A method of assisting insects in degrading plastics

Abstract

The application relates to the field of plastic degradation, and specifically discloses a method for assisting insects in degrading plastics, which comprises the following steps: placing insects and plastics in a container, adding a saccharide substance, and playing fast-paced music with a BPM exceeding 100. The application introduces the saccharide substance and the fast-paced music into the living environment of the insects, significantly improves the plastic degradation efficiency, can reach several times of the original efficiency, thereby meeting the industrialization demand and can be used for large-scale treatment of plastic waste.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of plastic degradation, and more specifically, it relates to a method for assisting insects in degrading plastics. Background Technology

[0002] Polystyrene (PS) is a lightweight polymer with low thermal conductivity. It can be synthesized into various shapes and sizes and has high thermal stability, making it widely used worldwide and a popular choice in the food industry. Polyethylene (PE) has good chemical stability, UV resistance, and thermal stability, and is mainly used in packaging films, agricultural mulch films, and insulation materials for wires and cables.

[0003] Given the inherent durability and resistance to natural biodegradation of plastics, most plastics end up in landfills or in the ocean, causing serious environmental pollution, especially PS and PE.

[0004] Recent studies have shown that insects such as superworms and mealworms can naturally utilize PS, PE, or other types of plastics as a carbon-rich food source. Specific enzymes in their gut bacteria can degrade these plastics without significant toxicity. Superworms (Zophobas morio), also known as super worms, are edible insects rich in protein, fat, and a relatively complete range of amino acids, serving as a food source. Furthermore, their excrement is a natural fertilizer. Therefore, utilizing insects to degrade plastics can achieve a zero-waste ecological cycle.

[0005] However, insects are still relatively slow at degrading plastics, and much optimization and improvement are needed before they can be applied to large-scale plastic waste treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To improve the efficiency of insect degradation of plastics, this application provides a method to assist insects in degrading plastics.

[0007] This application provides a method for assisting insects in degrading plastics, employing the following technical solution: A method for assisting insects in degrading plastic includes the following steps: placing insects and plastic in a container and playing fast-paced music with a BPM of over 100.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, introducing fast-paced music into the insect's living environment can improve the insect's plastic degradation efficiency. The reason for this may be the stimulating effect of fast-paced music on the insect's physiological hormones.

[0009] Optionally, the fast-paced music has a BPM of 140.

[0010] Optionally, the volume of the fast-paced music is 20-50dB.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, this is the preferred range for insect-degradable plastics.

[0012] Optionally, a sugary substance may be added to the container.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, adding sugars can significantly increase the daily plastic consumption of insects and improve the plastic degradation efficiency of insects.

[0014] Optionally, the sugar is white sugar.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, white sugar is readily available and inexpensive.

[0016] Optionally, the insects refer to the first generation that have not been fed plastic.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the first generation can be purchased commercially without being fed plastic. Its adaptability is generally average, but sugary substances and fast-paced music have a significant impact on the first generation, which can improve its plastic degradation efficiency.

[0018] Optionally, the insect refers to the Nth generation obtained after being fed plastic, where N≥2.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solutions, the Nth generation has improved adaptability to plastics. Under the influence of sugary substances and fast-paced music, the degradation efficiency of plastics is significantly improved, especially when sugary substances and fast-paced music work together.

[0020] Optionally, the container is made of polypropylene.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, polypropylene containers have the advantages of being transparent and lightweight, making it easy to observe insects, and the polypropylene material is not affected by insects.

[0022] Optionally, the ambient temperature is 10-40℃.

[0023] Optional, the ambient humidity is 30-99%.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solutions, insects are most suitable for the degradation of PE and PS.

[0025] In summary, this application has the following beneficial effects: 1. This application uses insects to degrade plastics. Compared with the natural degradation rate of plastics, the degradation efficiency of insects is millions of times faster. Moreover, some insects require almost no maintenance, can eat plastics contaminated by food, and cannot fly, so they do not require cleaning, making the enclosure work easier to implement. 2. This application introduces sugars and fast-paced music into the insect's living environment, which significantly improves the degradation efficiency of plastics, reaching several times the original efficiency, thereby meeting the needs of industrialization and enabling large-scale processing of plastic waste. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 These are graphs showing the weight changes of the superworms in Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-4 of this application; Figure 2 This is a graph showing the PS consumption of the superworms in Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-4 of this application; Figure 3 This is a graph showing the PS consumption of the first-generation superworm in this application embodiment; Figure 4 This is a chart showing the PS consumption of the second-generation super worm according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0027] A method for assisting insects in degrading plastic includes the following steps: placing insects and plastic in a container with an ambient temperature of 10-40℃ and an ambient humidity of 30-99%, adding sugars, and playing fast-paced music with a BPM of over 100 and a volume of 20-50dB.

