INTRODUCTION:

Plastics are the most important and extensively used as the fundamental assets of the universe. Day by day, there is tremendous demand for its utilization and as results more ecofriendly plastics are manufactured with modifications. But the challenges of the disposal of plastics and its side effects to the environment and ultimately to the human health are still unresolved. The presence of vinyl chloride, dioxins and plasticizers are found to cause many health issues like breast cancer, hormonal changes, and reproductive disorders etc¹. Plastics possess resourceful temperament, cost effective and are the convenient options as an alternative to metals, alloys or steel but at the same time are having challenges to dispose and to protect the environment from its side effects.

Hence by considering the facts about the plastics the study is aimed to focus on manufacturing of chemical which is based upon the conversion of poly vinyl chlorides from the biomedical waste like poly vinyl chloride based gloves in to chemiluminescent substance–luminol.

Luminol is 5-amino, 2, 3, dihydro, 1, 4 phthazinedione². It is chemiluminescent material. It can show chemiluminescence with the appearance of blue glow in an alkaline solution with oxidizing agent H₂O₂in presence of iron or cupper. It is most commonly used for chemical analysis. It is an extraordinary chemical being used enormously to detect and analyze blood samples in forensic sciences. It is a highly efficient substance of capable to glow when comes in contact with blood. It can glow because the chemical energy is converted into light. For the detection of blood samples, the mixtures of luminol and active oxidizing agent hydrogen peroxide is used and is sprayed on the crime site in dark room preferably, as a result the presence of iron in blood sample, even after cleaning get activated to catalyze the chemical reaction of luminol and oxidizing agent H₂O₂ and the location of crime get revealed. Hence it produces a blue glow lasting around for 30 seconds, so it is a simple way to trap or trace the presence of blood on the crime site. Because of its specificity and efficient effectiveness, it is widely used in forensic, biomedical applications, pharmaceutical industries, as a biosensors etc³.

Forensic luminol can also be found applicable for blood infection control professionals to observe disinfection procedures⁴.Now days the detection of blood sample at crime spot with luminol is also proven a false assumption, as households, bleaches, and industrial chemicals having the presence of trace elements can catalyze the reaction of luminol⁵.It has the great potential to trace the iron from extremely small blood sample even after cleaning the spot⁶. But it is also needed to improve its detection in forensic science by increasing intensity and time length of emission and to avoid false reactions⁷.There are many sources for the production of luminol but this is the most convenient option to synthesize it from biomedical wastes like poly vinyl chloride based gloves where the side effects of polyvinyl chloride can be converted into useful cost effective product like luminol.

Experimental Part:

First of all waste PVC gloves were collected nearby Godbole hospital, Thane.50 g of PVC gloves are cut into smaller pieces. Those pieces were refluxed with isopropanol for 1.5-2 Hrs to extract diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP). After refluxing the mixture, it was filtered and filtrate was collected. 20g of NaOH pellets were dissolved in 100ml of water. This solution was added to filtrate and reflux was carried out for 2-3 Hrs. After refluxing, we got two layers having upper layer of mixture of isopropanol and 2-ethyl hexanol alcohols and bottom layer of disodium phthalate. Using a separating funnel, the lower layer was separated and retained. To this Disodium Phthalate was added 2 times molar concentrated hydrochloric acid. The Mixture was stirred and allowed to cool in the freezer for 7-8 Hrs. After cooling, crystals of phthalic acid settled down in beaker. This mixture was vacuum filtrated and washed with few milliliters of ice cold water. It was left to dry on the vacuum pump for 15 minutes and white powder of phthalic acid was collected.

This phthalic acid was added to a dry beaker and a round bottom flask with cold water in it was kept on the beaker. The beaker was heated at 200⁰C. The phthalic acid got dehydrated to give phthalic anhydride which sublimes and condenses due to round bottom flask inside the beaker. When all phthalic acid at the bottom is sublimed the heating was stopped. After the flask was cooled, the round bottom flask was removed carefully while collecting the crystals deposited on its bottom surface. Crystals deposited on side walls of beaker and near to the bottom of beaker are carefully collected. This was almost pure phthalic anhydride. Phthalic anhydride was mixed with equimolar concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid in a beaker with magnetic stirrer bar with thermometer in it. It was placed in a water bath which was heated at boiling temperature. The heating was continued till reaction mixture stops evolving brown nitrogen dioxide gas. After that, heating was stopped and mixture was allowed to cool.

