Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Azcapotzalco, Av. San Pablo, No. 180 Col. Reynosa-Tamaulipas, C.P. 02200 Mexico City, Mexico.
Waste Manag. 2011 Aug;31(8):1683-8. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2011.03.007. Epub 2011 Apr 6.
This research assesses the feasibility of degrading used disposable diapers, an important component (5-15% in weight) of urban solid waste in Mexico, by the activity of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, also known as oyster mushroom. Disposable diapers contain polyethylene, polypropylene and a super absorbent polymer. Nevertheless, its main component is cellulose, which degrades slowly. P. ostreatus has been utilized extensively to degrade cellulosic materials of agroindustrial sources, using in situ techniques. The practice has been extended to the commercial farming of the mushroom. This degradation capacity was assayed to reduce mass and volume of used disposable diapers. Pilot laboratory assays were performed to estimate the usefulness of the following variables on conditioning of used diapers before they act as substrate for P. ostreatus: (1) permanence vs removal of plastic cover; (2) shredding vs grinding; (3) addition of grape wastes to improve structure, nitrogen and trace elements content. Wheat straw was used as a positive control. After 68 days, decrease of the mass of diapers and productivity of fungus was measured. Weight and volume of degradable materials was reduced up to 90%. Cellulose content was diminished in 50% and lignine content in 47%. The highest efficiency for degradation of cellulosic materials corresponded to the substrates that showed highest biological efficiency, which varied from 0% to 34%. Harvested mushrooms had good appearance and protein content and were free of human disease pathogens. This research indicates that growing P. ostreatus on disposable diapers could be a good alternative for two current problems: reduction of urban solid waste and availability of high protein food sources.
本研究评估了利用真菌糙皮侧耳（也称为牡蛎菇）的活性来降解墨西哥城市固体废物中重要组成部分（重量的 5-15%）——用过的一次性尿布的可行性。一次性尿布含有聚乙烯、聚丙烯和高吸水性聚合物。然而，其主要成分是纤维素，降解速度较慢。糙皮侧耳已被广泛用于降解农业工业来源的纤维素材料，采用原位技术。该实践已扩展到蘑菇的商业化种植。这项降解能力的测定旨在减少用过的一次性尿布的质量和体积。进行了初步实验室试验，以评估以下变量在用作糙皮侧耳基质之前对用过的尿布进行调理的有用性：（1）保留与去除塑料覆盖物；（2）切碎与研磨；（3）添加葡萄废物以改善结构、氮和微量元素含量。麦秸被用作阳性对照。68 天后，测量了尿布的质量和真菌的生产力下降情况。可降解材料的重量和体积减少了高达 90%。纤维素含量减少了 50%，木质素含量减少了 47%。对纤维素材料降解效率最高的是生物效率最高的底物，其范围从 0%到 34%不等。收获的蘑菇外观良好，蛋白质含量高，且不含人类疾病病原体。这项研究表明，在一次性尿布上种植糙皮侧耳可能是解决两个当前问题的一个很好的选择：减少城市固体废物和提供高蛋白食物来源。
