s most abundant organic compound — plant cellulose.
Finding a way for the plastic to remain durable and still decompose easily took lots of experimentation.
The new plant-based plastic material is even made with ingredients that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, such as biodegradable wood pulp.
The key ingredient that perfected the new plastic? A food additive that we use and consume every day — salt, specifically choline chloride.
By adding this chemical, the researchers were able to fine-tune the flexibility of the final product.
It can either be as hard as glass, so elastic it can be stretched up to 130% of its original length without breaking or as thin as 0.07 millimeters.
These were tweaks made to an initial prototype to enhance durability and the ability to break down in water.
The findings were recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
“While our initial study focused mostly on the conceptual, this study shows that our work is now at a more practical stage,” said study lead Takuzo Aida, a polymer chemist.
This new plastic is as strong as traditional petroleum-based plastics, but its mechanical properties can be adjusted as needed.
It comes at a good time. Microplastics are known to persist in the environment, with health concerns growing each year.
The minute fragments can easily get lodged in our bodies and bloodstreams — and they come from many places beyond plastic litter.
They’ve been linked to fertility issues via semen and ovaries, weak bones and potentially lung cancer.
That’s why researchers hope to get this new, seemingly harmless plastic to market soon.
