Baldera-Moreno Yvan, Pino Valentina, Farres Amelia, Banerjee Aparna, Gordillo Felipe, Andler Rodrigo
Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile.
Escuela de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Centro de Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales (Cenbio), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile.
Polymers (Basel). 2022 Jan 18;14(3):375. doi: 10.3390/polym14030375.
The strong environmental impact caused by plastic pollution has led research to address studies from different perspectives. The mathematical modeling of the biodegradation kinetics of solid materials is a major challenge since there are many influential variables in the process and there is interdependence of microorganisms with internal and external factors. In addition, as solid substrates that are highly hydrophobic, mass transfer limitations condition degradation rates. Some mathematical models have been postulated in order to understand the biodegradation of plastics in natural environments such as oceans. However, if tangible and optimizable solutions are to be found, it is necessary to study the biodegradation process under controlled conditions, such as using bioreactors and composting systems. This review summarizes the biochemical fundamentals of the main plastics (both petrochemical and biological origins) involved in biodegradation processes and combines them with the main mathematical equations and models proposed to date. The different biodegradation studies of plastics under controlled conditions are addressed, analyzing the influencing factors, assumptions, model developments, and correlations with laboratory-scale results. It is hoped that this review will provide a comprehensive overview of the process and will serve as a reference for future studies, combining practical experimental work and bioprocess modeling systems.
塑料污染所造成的强烈环境影响促使研究从不同角度展开。固体材料生物降解动力学的数学建模是一项重大挑战，因为该过程中有许多影响变量，且微生物与内部和外部因素相互依存。此外，作为高度疏水的固体底物，传质限制制约了降解速率。为了解海洋等自然环境中塑料的生物降解情况，已经提出了一些数学模型。然而，若要找到切实可行且可优化的解决方案，就有必要在可控条件下研究生物降解过程，比如使用生物反应器和堆肥系统。本综述总结了参与生物降解过程的主要塑料（包括石化来源和生物来源）的生化基础，并将其与迄今提出的主要数学方程和模型相结合。探讨了在可控条件下对塑料进行的不同生物降解研究，分析了影响因素、假设、模型发展以及与实验室规模结果的相关性。希望本综述能对该过程提供全面概述，并为未来研究提供参考，将实际实验工作与生物过程建模系统结合起来。
