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The use of disposable diapers in baby care is becoming common in urban areas. Diapers are also increasingly being used by the elderly who experience uncontrolled urination due to certain geriatric health problems.
But there is a downside to all this. Diapers contain super-absorbing polymers, or SAPs, which can absorb and retain a large quantity of liquid. However, they are made of synthetic materials that are non-biodegradable. Safe disposal of used diapers is thus becoming a major environmental problem.
In order to address the issue, scientists from the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras have developed a biodegradable super-absorbent polymer using chitosan (a kind of sugar extracted from seafood waste), citric acid and urea. This super-absorbent has capacity — it can absorb 1,250g of water for each gram of the polymer.
Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-game-changing-diaper/article24606176.ece
