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Preliminary Testing of the Influence of Modified Polycaprolactones on Anabaena Variabilis Growth in Seawater

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Abstract

Several new biodegradable polymer materials have recently come onto the global market. Mostly the results on degradation kinetic studies are presented. This paper suggests using one of the tests to estimate the impact of polymer packaging material on sea life. The microorganism chosen was Anabaena variabilis (identified in many waters, including those of the Baltic Sea, especially in the Gulf of Gdańsk and Puck Bay; this cyanobacterium has a tendency to move with deep-sea waters causing algal blooms that upset the ecological balance of the marine environment [1]). The chosen polymer materials were polycaprolactone modified with thermoplastic starch (PCL/TPS > 85%) or with calcium carbonate (60% PCL/40% CaCO3). They were incubated in seawater in the presence of A. variabilis. The chlorophyll a content was determined as the criterion of cyanobacterial growth in the presence of the tested polymers. The polymer surface and colour changes in the cyanobacterium culture were recorded photographically. The experimental results indicate that the addition of polymer samples to the cyanobacterium culture affects its biological balance. During the experiment in seawater, cyanobacteria adhered to the polymer surfaces and their growth was stimulated to different degree by the polymers. Thus, the suggested test differentiate the behaviour of both materials studied. Cyanobacterial growth was lower in the presence of PCL modified with calcium carbonate than in the presence PCL/TPS blend.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (project number) NN 305 23 06 35.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Faculty, Polymer Technology Department, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland

    Agnieszka Guzman & Helena Janik

  2. Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy Str. 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland

    Alicja Kosakowska

Authors
  1. Agnieszka Guzman
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  2. Helena Janik
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  3. Alicja Kosakowska
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Correspondence to Agnieszka Guzman.

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Guzman, A., Janik, H. & Kosakowska, A. Preliminary Testing of the Influence of Modified Polycaprolactones on Anabaena Variabilis Growth in Seawater. J Polym Environ 18, 679–684 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-010-0236-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-010-0236-6

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