Impact of Plastic Waste on the Human Health in Low-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Background: Plastic pollution is the accumulation of waste composed of plastic and its derivatives all over the environment. Whether in the form of visible garbage or microparticles, as it slowly degrades, plastic pollution poses significant threats to terrestrial and aquatic habitats and the wildlife that call them home, whether through ingestion, entanglement or exposure to the chemicals contained in the material. Unfortunately, there is a lack of documentation on the impact of plastic waste on human health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: We searched five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Global Health, CINAHL and Web of Science) and gray literature, following the preferred reporting elements for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), for the impact of plastic waste on human health in developing countries. We included quantitative and qualitative studies written in English and French. We assessed the quality of the included articles using the Mixed Methods Appraisal tool (MMAT). Results: A total of 3779 articles were initially identified by searching electronic databases. After eliminating duplicates, 3167 articles were reviewed based on title and abstract, and 26 were selected for full-text review. Only three articles were retained. The three articles dealt with practices likely to lead to oral exposure to plastic chemicals in human health, as well as the level of awareness of participants concerning the possible impact of plastic on human health, namely, the use of plastic baby bottles, the use of microwaves to cook food and reheat precooked food, the use of plastic bottles to store water in the refrigerator, water purifier containers with plastic bodies and plastic lunch boxes, the reuse of plastic bags and the inadequacy of treatment facilities. Conclusion: Plastic waste poses different risks to human health at every stage of its life cycle. Hence, strategies must be adopted to raise public awareness of the dangers of plastic waste to their health. Trial registration: The review protocol is registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (ID = CRD42023409087).

How to enhance agricultural plastic waste management in China?Insights from public participation

Agricultural plastics play a pivotal role in agricultural production.However,due to expensive costs,agricultural plastic waste management(APWM)encounters a vast funding gap.As one of the crucial stakeholders,the public deserves to make appropriate efforts for APWM.Accordingly,identifying whether the public is willing to pay for APWM and clarifying the decisions’driving pathways to explore initiatives for promoting their payment intentions are essential to address the dilemma confronting APWM.To this end,by applying the extended theory of planned behavior(TPB),the study conducted an empirical analysis based on 1,288 residents from four provinces(autonomous regions)of northern China.Results illustrate that:1)respondents hold generally positive and relatively strong payment willingness towards APWM;2)respondents’attitude(AT),subjective norm(SN),and perceived behavioral control(PBC)are positively correlated with their payment intentions(INT);3)environmental cognition(EC)and environmental emotion(EE)positively moderate the relationships between AT and INT,and between SN and INT,posing significant indirect impacts on INT.The study’s implications extend to informing government policies,suggesting that multi-entity cooperation,specifically public payment for APWM,can enhance agricultural non-point waste management.

Upcycling plastic wastes into value-added products via electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis

Plastic,renowned for its versatility,durability,and cost-effectiveness,is indispensable in modern society.Nevertheless,the annual production of nearly 400 million tons of plastic,coupled with a recycling rate of only 9%,has led to a monumental environmental crisis.Plastic recycling has emerged as a vital response to this crisis,offering sustainable solutions to mitigate its environmental impact.Among these recycling efforts,plastic upcycling has garnered attention,which elevates discarded plastics into higher-value products.Here,electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic treatments stand at the forefront of advanced plastic upcycling.Electrocatalytic or photoelectrocatalytic treatments involve chemical reactions that facilitate electron transfer through the electrode/electrolyte interface,driven by electrical or solar energy,respectively.These methods enable precise control of chemical reactions,harnessing potential,current density,or light to yield valuable chemical products.This review explores recent progress in plastic upcycling through electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic pathways,offering promising solutions to the plastic waste crisis and advancing sustainability in the plastics industry.

Physicomechanical Properties of Sustainable Wood Plastic Composites of Tropical Sawdust and Thermoplastic Waste for Possible Utilization in the Wood Industry

