Toxicity of chemicals made from lignocellulosic biomass

In contrast to conventional fossil-based chemicals, bio-based chemicals made from renewable raw materials are considered sustainable and sometimes even climate-neutral. The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a raw material is particularly promising given its non-competitiveness with food nor feed industry. The wood component lignin, which gives the plants stability, serves as the starting material. When wood is broken down into its three main components hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, the lignin is degraded in conventional processes. A research group at EPFL has developed a method to preserve the lignin during fractionation and then use it to produce various substances required for the manufacture of plastics (base materials, additives, solvents). In this way, bioplastics with different properties can be produced in a targeted manner. But are these materials safe for the environment? To find out more, the Ecotox Centre is testing the toxicity of various substances made from lignin using several bioassays.