The growing accumulation of agricultural waste, particularly groundnut shells, presents significant environmental concerns due to methane emissions and greenhouse gas release from crop residue burning. Groundnut shell powder, a biodegradable byproduct, offers potential as a raw material for bio-nanocomposite films. This study focuses on the development of biodegradable packaging films from groundnut shell powder, evaluating their physicochemical and mechanical properties while optimizing process parameters. Experiments were conducted to optimize the process parameters, viz., shaker time (6, 12, and 18 h), shaker speed (160, 180, and 240 rpm), and concentration of laccase enzyme (80, 100, and 120 mg) to leach out maximum lignin content in short duration. Further, to stop enzymatic reaction, drying time, drying temperature, and storage condition (dark or light) were optimized to minimize the time of operation, maximize cellulose, and minimize lignin content for isolation of cellulose microfibers from peanut shell powder. The biodegradable film from groundnut shell powder was developed by solution casting method. The three types of films, viz., agar powder-based (AG), mixture of agar powder and peanut shell powder (PSP), and mixture of agar powder and cellulose microfiber (CMF), were developed at optimized conditions. The maximum thickness was achieved by the cellulose microfiber-based film. The transmittance value of agar film was lesser than that of CMF film and PSP. The CMF film's water solubility and tensile strength was observed highest in comparison to that of the other two films. CMF and PSP films had a higher opacity value than agar films. Due to the presence of lignin, it was found that PSP loses less weight than CMF film during the soil burial degradation test. Therefore, the findings suggested that CMF film possesses not only improved biodegradability but also superior physical and mechanical properties, which may be suitable for use as a food packaging material.

Domestic laundry wastewater is a major contributor to microfiber emissions in the aquatic environment. Among several mitigation measures, the use of external filters to capture microfibers from wastewater is one of the most efficient and commercially viable methods. This study attempted to develop an eco-friendly filtration medium to filter microfibers in laundry wastewater using luffa cylindrica fibers. Sourced luffa fibers were made into tight rolls and stacked in a filtration column to filter the effluent. The analysis showed that the alkali-treated luffa fiber rolls were more effective in filtering the microfibers than untreated luffa fibers. Hence, the alkali treatment process was optimized for better performance; an alkali concentration of 5.8%, treatment time of 5 h, and 37 degrees C temperature provide better performance. The characterization of alkali-treated luffa fibers showed significant changes in the morphology and removal of lignin and hemicellulose components, enhancing the physical adsorption of microfibers on the surface. The experimental filtration results showed that the developed filter can effectively remove up to 93% of microfibers from laundry effluent, and the efficiency remained superior for up to 15 filtrations. Furthermore, an increase in filtration leads to the accumulation of detergents in the luffa net-like vascular structure and reduced effectiveness. The use of the developed product in a real-time washing machine outlet was found to be effective with an efficiency of 98%. The developed product is a versatile and cost-effective solution, suitable for use in domestic washing machines. Its simplicity and ease of integration make it an effective and eco-friendly alternative for filtering microfibers from laundry effluent. The future direction of the study also suggests a sustainable disposal method for luffa fibers using it as a matrix material in red soil-based thermal or sound insulation panels and restricting the reach of microfibers into the environment.

In the context of sustainable materials, this study explores the effects of accelerated weathering testing and bacterial biodegradation on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/rapeseed microfiber biocomposites. Accelerated weathering, simulating outdoor environmental conditions, and bacterial biodegradation, representing natural degradation processes in soil, were employed to investigate the changes in the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of these materials during its post-production life cycle. Attention was paid to the assessment of the change of structural, mechanical and calorimetric properties of alkali and N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO)-treated rapeseed microfiber (RS)-reinforced plasticized PHBV composites before and after accelerated weathering. Results revealed that accelerated weathering led to an increase in stiffness, but a reduction in tensile strength and elongation at break, of the investigated PHBV biocomposites. Additionally, during accelerated weathering, the crystallinity of PHBV biocomposites increased, especially in the presence of RS, due to both the hydrolytic degradation of the polymer matrix and the nucleating effect of the filler. It has been observed that an increase in PHBV crystallinity, determined by DSC measurements, correlates with the intensity ratio I1225/1180 obtained from FTIR-ATR data. The treatment of RS microfibers increased the biodegradation capability of the developed PHBV composites, especially in the case of chemically untreated RS. All the developed PHBV composites demonstrated faster biodegradation in comparison to neat PHBV matrix.