DOLORES NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Dolores , Eastern Samar

The Feasibility of Coco Yam

( Caladium Bicolor) as a Starch-based
Bioplastic

Bren Dan Russ E. Adina

Patricia Monick C. Herbosana
Salve C. Tamayo
Ma. Veronica B. Amoroto
Hannah L. Tejones

RESEARCHERS

12(STEM)- APOLLO
 Abstract

Plastic pollution is getting worse. Because of this, the researchers had conducted a
study that tests whether Wild Cocoyam (Caladium Bicolor) can be used in producing
a starch-based bioplastic. The researchers extracted the starch from the cocoyam, the
same starch that is used in producing the bioplastic. The measurements of the
ingredients are based from the study of Matthieu Schon and Pit Schwartz and had
been placed under the sun for 3 days. After the plastic had been successfully
produced, the researchers used one-way ANOVA at 1% level of significance and
compare it to commercial plastic in terms of durability. The data showed that the
bioplastic performed better compared with the regular plastic. Hence, cocoyam starch-
based bioplastic can replace those harmful petroleum-based plastic that harms the
environment.

CHAPTER I

Background of the Study

Plastic pollution has turned into global concern. Plastic pollution is the
accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife,
wildlife habitat and humans (L. Parker, 2013). Plastics are inexpensive and durable,
and as a result levels of plastic production by humans are high (Hester, Ronald E.;
Harrison, R. M., 2012). Moreover, the chemical structure of most plastics renders
them resistant to many natural processes of degradation and as a result they are slow
to degrade (Lytle, Claire Le Guern, 2015). Together, these two factors have led to a
high prominence of plastic pollution in the environment.
Plastic pollution is globally distributed and especially in oceans due to its properties
of buoyancy and durability, and the sorption of toxicants to plastic while traveling
through the environment (Thompson, R. 2007), have led some researchers to claim
that synthetic polymers in the ocean should be regarded as hazardous waste
(Rochman, C. 2013)
As of 2016, about 380 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide each year.
From the 1950s up to 2016, an estimated 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been
produced worldwide, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12%
has been incinerated (The Economist, 2016). This large amount of plastic waste
inevitably enters the environment, with studies suggesting that the bodies of 90% of
seabirds contain plastic debris (Mathieu-Denoncourt, Justine; Wallace, Sarah J.; de
Solla, Shane R.; Langlois, Valerie S., 2014). In some areas there have been significant
efforts to reduce the prominence of plastic pollution, through reducing plastic
consumption and promoting plastic recycling (Walker, T.R., Xanthos, D., 2014).
Some researchers suggest that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the
ocean by weight (Sutter, John D., 2016).

According to the study from a university in Nigeria, their study investigated the
physicochemical properties of starches. The study revealed that Coco Yam has a total
starch content of 86.6%. This study revealed that starches from other sources like the
Coco yam, can be used in the synthesis of bioplastics with improved quality (Nyong
B. E. 2017). This will reduce the amount of plastics littered in landfills and will also
replace the use of common edible starches in non-food purposes enabling edible
starches to be available for human consumption and other food/medical applications
(Oloko, G. O., 2017).

Thus, our study aims to solve the problem of plastic pollution by creating a bioplastic.
This study also considers the use of Coco Yam as a solution regarding the problem
that was stated. Otherwise stated, this study will show the potential of the Coco Yam
which can be used as a main ingredient in producing bioplastic. Moreover, the
researchers are looking forward in obtaining a positive result which will give a great
impact in solving our problem about plastic pollution.

Objectives of the study

General Objective
Our general objective is to determine whether Coco Yam can be used in producing
a plastic with qualities similar to the commercial ones but more environmentally
friendly.

Specific Objectives
• Aim to produce a plastic using Coco Yam successfully.
• Successfully dissolve the bioplastic in a short period of time.

Hypothesis of the Study

The null hypothesis of the study is:

Coco Yam (Coladium Bicolor) not effective in producing bioplastic.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to reduce the usage of non-biodegradable plastics in order to help
mitigate the harmful effects of plastic pollution to the environment.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

 This study is only limited in studying the effectiveness of Coco Yam as an
alternative plastic

CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

This chapter presents the review of related literature which has bearings on the
present study of the researchers.

