Multi-Solving Waste to Food: From Intergeneration Impacts on Styrofoam-Fed Mealworms to Farm Scale Production
Expanded polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam™, fills the landfills of the world and pollutes the environment. This discarded waste product is of global concern. This research explores the use of expanded polystyrene as a food source for mealworms, turning inorganic matter into organic products such...
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Main Author | |
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Format | Dissertation |
Language | English |
Published |
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
01.01.2022
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Expanded polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam™, fills the landfills of the world and pollutes the environment. This discarded waste product is of global concern. This research explores the use of expanded polystyrene as a food source for mealworms, turning inorganic matter into organic products such as protein, fat, fertilizer, and chitin. The study utilized nine treatments and three generations for feeding mealworms: Abundance 32, Abundance 64, Abundance Control, Blend 24, Blend 48, Blend Control, Sufficient 16, Sufficient 32, and Sufficient Control. Results verified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflectance indicated no presence of (poly)styrene in mealworm frass samples for each generation and treatment. This study analyzed % crude protein, % crude fat, % dry matter, final mealworm weight, time to harvest, rate of expanded polystyrene consumption by mealworms, rate of Purina Chicken Starter ® consumption by mealworms for all treatments within each of the three generations. A lab-driven large-scale population model simulated population growth over one thousand days for each treatment. A supply chain model, utilizing industry standards, simulated expanded polystyrene consumption for each treatment over 60 months and simulated associated profits through four reasonable scenarios. |
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ISBN: | 9798841774136 |