The above mixture became thick and gel like. It was scrapped off into 200ml of cold water slowly. Always mixture was added to water and not other way round due to safety issues. Mixture was stirred vigorously and kept in freezer for 7-8 Hrs. After cooling, the mixture was vacuum filtered to get 3-nitrophthalic acid as water insoluble filter. This was allowed to dry on vacuum pump for 15 minutes to get as much dry powder as possible. This 3-Nitrophthalic acid was mixed with equimolar hydrazine sulphate and sodium acetate trihydrate or anhydrous sodium acetate in a small beaker with enough distilled water to cover all powder mixture and thermometer in it. This mixture was heated on a hot plate. When water was mostly boiled off, 50ml of polyethylene glycol or glycerol which are higher boiling solvents were added to mixture. Reaction temperature was maintained up to 220-235⁰C. Reaction was kept at this steady temperature range till colour of reaction mixture turns orange to dark red. After the colour change, heating was stopped and mixture was allowed to cool and sufficient quantity of water was added to it to break all chunks and lumps to form fine slurry. This suspension was vacuum filtered and water insoluble filter 3-Nitrophthalhydrazide is collected. It was dried over vacuum pump for 15 minutes to get dry powder.

3-Nitro phthalhydrazide was mixed with two time’s molar sodium hydroxide solution to get a dark red to black solution. It was stirred using magnetic stirrer. While stirring was added equimolar sodium dithionite powder to this mixture. As this was added a colour transition was observed from dark red to orange to yellow. This was luminol product precipitating out off the solution. After sodium dithionite was added completely, the mixture was acidified using glacial acetic acid, since luminol was more soluble in water at high PH. This precipitated luminol was vacuum filtered and left on vacuum pump for 15 minutes to get dry as possible.

Fig 1.1 Formation of luminol

Chemical reactions:

Step-I

Step-II

Step-III

Step-IV

Step-V

Step-VI

Step-VII

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:

The basic requirement to start the synthesis of luminol is formation of diethyl hexyl phthalate which was extracted here from waste PVC by the reaction with alcohol. The reaction needs careful control of temperature and addition of each solvent carefully with proper concentration. At the last the solid muddy yellowish colour product is obtained whose melting point is reported as 319⁰C.

The chemical reaction revealed here for the synthesis of luminol is cost effective and the resources used here are capable to provide the yield of luminol. Luminol is not only effective to find out hidden blood but also useful for the protections of staffs and patients inside the hospital⁸. In forensic Science studies, while using luminol, its concentration always matter for the proper intensity, but not only the concentration is valuable but also certain other factors like its PH, oxidizing agent and enzymatic action⁹. It is observed that it can show blue glow but maximum up to 30 seconds. In the field of forensic sciences, it is having 40 years long history for its efficient applications¹⁰. So, by studding its literature survey, it was concluded that the better source for its production is easily available biomedical wastes like PVC as it is global synthetic polymer and is applicable for both kind of short as well as long life products¹¹. Now days the question about the disposal and its usage has been raised by many researchers, upcoming scientists and pollution control units about its heath impacts. Hence, we tried to synthesize globally useful products luminol from this kind of plastics. As the luminol is capable to play vital role in the field of forensic sciences, it is also possible to provide wrong tests because of domestic samples and other industrial substances like cleansing agents, beaches, oil, and surfactants etc¹². So, it needs careful modifications and observation.

CONCLUSION:

If the efficiency of luminol is increased rather than showing chemoluscence only for 30 seconds , so it can find more wide applications in many field by manufacturing the glow sticks which may be more helpful for sea divers, for military applications, marine scientists and can be more effective and more beneficial to society. It needs to find out all possible alternatives to catalyze more rapidly and efficiently the reaction of luminol, also require identifying or tracing only iron in hemoglobin rather than tracing other element like copper at crime spot. It is also possible to construct chemilumiscent portable devices which can be able to detect specifically iron in blood on the crime spot. Paper based micro sensors or disposable sensors or nano particle based nano sensors can also be another alternative in the future. Most importantly the disposal issues of poly vinyl chloride can be resolved in to fruitful product. Further study is in progress.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

I am very grateful to my parents Mr. Vaibhav Joshi and my loving mother Mrs. Vedangi Joshi, who always believed in me, inspired me to do new and something innovative and always show me the right path for my dreams.

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Received on 22.02.2018 Modified on 19.03.2018

Asian J. Research Chem. 2018; 11(3):599-602.

DOI:10.5958/0974-4150.2018.00107.4