 Plastic Pollution

Plastics themselves contribute to approximately 10% of discarded waste. Many kinds

of plastics exist depending on their precursors and the method for their
polymerization. Depending on their chemical composition, plastics and resins have
varying properties related to contaminant absorption and adsorption. Polymer
degradation takes much longer as a result of saline environments and the cooling
effect of the sea. These factors contribute to Plastic pollution is one of the most
serious issues that affect people globally. It can afflict land, waterways and oceans.
Living organisms, particularly marine animals, can be harmed either by mechanical
effects, such as entanglement in plastic objects or problems related to ingestion of
plastic waste, or through exposure to chemicals within plastics that interfere with their
physiology. Humans are also affected by plastic pollution, such as through disruption
of various hormonal mechanisms (Galgani, F. 2011). the persistence of plastic debris
in certain environments (Barnes, D.K.A., 2014). The distribution of plastic debris is
highly variable as a result of certain factors such as wind and ocean currents, coastline
geography, urban areas, and trade routes. Human population in certain areas also
plays a large role in this. Plastics are more likely to be found in enclosed regions such
as the Caribbean. It serves as a means of distribution of organisms to remote coasts
that are not their native environments. This could potentially increase the variability
and dispersal of organisms in specific areas that are less biologically diverse. Plastics
can also be used as vectors for chemical contaminants such as persistent organic
pollutants and heavy metals (Barlaz, M., 2009). Chlorinated plastic can release
harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or
other surrounding water sources and also the ecosystem (Aggarwal, Poonam).
Landfill areas contain many different types of plastics. In these landfills, there are
many microorganisms which speed up the biodegradation of plastics. The
microorganisms include bacteria such as Pseudomonas, nylon-eating bacteria, and
Flavobacteria. These bacteria break down nylon through the activity of the nylonase
enzyme. Breakdown of biodegradable plastics releases methane, a very powerful
greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming (Biello, David, 2011).
In 2012, it was estimated that there was approximately 165 million tons of plastic
pollution in the world's oceans (Knight, 2012). One type of plastic that is of concern
in terms of ocean plastic pollution is nurdles. Nurdles are manufactured plastic pellets
(a type of microplastic) used in the creation of plastic products and are often shipped
via cargo ship. One type of plastic that is of concern in terms of ocean plastic
pollution is nurdles (Fernandez, Esteve, 1999). Many billions of nurdles are spilled
into oceans each year, and it has been estimated that globally, around 10% of beach
litter consists of nurdles. Plastics in oceans typically degrade within a year, but not
entirely. In the process, toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A and polystyrene can leach
into waters from some plastics (Chatenoud, Liliane, 1999). Polystyrene pieces and
nurdles are the most common types of plastic pollution in oceans, and combined with
plastic bags and food containers make up the majority of oceanic debris. One study
estimated that there are more than 5 trillion plastic pieces (defined into the four
classes of small microplastics, large microplastics, meso- and macroplastics) afloat at
sea (Eriksen, Marcus, 2014). Recent studies have shown that plastics in the ocean
decompose faster than was once thought, due to exposure to sun, rain, and other
environmental conditions, resulting in the release of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol
A (Barlaz, M., 2009). However, due to the increased volume of plastics in the ocean,
decomposition has slowed down. The Marine Conservancy has predicted the
decomposition rates of several plastic products. It is estimated that a foam plastic cup
will take 50 years, a plastic beverage holder will take 400 years, a disposable nappy
will take 450 years, and fishing line will take 600 years to degrade (Lytle, Claire Le
Guern, 2015). Up until now, this problem still continues and every hour of every
second of every day, a plastic gets added and not to be taken care properly, and thus,
making the problem worse.

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY
This experiment in determining the feasibility of coco yam as a bioplastic will
undergo two types of methods, first is the extraction of the starch and second is the
making of the bioplastic itself.

Materials
For the extraction of the starch, the materials that the researchers used are a blender,
white cloth container/tupperware, chopping board, knife, a pair of gloves, coco yam,
and water. For the making of the biodegradable plastic, the researchers used the
materials including glycerin, water, grams of coco yam starch, grams of vinegar, pan,
spoon, and gas stove.
The coco yam plants were collected from one of the researcher’s residence. After it
was dug in from the dirt, it was then washed by a running tap water and left to dry for
24 hours. After drying, the researchers place it inside a cellophane, where the roots
weighs 400 kilograms in total.

