Development of glowing plastic bricks from waste plastic and florescent pyoverdine pigment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
The extensive increase in non-biodegradable plastic waste is leading to heightened pollution and severe impacts on the climate. The marine environment withstands the worst of plastic pollution, with a documented accumulation of 86 million tons of plastic debris globally. Humans are directly impacted by degraded plastic waste through direct consumption (e.g., in tap water), indirect consumption (via the consumption of contaminated animals), and interference with various hormonal mechanisms. In the 20th century, human-produced plastics constituted approximately 3% of the worlds total biomass. In addressing this issue, we embarked on the development of plastic bricks, emphasizing the repurposing of plastic waste. To distinguish our approach, we incorporated a luminescent quality using the inherent fluorescent property of the pyoverdine pigment produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This luminescence aims to mitigate nocturnal visibility issues, which contribute to accidents involving both human and speechless fauna.