Komal Aziz Gill

The development of biodegradable packaging materials from renewable natural resources contributes to sustainable development and helps reduce the environmental impact of waste. Green packaging aims to promote the use of lightweight, recyclable, reusable, biodegradable materials while minimizing the presence of non-ecological components. Radiocarbon ( ¹⁴ C) analysis enables the distinction between fossil-derived and bio-based carbon by measuring ¹⁴ C/ ¹² C isotope ratio. In this research, disposable packaging materials from Pakistan—including paper cups, paper plates, baking paper, paper boxes and wooden cutlery—were analyzed to determine their bio-based carbon content. Two independent analytical techniques were applied: liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technique, performed at Gliwice ¹⁴ C and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (Silesian University of Technology, Poland) and Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA Seville, Spain). All examined samples exhibited elevated ¹⁴ C concentrations, indicating that modern biomass was used in their production, although not necessarily as the sole raw material. Layer-by-layer AMS analysis revealed that outer waterproof coatings sometimes contained lower ¹⁴ C values, indicating partial use of fossil-based polymers. The interlaboratory comparison demonstrated excellent agreement between LSC and AMS results, as well as between both AMS laboratories, with differences remaining within analytical uncertainty (<3%). These results confirm the reliability, reproducibility, and international comparability of radiocarbon-based bio-carbon measurements for disposable packaging materials.

This work presents a nanocasting fabrication method for highly porous carbon monoliths and their performance in a continuous-flow adsorption process of methyl orange from aqueous solutions. The monoliths were obtained using sucrose as a carbon precursor and a silica scaffold with exceptionally large macropores of approximately 100 μm as a hard template. The materials were characterised by nitrogen adsorption, SEM, thermogravimetry, and FTIR spectroscopy. Highly porous carbon monoliths with good mechanical stability were obtained by using a three-step impregnation process. The monoliths were characterised by a large specific surface area of 1399 m2=g, a total pore volume of 6:1 cm3=g, and a three-modal pore size distribution. They showed excellent adsorption properties under flow conditions. Regardless of the flow rate and the initial methyl orange concentration, the sorption capacity was close to the equilibrium capacity determined in the batch process, i.e. approximately 450 mg/g. The experimental breakthrough curves were well described by both the Thomas and Yoon–Nelson models. The sorption capacity in the monolithic column was 35 times greater than that in the packed-bed column with commercial microporous carbon grains under the same flow conditions

Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) methodology was used to investigate the presence of biocarbon in different bio-based disposable packaging products. Packaging waste contributes to a municipal solid waste, which is increasing environmental concerns and resulting in the enhancement of EU regulations that aim to reduce packaging waste. The ¹⁴C amount in samples reflects how much of the biocarbon has been used. In this study, the concentration of ¹⁴C was determined in commonly used types of disposable packaging, such as cups, plates, straws, cutlery, and baking paper. Samples were made of materials such as paper, wheat bran, sugarcane, and wood. The mean concentration of the ¹⁴C isotope, measured by the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technique, is greater than 100 pMC in all tested samples, indicating that the samples are modern. The relatively high ¹⁴C concentration values in the waterproof layer of the sample indicate that bioplastic, rather than plastic, was used in its production. The highest ¹⁴C isotope concentration values were measured for samples that used the oldest biomass (wood and paper), and the lowest for products from current crops (sugarcane and wheat bran), which is consistent with the trend of changes in ¹⁴C concentration in the biosphere. The study also addresses the problem of heterogeneity and representativeness of subsamples.

The present study aimed to fabricate a novel polymeric spongy composite to enhance skin regeneration composed of Nystatin (antifungal agent) and Silver Nanoparticles (AgNps). Different formulations (F1–F8) were developed & characterized by using various analytical techniques. AgNps synthesized by chemical reduction method showed spherical morphology 2 µm in size showed by SEM and XRD. A fine porous structure of gel embedded with AgNps having an amorphous structure with 10 % crystallinity due to AgNps was found. IR spectra revealed no chemical interaction between polymers and Nystatin. An increase in thermal stability of formulation was observed till 700 ℃ analyzed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Cytotoxic analysis on L929 mouse skin fibroblast cells showed a decrease in cell viability as Ag concentration increased (inactivating Fibroblast and keratinocytes) while 10 mg composition was found safest concentration (94%). Optimized formulation (F2) presented in-vitro drug release up to 90.59% ± 0.76 at pH 7.4, swelling studies (87.5% ± 0.57), water retention (26.60 ± 0.34), pH (5.31 ± 0.03). In the animal burn model, the group that received CHG/Ag/Nystatin healed the wound significantly (p < 0.05). These results suggested that optimized carrier can be used for other anti-fungal drugs facilitating the early healing of the wound.

Wasted tires are the great source of fuel and valuable components but could be a cause of environmental and land pollution. This study shows the detailed method for the determination of radiocarbon isotope (¹⁴C) concentration in tires and their pyrolysis products. Samples are taken from truck and passenger car tires in the form of shredded rubber, pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black. Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) techniques were used for the investigation at Gliwice Radiocarbon and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, and National Laboratory for Age Determination, Trondheim, Norway. The results are in good agreement. Radiocarbon concentration of the rubber varies significantly because of its complex structure and composition within the tires. The ¹⁴C concentration values were found to be higher in pyrolytic oil compared to rubber, and greater in truck tires rather than car tires.