Extraction of Starch
In extracting the starch, the coco yam that was cut into cubes were placed into the
blender along with a 500ml of water as it was blended for about five minutes until the
coco yam mixes with the water. After blending, the researchers poured the result into
the white cloth for it to strain the liquid and left for 2 hours for the starch to settle at
the bottom. Once the starch settles down, the excess liquid was discarded, and the
Tupperware was left out in the sun for 6 hours to dry. After 6 hours, the now dried
starch was powderized and is now ready for the next method.

Producing the Bioplastic

For the bioplastic to have the best result, the bioplastic mixture must contain 5.7% of
glycerin, 7.6% of vinegar, 37.28% of the starch, and 49.42% of water, in terms of
grams (Matthieu Schon 2006).
The 200g mixture contains 11.4g of glycerin, 15.2g of vinegar, 74.56g of starch, and
98.84g of water. These ingredients were mixed together in a bowl until every
component was completely dissolved. After that, the mixed ingredients were poured
into a pan where the pan was placed into the stove into a low heat, stirred with a
spoon for 5 minutes until it became a substantial form of gelatin. The newly cooked
bioplastic was then spread into a tray and was left out in the sun for 2 days.

Preparation for the Treatments

The researchers used a weighing scale, a timer, and weights in order to compare the
bioplastic with that of a regular one. The researchers will test the plastic’s durability,
specifically how long does it take before the plastic breaks under a quantified weight.
The data that were gathered were subjected to One-Way Analysis of Variance
(ANOVA) in Excel to determine if there is significant difference in the different
treatments
 CHAPTER IV

Results and Discussion

This study will determine whether cocoyam starch can be used in the synthesis of
bioplastic.

Graph 1  Line graph comparing the Bioplastic and the Regular Plastic’s durability

Table 1 Graph 1 in table form

Weight(Kg) Time(seconds)
  BioPlastic Regular Plastic
10 451 117
11 355 62
12 298 43
13 275 28
14 106 8
15 54 0

 
 Groups Count Sum Average Variance
Table 1BioPlastic
and Graph 1 shows the6 results of
1539 256.5 between the 22650.7
the comparison two plastics in
terms of durability. And as seen in the table above, the bioplastic is more durable
compared to the regular, common plastic.
Regular Plastic 6 258 43 1827.2

Table 2  Table showing the Sum, Average, and Variance of the results in Table 1

Groups Count Sum Average Variance

BioPlastic 6 1539 256.5 22650.7
Regular Plastic 6 258 43 1827.2

Source
of
Variatio
n SS df MS F P-value F crit
Between
Groups 136746.75 1 136746.75 11.17307857 0.00745756 10.04428927
Within
Groups 122389.5 10 12238.95      
             
Total 259136.25 11        

Table 3  One-way Analysis of Variance at 1% Level of Significance

One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 1% significance level showed that the

computed value of p < 0.01 and that there is a significant difference in the amount of
time it took for the two different plastics to break. This due to the cocoyam’s starch
content of 86.6%, and the amylopectin content of 88.9% (N. O. Alobi 2017).  The
starch’s chain molecule structure is similar of what you can find in a regular
petroleum-based plastic. Glycerin, a hydroscopic liquid with high viscosity has 3
hydroxyl group which make it soluble in water and will help make the plastic more
flexible; Vinegar, a 6% in volume solution of acetic acid liberates acetate ions and
hydrogen ions in solution, will help make the cast film more homogenous; and the
water will serve as the solvent and will also help in keeping the starch molecules
disrupted after heating (Matthieu Schon 2006).

After being compared to its durability, the Bioplastic had undergone another test to
see how long it takes for it to dissolve. It is revealed that it takes 48 hours for the
plastic to fully dissolve into warm water.

Conclusion

After viewing the results, we can safely conclude that;

1. Cocoyam starch can be used in the synthesis of producing bioplastic

2. The bioplastic can dissolve using warm water in a short period of time.

Therefore, the null hypothesis has been rejected.

Recommendations

· Test which type of cocoyam is most effective in producing bioplastic

· Research more ingredients that would help improve the quality of the bioplastic

· Conducting Oral Toxicity Test to check if the plastic is safe to consume

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