Modification and Characterization of Biodegradable Chitosan/ Starch-Based Films with Monomer 1,4-Butanediol Diacrylate (BDDA) by Gamma Radiation

Chitosan reinforced starch-based biodegradable films were prepared by solution casting. Tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), elongation at break (%), and water vapor permeability (WVP) of the 50% chitosan containing starch-based films were found to be 47 MPa, 550 MPa, 16%, and 2.45 g·mm/m2·day·kPa, respectively.Monomer 1,4 butanediol diacrylate (BDDA) was added (0.25-1% by wt) to the starch/chitosan (50:50) based film formulation. Then, films were cast and gamma irradiated from a radiation dose varied from 1 kGy to 25 kGy. Then mechanical and barrier properties were evaluated. The highest TS (80 MPa) and TM (880 MPa) of the films were found by using 0.5% monomer at 5 kGy dose. The WVP of the films were found to be 1.50 g·mm/m2·day·kPa which is 38.77% lower than control starch/chitosan-based films. Molecular interactions due to incorporation of BDDA were supported by Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy. The water uptake of the films pointed out better hydrophobic character due to incorporation of BDDA in starch/chitosan-based films. Surface morphologies of BDDA treated films were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and suggested better morphologies due to BDDA treatment with starch/chitosan-based biodegradable films

An investigation on the prevalence of microplastic in commercial and open pan salts obtained from Cox's Bazar and Maheshkhali region of Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh)

Abstract Unrestrained utilization of plastic has reached an intemperate state, menacing environment and human lives. The preliminary focus of this research was to investigate and divulge the contemporary status of microplastics (MPs) in commercialized and open pan salts from Cox's Bazar and Maheshkhali channels. A total of 27 samples were obtained. The samples were analyzed for the prevalence of MPs by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy (RS); the prevailing amount, color, size, and shapes were analyzed by stereomicroscope and SEM. The abundance of high‐density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) were detected by FTIR, meanwhile exuberance of cellulose acetate, polypropylene, PET, LDPE, and Nylon 6 were identified by RS. The average quantifications of MPs in Cox's Bazar, Maheshkhali, and packaged salts were found to be 6851.11 ± 538.18, 5638.89 ± 1001.18, and 3405.56 ± 638.57 per kg, respectively. ANOVA resulted in highly significant association between MPs and sampling sites (p = .001*). Post hoc Tukey's test revealed prominent link between commercialized and open pan salts based on the amount of MPs (p = .001*). The most prevalent colors were purple (28%) and blue (27%). The most frequent shapes were fibrous (79%) and fragmented (19.9%) MPs. The smallest MP was detected in commercial salt (1.55 μm), nearly identical and closer to the size of nanoplastics