The Marine Science Center organized a course on the benefits of using polymeric materials in reducing environmental pollution.
The course, which was lectured by Dr. Muhammad Mahdi Al-Moussawi, a lecturer at the Marine Science Center at the University of Basra, aimed to treat and reduce environmental pollution by using different types of natural polymers and some polymers manufactured from natural materials or organic materials with biodegradability that are environmentally friendly and enhance the use of sustainable resources. The course consisted of two parts:
1. Treating water pollution with heavy elements (toxic) and plastic materials (microplastics) and treating wastewater pollution.
2. Reducing air pollution with dust and finding solutions to limit the phenomenon of desertification and climate change and how to use them in stabilizing sand dunes.
The course showed that natural polymers are a topic of great environmental importance in treating water and air pollution and reducing reliance on the use of harmful chemicals. It pointed out that natural polymers are characterized by important properties such as biodegradability, which makes them environmentally friendly materials "green alternatives".
The course addressed the benefits of using different types of natural polymers such as cellulose derivatives, chitosan and starches in addition to many polymers derived from biological sources such as plants and marine life, and studying their ability to purify water by removing toxic heavy elements or by sedimenting and absorbing pollutants. On the other hand, the use of polymers in reducing air pollution by dust (dust storms) was addressed and the potential of these polymers in developing solutions to the phenomenon of desertification and climate change was studied.
