The degradation of diapers by biotic and abiotic approaches

Abstract

Research was conducted to study the degradation of diapers by biotic and abiotic approaches. The diapers samples was developed from plastic materials that will increase the emissions of greenhouse gases. Nowadays, there were abundant of diapers that made up from plastic that usually difficult to degrade. P. ostreatus is a lignocellulolytic fungus that has been used in bioremediation processes for agro industrial residues, pollutants, and recalcitrant compounds. There were three methods were used to study the degradation which are, the abiotic, biotic and the combination of both process. The effect of the degradation, were introduce into three types 3 cm x 3 cm of diapers plastic (X, Y, Z). Samples were used as the substrate for the growth of P. ostreatus which is introduced the fungi on it (biotic), exposed to the natural weathering, and also combination of half 30 days for abiotic and biotic for combination process, for up to 60 days to induce the initial photodegradation of the plastics polymers. After this period, mechanical, morphology, and chemical changing were investigated. Based on the result the percentages of the weight losses and the mechanical test were reduce. The reduction of tensile strength of samples Y (3.8%, 10.5%, 12.7%) was highest than X (0.6%, 1.8%, 2.3%), and Z (0.4%, 2.5%, 3.3%). also then the result of weight loss of the samples were also high in Y (20.6%, 38.9%, 36.0%), compares by Z (5.0%, 10.9%, 9.2%), and then in X (7.4%, 9.1%, 4.8%), in all three methods. SEM result showed an evidence of degradation, same as the FTIR spectra which shows the same changes in functional group that shows the degradation happen.