Sustainable bioeconomy: Development of environmentally friendly bio-
shampoos and plant protection agent technologies

Date:
February 14, 2022
Source:
Goethe University Frankfurt
Summary:
With the early assessment of sustainable, newly developed
chemicals and products it is possible to assess a potential risk
of toxic substances being released at a later point in product
cascades. In the course of the study the toxicity of sustainable
biosurfactants, potentially applied in, e.g., bio-shampoos, and of
a new technology for the economical deployment of plant protection
agents were analyzed using a combination of computer modelling
and laboratory experiments. The study is the first step towards
a safe bioeconomy from an eco-toxicological stance, and which
uses sustainable resources and processes to reduce environmental
burdens significantly.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The natural resources of the planet are running short, yet at the same
time they are the basis for our prosperity and development. A dilemma
which the EU intends to overcome with the aid of its revised bioeconomy strategy. Rather than relying on fossil-based materials, the economy
is to be based on renewable materials. These include plants, wood, microorganisms and algae. At some point in time everything is to be found
in closed loops, yet the implementation of a circular bioeconomy requires
a shift in the manufacture of chemicals. These also have to be produced
from bio-materials rather than crude oil. Based on these requirements
the American chemists Paul Anastas and John C. Warner formulated their
twelve principles of green chemistry in 1998. One of their principles
has very much been neglected to date, however: the reduction of the environmental toxicity of newly developed substances.


==========================================================================
It is precisely here that the interdisciplinary project "GreenToxiConomy," which is part of the scientific alliance Bioeconomy Science Center
(BioSC), comes into play. The objective was to examine bio-based
substances and innovative technologies with a view to their toxic
impact on the environment at an early stage in product development and
to incorporate the resulting findings into product design. Project
partners from Aachen, Ju"lich and Du"sseldorf provided two of their
bio-based product candidates for the analyses: microgel containers for
crop protection agents and biosurfactants.

The wash-active biosurfactants for use in shampoos and detergents at
BioSC are based on the synthesis abilities of the Pseudomonas putida
bacterium and the Ustilago maydis fungus, respectively, rather than on
crude oil. The microgel technology allows for the controlled delivery
of crop protection agents because the containers ensure that the active ingredients still adhere to the plants in the event of rain.

Dr. Sarah Johann, the lead author for the study and the head of a
working group in the department of evolutionary ecology and environmental toxicology at the Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity at Goethe University Frankfurt, explains: "For the analysis of novel substances
and technologies we have selected a broad range of concentration to
be able to adequately estimate potential hazards for humans and the environment. We wanted to examine whether the bio-based surfactants were
more environmentally friendly than conventional chemical surfactants. In addition, we investigated whether the microgel containers per se induce
any toxicity." To ensure the ecotoxicological evaluation was as precise
as possible, the project team combined two elements in the determination
of the toxicity: computer-aided prognoses (in silico) and experiments in
the laboratory (in vitro and in vivo). The computer models work with the toxicity data of known chemicals, whose structure they compared with the structure of the new bio- based substances to forecast the toxicity. The experiments were conducted on aquatic and terrestrial organisms that
represent specific organism groups, among them earthworms, springtails,
water fleas and zebrafish embryos at a very early stage.

The result: both biosurfactants and microgels are highly promising
candidates for use in a future bioeconomy whose products must be
sustainably manufactured while not causing any environmental damage
or harm to humans both during and after their utilisation. "We can
only make statements within certain limits, however, as the transfer
of laboratory results to the reality in the open field or in other
applications is complicated," says Johann. More research is necessary
for a holistic assessment of the risk potential, which is why follow-
up projects are planned.

Prof. Henner Hollert, head of the evolutionary ecology and environmental toxicology department at Goethe University Frankfurt, underlines
the significance of the close interdisciplinary collaboration on "GreenToxiConomy." In the project biotechnologists and engineers jointly designed a new product, and this was evaluated during the development
stages by eco-toxicologists from Goethe University together with a team
at RWTH Aachen headed by Prof. Dr.

Martina Ross-Nickoll. "This continuous process is the major strength
of the project." Although it is only a first step towards a bioeconomy
that is safe in eco-toxicological terms, for Hollert it is already
clear that eco-toxicology and green toxicology will play a key role
in the plans being drawn up by the EU. "Whenever it is a question of
future bio-based product development and product design, we have to
clarify the consequences for humans and the environment at an early
stage. In this respect our approach can provide valuable results." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Goethe_University_Frankfurt. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Sarah Johann, Fabian G. Weichert, Lukas Schro"er, Lucas Stratemann,
Christoph Ka"mpfer, Thomas-Benjamin Seiler, Sebastian Heger,
Alexander To"pel, Tim Sassmann, Andrij Pich, Felix Jakob, Ulrich
Schwaneberg, Peter Stoffels, Magnus Philipp, Marius Terfru"chte,
Anita Loeschcke, Kerstin Schipper, Michael Feldbru"gge, Nina
Ihling, Jochen Bu"chs, Isabel Bator, Till Tiso, Lars M. Blank,
Martina Ross-Nickoll, Henner Hollert. A plea for the integration
of Green Toxicology in sustainable bioeconomy strategies -
Biosurfactants and microgel-based pesticide release systems as
examples. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2022; 426: 127800 DOI:
10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127800 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220214144033.htm

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