This work investigated and quantified the physicomechanical properties of flat-pressed wood plastic composites produced with recycled polyethylene terephthalate, recycled polyethylene and sawdust derived from selected tropical timbers, namely, Nauclea diderrichii, Brachystegia eurycoma, Erythrophleum suaveolens and Prosopis africana, for possible utilization in the wood industry. The compounding of the polymer blends of the precursor plastics, namely recycled PET (rPET) and recycled PE (rPE) with the sawdust (SD) from the selected timbers to produce the desired wood rPET/rPE composites was carried out via the flat press method. The characterization of the physicomechanical properties of the wood plastic composites (WPCs) produced, such as the density, hardness, flexural strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation %, thickness swelling and water absorption capacity was carried out using methods based mainly on the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards. The results of the investigation on the resultant composites indicated that changes in the SD content affected the density of flat-pressed WPCs in line with literature. Generally, it was observed that as wood dust increased and PET content decreased, the density of composites decreased with some deviations as expected probably due to the anisotropic nature of the wood fillers. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there was a statistically significant variation in the wood composites of Nuclea diderichii based on the physicomechanical values as the p-value (0.020) obtained was less than the critical level of α = 0.05. It was also observed that the composite, Wood 1 Sample 5 (W1S5) which was composed of 40% rPE, 40% rPET and 20% SD (derived from Nuclea diderichii), had the highest percentage elongation (26.84%);the highest flexural strength (14.995 N/mm2) and possibly the least carbon footprint in the environment. These properties of W1S5 suggest that it could therefore be the best option for the production of building materials like ceiling boards or floor skirting in the wood plastic composite industry. The results of these investigations have therefore indicated that the fabrication of WPCs from sawdust and rPET/rPE was technically feasible and had prospects for large scale production in the wood industry.

Preliminary Studies on the Microbial Degradation of Plastic Waste Using <i>Aspergillus niger</i>and <i>Pseudomonas</i>sp.

The possibility of microbial degradation of plastic waste was investigated by isolating microorganisms present in dumpsite containing low-density polyethylene (LDP). Aspergillus niger (fungi) and Pseudomonas sp. (bacteria) were identified and subsequently used to biodegrade plastic waste. The medium was made up of 0.2 g of MgSO4, 1.0 g of KH2PO4, 1.0 g of K2HPO4, 1.0 g of NH4NO3, 0.02 g of CaCl2, 0.05 g of FeCl3 in 1000 ml water. 10 ml of the medium containing the bacteria and/or fungi was poured into test tubes and 0.1 g of the plastic sample (Pure water sachet) pre-treated with ethanol was introduced into the tubes. The pH of the medium was adjusted to 7.2, 5.4 and 6.0 for Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus niger and the mixed culture respectively. Each experiment was carried out aerobically at room temperature and incubated on a rotary shaker at 120 rpm. The weight loss in each experiment was monitored at 10 days interval for 60 days. The total weight loss after 60 days was 7.2%, 12.4%, 15% for degradation with Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus niger and the mixed culture respectively. From this study it can be inferred that Pseudomonas sp. and Aspergillus niger have the ability to degrade plastics. It can also be inferred that Aspergillus niger degraded plastics better than Pseudomonas sp. and there was synergy between the two microorganisms since the mixed culture gave a higher degradation.

Evaluation of the Influence of Plastic Waste in Improving the Mechanical Characteristics of Asphalt Mixes (Senegal, West Africa)

The recovery of plastic waste has a positive impact on two fronts: The environment, through waste reduction, and the economy, through its use in road construction. This work involves recycling plastic variants such as Polypropylene (PP) 50% and LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) 50% in proportions of 2% to 8%, incorporated into a 0/14 BBSG. The results of the Marshall test gave stability values ranging from 826 to 1523 kg and creep values from 5.5 to 2.45 mm. The Duriez test gave r/R values ranging from 0.769 to 0.786, with water absorption percentages from 2.24% to 0.69%. The PCG test at 80 gyrations gave void percentages ranging from 11.9% to 5.23%. The rutting test gives a rutting depth percentage that drops at 30,000 cycles from 11.5% to 1.3%. This study shows a considerable increase in the mechanical characteristics of asphalt mixes by adding plastic waste.

Effect of Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Waste on the Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Characteristics of Stabilized Laterite Bricks

The present work investigated the effect of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste on the physico-mechanical and thermal properties of cement-stabilized laterite bricks to see the durability of the modified bricks (CSLB). Samples were formulated by mixing laterite, cement, and different percentages of PET (0%, 3%, 5%, and 7%) by volume. The bricks were produced using the M7MI Hydraform standard interlocking block and kept in the shade for a curing period of 28 days. The addition of 3% to 5% PET to the laterite stabilized with 10% cement results in a decrease in both dry and wet compressive strength, which is determined using the Controlab compression machine. However, the obtained results are in concordance with the standards. The thermal conductivity of CSLB, determined using the box method with the EI700 measurement cell, decreases as the PET content of the mixture increases. A decrease in bulk density from 1.67 to 1.58 g/cm3 was observed.

Synthesis of Activated Carbon from Polyethylene Terephthalate(PET)Plastic Waste and Its Application for Removal of Organic Dyes from Water

Synthetic plastics are often considered to be materials that cannot be broken down by natural processes.One such plastic,polyethylene terephthalate(PET),is commonly used in everyday items but when these products are discarded,they can cause serious harm to the environment and human health.In this study,PET plastic waste was used to create activated carbon using a physical activation process that involved using CO2 gas.The researchers investigated the effects of different temperatures,carbonization,and activation times on the resulting activated carbon’s surface area.The activated carbon was then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),FTIR,and BET.The activated carbon created from PET plastic waste showed excellent absorption properties for methylene blue in aqueous solutions across a wide range of pH levels.By creating activated carbon from plastic waste,not only are environmental issues addressed,but high-value activated carbon is produced for environmental remediation purposes.

