Bioplastics in Personal Protective Equipment

Abstract

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to protect human beings from different external agents, such as microorganisms, corrosive chemicals, and environmental factors that can cause damage to health and body. PPE includes a wide variety of articles, among which the face masks and gloves (made mainly based on synthetic polymers) stand out. Their use goes beyond the medical or chemical sector, as they are also used for different daily activities. Currently, the use of PPE has become increasingly common due to factors, such as high concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air or diseases, such as COVID-19; this has caused an increase in the production of these articles and, in some cases, its inadequate final disposition. These circumstances have led to the search for different alternatives that reduce the number of environmental impacts that PPE causes. These options include biodegradable plastics and bioplastics, whose formulas include renewable or nonrenewable biodegradable raw materials. This chapter presents the description of biodegradable plastics and bioplastics that are currently used in the manufacture of PPE, the properties of these materials and their efficiency in terms of protection against harmful external agents.