In some good news for the country, a Bangladesh scientist, who also discovered jute polymer and is behind the invention of "Sonali Bag", has come up with a method of making biodegradable protective gear in a promising solution to the additional environmental pollution during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Mubarak Ahmad Khan, scientific adviser to Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, came up with the material, now at the conceptual stage, to prepare personal protective equipment (PPE) which is biodegradable and non-toxic.

Indiscriminate disposal of hazardous Covid-19 related plastic waste could cause significant environmental pollution as well as potentially help spread infectious diseases, said experts.

The scientist said the main components of this PPE are cellulose, extracted from jute fibre, and chitosan -- a natural fibrous material obtained from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish such as crab, lobster, and shrimp.

Both jute and shrimp are easily available materials in Bangladesh and the extraction processes of cellulose and chitosan and preparation of the biopolymers are environmentally friendly and cost-effective, he added.

The biodegradable component of the PPE -- as of the Sonali Bag -- is the cellulose, and the chitosan will protect from Covid-19 and other viruses, said Mubarak.

Chitosan has been shown to provide anti-viral immune protection and is a component of vaccines and other drugs, he said.

https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/biodegradable-ppe-bangladeshi-makes-it-jute-crabs-1946101