Reinforcement of Plastic Waste with Treated Natural Fibers

Plastic wastes are a major environmental concern that needs to be dealt with to minimize the amount of municipal solid waste and depletion of natural resources thus enhancing the sustainability concept for future generations. The objective of this study is to enhance the properties of plastic products using plastic wastes reinforced with treated natural fibers such as rice straw as well as carbonized rice straw, using a simple and efficient technology.

Gasification of plastic waste as waste-to-energy or waste-to-syngas recovery route

The disposal of plastic solid waste (PSW) has become a major worldwide environmental problem. New sustainable processes have emerged, i.e. either advanced mechanical recycling of PSW as virgin or second grade plastic feedstock, or thermal treatments to recycle the waste as virgin monomer, as synthetic fuel gas, or as heat source (incineration with energy recovery). These processes avoid land filling, where the non-biodegradable plastics remain a lasting environmental burden. Within the thermal treatments, gasification and pyrolysis gain increased interest. Gasification has been widely studied and applied for biomass and coal, with results reported and published in literature. The application to the treatment of PSW is less documented. Gasification is commonly operated at high temperatures (> 600℃ to 800℃) in an air-lean environment (or oxygen-deficient in some applications): the air factor is generally between 20% and 40% of the amount of air needed for the combustion of the PSW. Gasification produces mostly a gas phase and a solid residue (char and ashes). The use of air introduces N2 in the product gases, thus considerably reducing the calorific value of the syngas, because of the dilution. The paper will review the existing literature data on PSW gasification, both as the result of laboratory and pilot-scale research. Processes developed in the past will be illustrated. Recently, the use of a sequential gasification and combustion system (at very high temperatures) has been applied to various plastic-containing wastes, with atmospheric emissions shown to be invariably below the legal limits. Operating results and conditions will be reviewed in the paper, and completed with recent own lab-scale experimental results. These results demonstrate that gasification of PSW can be considered as a first order reaction, with values of the activation energy in the order of 187 to 289 kJ/mol as a function of the PSW nature.

An enriched environment promotes synaptic plasticity and cognitive recovery after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice

Cerebral ischemia activates an endogenous repair program that induces plastic changes in neurons. In this study, we investigated the effects of environmental enrichment on spatial learning and memory as well as on synaptic remodeling in a mouse model of chronic cerebral ischemia, produced by subjecting adult male C57 BL/6 mice to permanent left middle cerebral artery occlusion. Three days postoperatively, mice were randomly assigned to the environmental enrichment and standard housing groups. Mice in the standard housing group were housed and fed a standard diet. Mice in the environmental enrichment group were housed in a cage with various toys and fed a standard diet. Then, 28 days postoperatively, spatial learning and memory were tested using the Morris water maze. The expression levels of growth-associated protein 43, synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein 95 in the hippocampus were analyzed by western blot assay. The number of synapses was evaluated by electron microscopy. In the water maze test, mice in the environmental enrichment group had a shorter escape latency, traveled markedly longer distances, spent more time in the correct quadrant(northeast zone), and had a higher frequency of crossings compared with the standard housing group. The expression levels of growth-associated protein 43, synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein 95 were substantially upregulated in the hippocampus in the environmental enrichment group compared with the standard housing group. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed that environmental enrichment increased the number of synapses in the hippocampal CA1 region. Collectively, these findings suggest that environmental enrichment ameliorates the spatial learning and memory impairment induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Environmental enrichment in mice with cerebral ischemia likely promotes cognitive recovery by inducing plastic changes in synapses.

Modified Concrete Using Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Waste as a Partial Replacement for Coarse Aggregate

The present work evaluated the properties of modified concrete using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle waste as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate. Modified concrete samples were designed using a water/cement (W/C) ratio of 0.50 and varying percentages of PET replacement (3%, 7%, 10%, and 15% by volume). Dreux Gorisse’s formulation approach was used to make the final products, and the mechanical properties of the samples were determined using Controlab presses. This modified concrete with PET chips has shown that with a 10% replacement of PET chips, the fresh density decreases by 3.56%, and the hardened state density decreases by 2.01%. The water absorption and thermal conductivity of the formulated concretes decreased. However, the results showed that the slump of these fresh concretes increased as the percentage of plastic aggregate replacement increased. Based on the results, incorporating PET aggregates into concrete contributes to good workability, and lightweight concrete structures, and provides some thermal comfort in concrete structures.

