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Quantitative methodology for poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) microplastic detection in soil and compost
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Researchers developed a quantitative methodology for detecting poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) microplastics in soil and compost matrices, addressing the need to monitor biodegradable mulch film fragmentation and mineralization in agricultural environments. The method enabled accurate measurement of PBAT microplastic concentrations across environmentally relevant matrices, providing a tool to assess the fate of biodegradable plastics in agroecosystems.
Abstract With the increasing use of biodegradable plastics in agriculture and food packaging, it has become increasingly important to assess the effects of their fragmentation and mineralization in the environment (i.e. soil, compost). PBAT is a biodegradable polyester widely used in biodegradable mulch films that are intended to fragment and mineralize in soil. To study these effects, novel methodologies are needed to quantify PBAT microplastics in these diverse environments. This work seeks to answer whether Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) can be used as a tool to assess PBAT microplastics in soil. A method was developed that allows PBAT soil extraction by ultrasonication and GCMS quantification after a fatty acid methyl ester derivatization. To validate the method, an industrial compost degradation experiment was carried out to evidence the weight loss of PBAT film and quantify the micro- and nano-plastic generated from them. The presented method improved the existing resolution by, at least, one order of magnitude compared to reported methods. In conclusion, a novel, simple, affordable, and reproducible methodology for PBAT microplastics detection was developed improving the limits of detection and quantification. The method was tested on an industrial compost experiment, demonstrating the ability to trace the totality of the plastic over time, evidencing that PBAT is consumed in the industrial compost environment.
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Quantitative methodology for poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) microplastic detection in soil and compost
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Researchers developed a GC-MS method using fatty acid methyl ester derivatization to quantify PBAT biodegradable microplastics in soil and compost, validated through an industrial composting experiment. The method tracked PBAT film mass loss and particle formation during degradation, providing a novel analytical tool for assessing biodegradable plastic fate in agricultural and composting environments.
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Scientists tracked the breakdown of a biodegradable mulch film in farm soil over 16 months and found that while the film lost more than half its surface area, it released microplastics into the surrounding soil during the process. About 17-23% of the original film material was still recoverable from the soil after nearly 500 days. The study shows that even biodegradable plastics can be a source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Poly (butylene adipate terephthalate) degradation products and their influence on plant progression and soil microbial diversity
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This study examined how the biodegradable plastic PBAT degrades in soil and what effects its degradation products have on Chinese cabbage growth and soil microbial diversity, finding that degradation varied with particle size and that soil microbiomes shifted as PBAT broke down. The findings matter for assessing whether "biodegradable" mulch films truly disappear benignly or leave behind microplastic fragments and microbial disruption in agricultural soils.
What happens to biodegradable plastics in soil and compost? : development and comparison of methods
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