Thickness based
Degradation Study of Commercial Polyethylene Waste Carry Bags using Galleria mellonella
Worms
Jayaprakash R., Ayyadurai G.K., Shajahan A. and Rathika S.
Res. J. Chem. Environ.; Vol. 28(5); 100-105;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/285rjce1000105; (2024)
Abstract
Modern world is facing lot of polymers which degrade land and will reduce agricultural
yield .in many ways. Thus, the cost-effective degradation or recycling is being
studied by the researchers. This study reformed settings to study the Galleria mellonella
wax worm's impact on polyethylene polymer degradation. This work isolated the worms
from waste honey comb and treated five worms with the collected polymers. Trials
were conducted at different seasons and monitored the degradation. Trials results
showed minimum average degradation of 86 mg over 216 h with five matured worms.
The results showed that worm saliva degraded polymers. In addition to coverings,
rough and flexible textile Cary bags disintegrates quickly.
Despite diverse settings, matured larvals degrade rapidly at night and in summer.
The trials showed that larval angriness and worm quantity caused degradation inconsistency.
Waxworm mediated degradations are effective for small polymer quantities with countless
worms. This work proposed that the waste honeycomb with worms can be mixed along
with the small village dumping yards for the minimum polymer waste degradation which
is simple and easy.
