5 results on '"Sáez-Tovar, José Antonio"'
Search Results
2. Effect of Abiotic Treatments on Agricultural Plastic Waste: Efficiency of the Degradation Processes
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Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Blesa Marco, Zbigniew Emil, Sáez-Tovar, José Antonio, Andreu-Rodríguez, Javier, Peñalver, Rosa, Rodríguez Pastor, Manuel, Eissenberger, Kristina, Cinelli, Patrizia, Bustamante, María A., Moral, Raúl, Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Blesa Marco, Zbigniew Emil, Sáez-Tovar, José Antonio, Andreu-Rodríguez, Javier, Peñalver, Rosa, Rodríguez Pastor, Manuel, Eissenberger, Kristina, Cinelli, Patrizia, Bustamante, María A., and Moral, Raúl
- Abstract
In this study, four different plastic materials usually used in the agricultural sector (polystyrene film (PS), polyethylene terephthalate film (PET), low-density polyethylene film (LDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene film (LLDPE)) were subjected to different abiotic treatments, including photo-oxidation (ultraviolet and e-beam radiation) and thermochemical treatments, to enhance polymer degradation. The extensive use of these polymers leads to large amounts of plastic waste generation, including small plastic pieces, known as microplastics, which affect the quality of the agricultural environment, including soil fertility and quality. Therefore, polymer degradation strategies are needed to effectively reduce plastic waste to protect the agricultural sector. The degree of polymer degradation was assessed by the use of thermal and spectroscopic analyses, such as TGA and FTIR. In addition, efficiency, cost–benefits, and potential side-effects were also evaluated to propose the optimal degradation strategy to reduce plastic waste from the point of view of efficiency. The results obtained showed that the pre-treatments based on photo-oxidation (ultraviolet B and C and e-beam radiation) were more efficient and had a better cost–benefit for the degradation of the polymers studied in relation to the thermochemical treatments. Specifically, ultraviolet photo-oxidation worked well for PS and PET, requiring low energy and medium times. However, e-beam radiation was recommended for PE (LDPE and LLDPE) degradation, since high energy and long times were needed when ultraviolet energy was applied to this polymer. Furthermore, the overall efficiency of the plastic degradation of pre-treatments should be studied using a multicriteria approach, since FTIR assessments, in some cases, only consider oxidation processes on the plastic surface and do not show the potential integrity changes on the plastic probes.
- Published
- 2024
3. Effect of agricultural microplastic and mesoplastic in the vermicomposting process: Response of Eisenia fetida and quality of the vermicomposts obtained
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Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Edafología y Química Agrícola, Blesa Marco, Zbigniew Emil, Sáez-Tovar, José Antonio, Pedraza Torres, Angie Marcela, Martínez Sabater, Encarnación, Orden, Luciano, Andreu-Rodríguez, Javier, Bustamante, María A., Marhuenda Egea, Frutos Carlos, López, María J., Suárez-Estrella, Francisca, Moral, Raúl, Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Edafología y Química Agrícola, Blesa Marco, Zbigniew Emil, Sáez-Tovar, José Antonio, Pedraza Torres, Angie Marcela, Martínez Sabater, Encarnación, Orden, Luciano, Andreu-Rodríguez, Javier, Bustamante, María A., Marhuenda Egea, Frutos Carlos, López, María J., Suárez-Estrella, Francisca, and Moral, Raúl
- Abstract
This work evaluates the effect of agricultural plastic waste (APW) in two particle sizes, microplastic and film debris, and subjected to a pre-treatment by exposure to UV-C, in the development of the vermicomposting process. Eisenia fetida health status and metabolic response and the vermicompost quality and enzymatic activity were determined. The environmental significant of this study is mainly related to how can affect plastic presence (depending on plastic type, size and/or if it is partially degraded) not only to this biological process of organic waste degradation, but also to the vermicompost characteristics, since these organic materials will be reintroduced in the environment as organic amendments and/or fertilizers in agriculture. The plastic presence induced a significant negative effect in survival and body weight of E. fetida with an average decrease of 10% and 15%, respectively, and differences on the characteristics of the vermicomposts obtained, mainly related with NPK content. Although the plastic proportion tested (1.25% f. w.) did not induce acute toxicity in worms, effects of oxidative stress were found. Thus, the exposure of E. fetida to AWP with smaller size or pre-treated with UV seemed to induce a biochemical response, but the mechanism of oxidative stress response did not seem to be dependent on the size or shape of plastic fragments or pre-treated plastic.
- Published
- 2023
4. Thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectrometry successfully used to quantify polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics in organic amendments
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Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Agroquímica y Bioquímica, Universidad de Alicante. Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef", Martín de la Fuente, Alba, Marhuenda Egea, Frutos Carlos, Ros, Margarita, Pascual, José Antonio, Sáez-Tovar, José Antonio, Martínez Sabater, Encarnación, Peñalver, Rosa, Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Agroquímica y Bioquímica, Universidad de Alicante. Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef", Martín de la Fuente, Alba, Marhuenda Egea, Frutos Carlos, Ros, Margarita, Pascual, José Antonio, Sáez-Tovar, José Antonio, Martínez Sabater, Encarnación, and Peñalver, Rosa
- Abstract
The global consumption of plastic is growing year by year, producing small plastic pieces known as microplastics (MPs) that adversely affect ecosystems. The use of organic amendments (compost and manure) polluted with MPs affects the quality of agricultural soils, and these MPs can be incorporated into the food chain and negatively impact human health. Current European legislation only considers large plastic particles in organic amendments. There is no information regarding MP pollution. Thus, the development of a methodology to support future legislation ensuring the quality of agricultural soils and food safety is necessary. This proposed methodology is based on thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectrometry to quantify polyethylene and polystyrene (PE and PS) MPs through their mass spectrometry signal intensity of characteristic PE (m/z 41, 43 and 56) and PS (m/z 78 and 104) ions. This method has been validated with several organic amendments where the MP content ranged from 52.6 to 4365.7 mg kg−1 for PE-MPs and from 1.1 to 64.3 mg kg−1 for PS-MPs. The proposed methodology is a quick and robust analytical method to quantify MPs in organic amendments that could support new legislation.
