The University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), along with Algenesis Corporation, has officially announced the publication of a seminal scientific study, which is focused on a solution against microplastic pollution. Named as “Rapid biodegradation of microplastics generated from bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane,” the study sheds light upon one bio-based and biodegradable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which is the latest product from the Soleic® brand polyurethane materials made by Algenesis. Before we get any further into the new development, though, we must take a closer look at the problem statement i.e. microplastics. Basically, these microplastics are tiny, nearly indestructible fragments shed from everyday plastic products. But if so tiny, why are they detrimental? Well, the stated material actually comes decked up with a tendency to accumulate in our oceans and ecosystems, and even within human bodies. You see, according to certain studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and Toxicological Sciences, microplastics were literally detected in human placentas and heart plaques, posing from there a massive risk to human health.

Talk about what Algenesis’ latest breakthrough does to take on that risk, it leverage its biodegradable nature of its brainchild to directly address the accumulation problem. To prove the same, researchers at UC San Diego and Algenesis purposely generated microplastics from the TPU material using a belt sander, and then studied how these particles biodegrade in the natural environment. The stated exercise would reveal to them that tiny plastic particles from this new TPU are able to rapidly biodegrade under home composting conditions. Not just that, the researchers also discovered how even common soil microorganisms became capable of growing on the microplastics, and therefore, using them as their sole carbon source. Hence, what we eventually get here is a bacteria type which can eat these transient plastics and turn them into harmless nutrients and carbon dioxide. If proved as scalable, such a setup should help us switch to a TPU manufacturing method that relies on natural plant sources rather than petroleum, while simultaneously making sure that the emerging material doesn’t leave a lasting impact on the environment.

“Through a combination of direct visualization, respirometry, microbiology, and analytical chemistry, our team has demonstrated if or when our Soleic® plastics generate microplastics, they will only be transient in nature and will rapidly decompose in the environment, because common microorganisms are capable of biochemically eating them as nutrients. This has to become the future of all plastics, as we simply cannot continue to pollute our planet and our bodies with microplastics,” said Ryan Simkovsky, Chief Technology Officer for Algenesis and the corresponding author of the publication.

Another detail worth a mention pertains to the material’s other practical applications. So far, the researching teams have proposed possible use cases in the form of TPU-coated cotton fabrics and injection molded phone cases. For both the applications, they were able to achieve clear structural degradation and significant biofilm formation, thus indicating real-world biodegradability. Apart from that, they are now exploring possible use cases in industries ranging from aerospace applications to outdoor apparel.

For solidifying the prospects of these applications, Algenesis has also partnered with a world leader in engineered polymer called Trelleborg, and one of world’s top producers of tech accessories in RhinoShield.

“RhinoShield is looking forward to teaming up with Algenesis to tackle the world’s plastic issue. We’re equally enthusiastic about establishing sustainable standards for the phone case industry” said Eric Wang, CEO of RhinoShield.