[0028] Preferably, the fast-paced music has a BPM of 140. It should be noted that BPM is a unit of beats per minute; a higher BPM indicates a faster tempo. There are many music options available in the BPM range of 100-150, all of which can help insects degrade plastic. If a faster tempo is needed, the range of available music is smaller; therefore, considering all factors, fast-paced music at 140 BPM is more suitable.

[0029] It should be noted that fast-paced music is played through speakers or other players. In this embodiment, the implementation scale is relatively small; one speaker is sufficient for the bottom of each container, with a volume of 20-50 dB being suitable. In other embodiments, the number of speakers can be increased and the volume adjusted appropriately based on the container size, and this is not considered a limitation on the method for assisting in the degradation of plastics.

[0030] Preferably, the ambient temperature is 25°C and the ambient humidity is 50%, which are suitable for insects to live in. Depending on the type of insect, the ambient temperature can be 10-40°C and the ambient humidity can be 30-99%. As long as the environmental conditions are sufficient for insects to live in, it is not considered a limitation on the method of assisting in the degradation of plastics.

[0031] It should be noted that the insects can be superworms, mealworms, or other insects that can degrade PS and / or PE.

[0032] The insects are either the first generation that has not been fed plastic, or the Nth generation that has been bred after being fed plastic, where N≥2. The first generation can be purchased commercially, while the Nth generation has a stronger ability to adapt to plastic compared to the first generation.

[0033] In this embodiment, the sugar is granulated white sugar, which is readily available and inexpensive. In other embodiments, the sugar can also be pure sucrose, glucose, etc.

[0034] It should be noted that the type of plastic is not considered a limitation on the auxiliary methods for degrading plastics. The method can be selected based on the type of plastic that different insects are suitable for degrading. For example, mealworms are suitable for degrading PE and PS.

[0035] In this embodiment, the container is made of polypropylene (PP) because polypropylene is unaffected by the superworm and will not degrade. In other embodiments, the container can also be made of other plastic materials besides PE and PS, or other suitable materials such as metal, ceramic, and concrete. It should be noted that, since the implementation scale of this embodiment is small, the container mainly refers to a small holding vessel. In other embodiments, the implementation scale is larger, and the container can also refer to a large holding vessel or a large fixed building.

[0036] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that: unless otherwise specified in the following embodiments, the conditions are carried out according to conventional conditions or the conditions recommended by the manufacturer. Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials used in the following embodiments can be obtained from commercially available sources.

[0037] Example 1: A method for assisting insects in degrading plastics includes the following steps: The first-generation super worm (Zophobas morio) and PS granules were placed in a polypropylene container. A speaker was installed at the bottom of the polypropylene container. The ambient temperature was controlled at 25℃, the ambient humidity was controlled at 50%, and the speaker played fast-paced music with a BPM of 140 and a volume of 35dB.

[0038] In this embodiment, the PS particles are spherical with a diameter between 0.4 and 0.5 cm.

[0039] It should be noted that no water is added in this embodiment of the application, but in other embodiments, a small amount of water may be added depending on the specific culture environment conditions.

[0040] Example 2: The only difference from Example 1 is that white sugar granules are added to the container. In this embodiment, 25 mg of white sugar granules are added for every 300 mg of PS granules. In other embodiments, the amount of white sugar granules added can be 5-15 wt% of the PS granules, or other amounts. The amount of white sugar granules added is not considered a limitation of this application.

[0041] Example 3: The only difference from Example 1 is that a second-generation super worm is used, which is bred by feeding plastic using the method in Example 1.

[0042] Example 4: The only difference from Example 2 is that a second-generation super worm is used, which is bred by feeding plastic using the method in Example 1.

[0043] Example 5: The difference from Example 1 is that the BPM is 100.

[0044] Example 6: The difference from Example 2 is that the BPM is 100.

[0045] Examples 7-10: The difference from Examples 1-4 is that the PS particles are replaced with PE particles.

[0046] Examples 11-14: The difference from Examples 1-4 is that the super worm (Zophobas morio) is replaced with the yellow mealworm (Tenebriomolitor).

[0047] Comparative Example 1: The only difference from Example 1 is that fast-paced music is not played.