- Published
- 2022
5. Efectos de la inoculación con microorganismos descomponedores de polímeros en el proceso de vermicompostaje con plásticos (LDPE, LLPE, PET y PS) mediante la lombriz Eisenia fetida
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Toribio Bravo, Mario, Sáez Tovar, José Antonio, and Martínez Sabater, Encarnación
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Microorganismos ,Vermicompostaje ,Residuos plásticos ,6 - Ciencias aplicadas::63 - Agricultura. Silvicultura. Zootecnia. Caza. Pesca::631 - Agricultura. Agronomía. Maquinaria agrícola. Suelos. Edafología agrícola [CDU] ,Lombrices - Abstract
Los procesos industriales, agrícolas y ganaderos generan una gran cantidad de residuos plásticos que sufren el riesgo de degradarse por diversos factores y llegar al suelo como material particulado, en forma de micro o nano plástico, mezclándose y contaminando la fracción organomineral del suelo. Este proceso puede ocasionar alteraciones en las reacciones que ocurren en el suelo, al igual que los plásticos, que sufren alteraciones debido a la actividad biológica. En este trabajo se estudia la posibilidad de degradar material particulado de plásticos (LDPE, LLPE, PET y PS) mezclado con el vermicompost en presencia de lombrices Eisenia fetida e inoculado con un consorcio de microrganismos descomponedores de polímeros plásticos. Para ello se lleva a cabo el experimento mediante la exposición en mesocosmos de Eisenia fetida (EF) a diferentes tipos de plástico (NoAWP, LDPE, MIXb) y con diferentes tipos de consorcios microbianos (NoPMC, ENDO, EXO, MIXc) durante 360 horas. Para determinar el estrés oxidativo y el daño en los tejidos que pueden sufrir las lombrices, se miden diferentes actividades enzimáticas (biomarcadores). Se realiza un seguimiento de la evolución del peso fresco y la supervivencia de la lombriz EF en los distintos tratamientos. Para evaluar las variaciones fisicoquímicas del vermicompost tras añadir el material plástico particulado se miden los parámetros fisicoquímicos y la presencia de metales pesados en el vermicompost entre otras características. Para determinar la actividad biológica se miden diferentes actividades enzimáticas del vermicompost. Eisenia fetida tuvo mayores tasas de supervivencia y aumento de peso por individuo en los composts inoculados con un mix de residuos plásticos procedentes de la agricultura (AWP) e inoculados con un consorcio microbiano mixto obtenido del interior del tracto digestivo de la lombriz E. fetida (ENDO) y de ambientes contaminados con plásticos (EXO). La actividad de las lombrices en sinergia con el consorcio microbiano mixto produjo un aumento de las actividades enzimáticas que indican una mayor tasa de actividad microbiana y con capacidad para actuar como barrera fisiológica de radicales libres. Todos los vermicompost empleados en los diferentes tratamientos mantuvieron su clasificación de clase A para el contenido en metales a lo largo del experimento Industrial, agricultural and livestock processes generate a large amount of plastic waste that is at risk of degrading due to various factors and reaching the soil as particulate material, in the form of micro or nano plastic, mixing and contaminating the organomineral fraction of the soil. This process can cause alterations in the reactions that occur in the soil, just like plastics, which suffer alterations due to biological activity. In this work, the possibility of degrading plastic particulate material (LDPE, LLPE, PET and PS) mixed with vermicompost in the presence of Eisenia fetida earthworms and inoculated with a consortium of plastic polymer decomposing microorganisms is studied. For this, the experiment is carried out by exposing Eisenia fetida (EF) mesocosms to different types of plastic (NoAWP, LDPE, MIXb) and with different types of microbial consortia (NoPMC, ENDO, EXO, MIXc) for 360 hours. To determine the oxidative stress and tissue damage that earthworms can suffer, different enzymatic activities (biomarkers) are measured. A follow-up of the evolution of the fresh weight and the survival of the EF earthworm in the different treatments is carried out. To evaluate the physicochemical variations of the vermicompost after adding the particulate plastic material, the physicochemical parameters and the presence of heavy metals in the vermicompost, among other characteristics, are measured. To determine the biological activity are measured different enzymatic activities of the vermicompost. Eisenia fetida had higher survival rates and weight gain per individual in composts inoculated with mix of agricultural plastic waste (AWP) and inoculated with a mixed microbial consortium obtained from inside the digestive tract of the earthworm E. fetida (ENDO) and from environments contaminated with plastics (EXO). The activity of the worms in synergy with the mixed microbial consortium produced an increase in enzymatic activities that indicate a higher rate of microbial activity and the ability to act as a physiological barrier against free radicals. All the vermicompost used in the different treatments of the experiment maintained their class A classification according with heavy metals content
- Published
- 2022
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