Examples of biodegradability in the following topics:
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- Biodegradation is the process in which living organisms, most often microorganisms, break down material into simpler components.
- Oil tarballs are biodegraded slowly by species from the genera Chromobacterium, Micrococcus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Candida, Saccharomyces and others.
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- Such biodegradable materials can be composted, broken down and returned to the earth as useful nutrients.
- It remains an open question whether it's more energy and cost efficient to use biodegradable plastic or to recycle petroleum-based plastic.
- There is little doubt, however, that biodegradable materials lead to less environmental pollution when randomly discarded after use, as is often the case.
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- Understanding how microbes digest hydrocarbons has started the field of microbial biodegradation, a type of bioremediation.
- The use of chemicals for the treatment of a hydrocarbon polluted site may contaminate the environment with their by-products, whereas biological treatment may efficiently destroy pollutants, while being biodegradable themselves.
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- These plastics are biodegradeable and are used in the production of bioplastics.
- There are also applications for PHA produced by micro-organisms within the medical and pharmaceutical industries, primarily due to their biodegradability.
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- Except for the small amount that's been incinerated–and it's a very small amount–every bit of plastic ever made still exists, unless the material's molecular structure is designed to favor biodegradation.
- One sensible solution would require manufacturers to use natural biodegradable packaging materials whenever possible, and consumers to conscientiously dispose of their plastic waste.
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- Genetically engineered entities are biocompatible and biodegradable.
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- Various applications of that reporter gene were documented and vary from being able to monitor microorganism's survival in complex biological systems such as activated sludge to biodegradation of chemical compounds in soil.
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- No one knows how long it will take for some of these plastics to biodegrade, or return to their component molecules.
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- Biological materials are biodegradable and should be returned to the environment where they can be broken down safely and organically.
- For example, the ‘gDiaper' came into existence after its inventors learned that approximately 38,000 ‘disposable' diapers go into landfill sites in the USA every minute and each one can take 500 years to decompose. gDiapers are made from biodegradable materials that are put together using environmentally friendly production methods.
- (World Challenge, ‘Fireproof Juice') Note: Nilsson's work is a good example of biomimicry, which involves replacing toxic or hazardous production processes with safe, sustainable and biodegradable alternatives.
- Examples include: containers that safely and effectively store liquids yet are still biodegradable; tubular skylighting, which captures outside light and redirects it into buildings; transmitting subscriber-based news and information over the Internet instead of printing it (a growing number of university courses benefit from this practice, which eliminates the need for students to travel to a classroom); and the eCube, a device the size of a hockey puck that attaches to a refrigerator's temperature sensor (the eCube prevents the wasteful turning on of the cooling unit every time the refrigerator door is opened, thereby reducing energy requirements by up to 30%).
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- In addition, microbial processes can be co-opted for biodegradation or bioremediation of domestic, agricultural, and industrial wastes, making the study of microbial ecology particularly important for biotechnological and environmental applications.