[0048] Comparative Example 2: The only difference from Comparative Example 1 is that sugar granules were added to the container, with 25mg of sugar granules added for every 300mg of PS granules.

[0049] Comparative Example 3: The only difference from Comparative Example 1 is that a second-generation super worm was used, which was bred by feeding plastic using the method in Example 1.

[0050] Comparative Example 4: The only difference from Comparative Example 2 is that a second-generation super worm was used, which was bred by feeding plastic using the method in Example 1.

[0051] Weight change test: The weight changes of the superworms in Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-4 were tested. Their total weight W1 before feeding with plastic and their total weight W2 after four days of feeding were measured. The average weight change C of each superworm was calculated based on the number of superworms n, in mg.

[0052] C = (W2 - W1) / n See results for weight change. Figure 1 The error bars represent the standard error of the mean. Statistical significance was determined using a two-tailed samples t-test and a paired two-tailed t-test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, #P < 0.05. It should be noted that there are four sample groups from left to right: control group (Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 3), sugar group (Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 4), 140 BPM group (Example 1, Example 3), and sugar and 140 BPM group (Example 2, Example 4). The left bar of each sample group represents the weight change of the first-generation super worm, and the right bar represents the weight change of the second-generation super worm.

[0053] The results are presented in a table, as shown in Table 1.

[0054] Table 1. Record of weight changes in the super worm. Example 1 -8.0 Comparative Example 1 -72.9 Example 2 14.4 Comparative Example 2 58.4 Example 3 57.8 Comparative Example 3 24 Example 4 30.9 Comparative Example 4 85.7 Depend on Figure 1 As shown in Table 1, feeding ordinary first-generation super worms with plastic without disturbance will cause them to lose weight, while second-generation super worms will gain weight, indicating that the adaptability of second-generation super worms is significantly higher than that of first-generation super worms.

[0055] Degradation capacity test: The degradation capacity of the super worms in Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-4 was tested. The initial total weight W3 of the PS particles and the total weight W4 after four days of degradation were weighed. Based on the initial total weight of the super worms and the number of days, the PS consumption was calculated in mg / g of worm / day, which is the amount of PS (mg) that each gram of worm can consume per day.

[0056] See degradation capacity test results. Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The error bars represent the standard error of the mean. A two-tailed samples t-test was used to determine statistical significance. *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001.

[0057] Figure 2In the image, there are four sample groups from left to right: control group (Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 3), sugar group (Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 4), 140 BPM group (Example 1, Example 3), and sugar and 140 BPM group (Example 2, Example 4). The left bar of each sample group represents the PS consumption of the first-generation super worm, and the right bar represents the PS consumption of the second-generation super worm.

[0058] in, Figure 3 and Figure 4 The dashed line represents the multiple compared to the control group.

[0059] The results are presented in a table, see Table 2.

[0060] Table 2 PS Degradation Ability Results Record Table Example 1 2.5 Comparative Example 1 0.71 Example 2 1.24 Comparative Example 2 2.11 Example 3 2.42 Comparative Example 3 0.83 Example 4 6.76 Comparative Example 4 4.04 Depend on Figures 2 to 4 As shown in Table 2: 1. Under undisturbed conditions, the degradation capacity of the first-generation and second-generation super worms did not change significantly; 2. The individual introduction of sugar and fast-paced music both significantly improved the PS degradation ability of the super worm; 3. Under the synergistic effect of sugar and fast-paced music, there are significant differences between the first and second generations. The second generation of super worms has a significant impact, which can make its PS consumption 8.1 times that of the control group and significantly improve its degradation ability, which is conducive to industrial application.

[0061] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of this application and is not intended to limit it. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they fall within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A method for assisting insects in degrading plastics, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The second-generation super worm (Zophobas morio) The polystyrene granules are placed in a polypropylene container, the bottom of which is equipped with a speaker. Sugar granules are also added to the container, with 25mg of sugar granules added for every 300mg of polystyrene granules. The ambient temperature is controlled at 25℃ and the ambient humidity is controlled at 50%. The speaker plays fast-paced music with a BPM of 140 and a volume of 35dB. The second-generation super worm is based on the first-generation super worm (Zophobas morio). The plastic was fed with polystyrene granules and placed in the aforementioned polypropylene container. A speaker was installed at the bottom of the container. The ambient temperature was controlled at 25°C and the ambient humidity at 50%. The plastic was then bred while the speaker played fast-paced music with a BPM of 140 and a volume of 35dB.

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