Biodegradation of Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) from Sanitary napkins in invitro conditions
Authors
Subashini Devi et al.,
Keywords
Napkin | Biodegradation
Publication Details
Vol: 11; Iss. 5; May. 25 | ISSN: 2454-5422
Abstract
The disposal of sanitary napkins poses significant environmental challenges due to their non-biodegradable components such as polyacrylate, polyethylene and polypropylene. These substances lead to ongoing waste buildup in landfills and disposal sites. This research focused on creating a microbial formulation that includes particular bacterial isolates to improve the biodegradation of sanitary napkins. Soil samples were gathered from a waste disposal site and underwent microbial isolation techniques. The bacterial isolates like Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas sp., are normally found in incinerator dump site soil. These findings indicate that these specific strains have powerful enzymatic systems capable of degrading the intricate polymers found in sanitary napkins. To access the practical relevance of these results, research on soil degradation were conducted under controlled conditions. The fragments of sanitary napkins were interred in these soils, and their decomposition was observed over time. Among the bacterial isolates, Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrated the highest degradation rate of sanitary napkins. These results suggest that these particular strains posses’ potent enzymatic systems capable of breaking down the complex polymers present in sanitary napkins. Based on these observations, lyophilized preparations of the effective bacterial isolates were developed. These formulations have the potential to be marketed as biodegradation agents to tackle sanitary napkin waste, thus reducing the environmental pollution linked to their disposal. Utilizing these biological solutions provides a sustainable method for handling sanitary waste and diminishing the environmental impact of these commonly used personal hygiene items.
Corresponding Author
Dr. Kannan M, Department of Zoology, V.H.N.Senthikumara Nadar College, (Autonomous) Virudhunagar, Tamilnadu
