Influence of biomineralization on the release of microplastics in the marine environment

• Main Author: Dong, WenKai
• Other Authors: Cao Bin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Biomineralization; Microplastics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/181527
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Every year millions of tons of plastic wastes enter the oceans. Fragmentation of these plastic wastes release microplastics that pollute marine habitats and have profound impacts on human health and marine life. These harmful effects derive directly from plastic polymers as well as chemicals and additives added during manufacturing. Due to their chemical and physical properties, microplastics can withstand various environmental conditions, resist environmental degradation and persist in the environmental for a long time. Numerous earlier studies have studied ways to mitigate microplastic pollution, such as source control, collection technologies and even the viability of biological approaches to mitigate the microplastics issue, focusing on using fungi and bacteria to break down the plastic polymers. This study investigates the influence of natural biomineralization processes, particularly calcite formation, on the generation and fragmentation of microplastics in marine environments. By simulating these processes under controlled conditions, the research provides insights into how biomineralization alters the physical and chemical pathways of plastic degradation.