Sulfur Distribution during Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Lignite, Wheat Straw and Plastic Waste in Sub-Critical Water

The distribution and transformation of sulfur in products during hydrothermal liquefaction of lignite, wheat straw and plastic waste in sub-critical water were investigated in an autoclave. The influence of blending ratio, temperature, initial nitrogen pressure, residence time and additives on sulfur distribution was studied systematically. The results showed that most of sulfur existed as organic sulfur and transferred into the residue, and only a small part of sulfur transferred into oil and gas during hydrothermal liquefaction of lignite, wheat straw and plastic waste in sub-critical water. The results also showed that lower temperature(less than 300 ℃) was favorable for obtaining oil with low sulfur content. It can be also seen from the results that the best condition to obtain the oil with low sulfur content should be implemented at a lignite/wheat straw/plastic waste blending ratio of 5:4:1, an initial nitrogen pressure of 3 MPa and a residence time of 30 minutes. Furthermore, the results indicated that adding tourmaline during hydrothermal liquefaction of lignite, wheat straw and plastic waste was beneficial to production of oil with low sulfur content.

Characterization of Clayey Soils from Congo and Physical Properties of Their Compressed Earth Blocks Reinforced with Post-Consumer Plastic Wastes

Physical properties of compressed earth blocks reinforced with plastic wastes are compared to those of nonreinforced ones. These bricks are made with two clayey soils from two deposits of Congo located in Brazzaville and Yengola. Mineralogical and geotechnical analysis revealed that the soil of Brazzaville is mainly composed of kaolinite whereas that of Yengola is a mixture of kaolinite and illite. The amounts of clay (46 and 48%, respectively) are higher than those usually recommended for bricks’ production without stabilizers. Despite this difference of mineralogical compositions, the physical properties of these soils are quite similar. The compressive strength of the resulted bricks compacted with an energy of 2.8 MPa is about 1.5 MPa, which is the lower limit value allowed for adobes. Reinforcing with polyethylene waste nets increased the strength by about 20 to 30% and slightly enhanced resistance to water, Young’s modulus and strain to failure. However, the reinforcement had no significant effect either on bricks’ curing length or on their shrinkage.

Paired associative stimulation improves synaptic plasticity and functional outcomes after cerebral ischemia

Paired associative stimulation is a relatively new non-invasive brain stimulation technique that combines transcranial magnetic stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation. The effects of paired associative stimulation on the excitability of the cerebral cortex can vary according to the time interval between the transcranial magnetic stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation. We established a model of cerebral ischemia in rats via transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. We administered paired associative stimulation with a frequency of 0.05 Hz 90 times over 4 weeks. We then evaluated spatial learning and memory using the Morris water maze. Changes in the cerebral ultra-structure and synaptic plasticity were assessed via transmission electron microscopy and a 64-channel multi-electrode array. We measured mRNA and protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 in the hippocampus using a real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay. Paired associative stimulation treatment significantly improved learning and memory in rats subjected to cerebral ischemia. The ultra-structures of synapses in the CA1 area of the hippocampus in rats subjected to cerebral ischemia were restored by paired associative stimulation. Long-term potentiation at synapses in the CA3 and CA1 regions of the hippocampus was enhanced as well. The protein and mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 increased after paired associative stimulation treatment. These data indicate that paired associative stimulation can protect cog-nition after cerebral ischemia. The observed effect may be mediated by increases in the mRNA and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1, and by enhanced synaptic plasticity in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. The animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China(approval No. TJ-A20151102) on July 11, 2015.

Influencing Factors of Plastic Waste Pollution Reduction in Kinshasa

Plastic products, e.g., plastic bags, plastic bottles, and other plastic materials are widely used in people’s daily life and industrial production worldwide since they are cheap, easy to get, and convenient for all-purpose of transportation or movement. The wide application of plastic products also brings a lot of problems. The significant adverse consequences include plastic waste pollution and waste of resources, which pose a high threat to social development and environmental protection. In this research, a social survey involving 267 people was conducted to examine how certain factors reduce plastic waste pollution in Kinshasa. Statistical Product and Service Solutions were employed to analyze the data gathered from the survey. The results indicate that all the factors or strategies for reducing plastic waste pollution have a significant positive impact on plastic waste pollution reduction. The environmental factors have the highest contribution to the control of plastic waste pollution with an impact of 88.8%, followed by Government policy with an impact of 42.3%. Economic factors have the least impact contribution, with an impact of 36.0%. This finding and conclusion could be used as a framework for implementing plastic waste pollution management strategies or developing waste management systems.