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Biodegradation of poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) and poly(vinyl alcohol) within aquatic pathway
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Researchers traced the biodegradation of two common biodegradable plastics through simulated aquatic pathways and found that prior exposure to wastewater accelerates breakdown of PBAT in seawater, while PVA degrades similarly regardless of prior environment — with microbial community composition shifting distinctly for each plastic.
Understanding the environmental fate of biodegradable plastics in aquatic systems is crucial, given the alarming amount of plastic waste and microplastic particles transported through aquatic pathways. In particular, there is a need to analyze the biodegradation of commercialized biodegradable plastics upon release from wastewater treatment plants into natural aquatic systems. This study investigates the biodegradation behaviors of poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in wastewater, freshwater, and seawater. Biodegradation of PBAT and PVA assessed through biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) experiments and microcosm tests revealed that the type of aquatic system governs the biodegradation behaviors of each plastic, with the highest biodegradation rate achieved in wastewater for both PBAT and PVA (25.6 and 32.2 % in 30 d, respectively). Plastic release pathway from wastewater into other aquatic systems simulated by sequential incubation in different microcosms suggested that PBAT exposed to wastewater and freshwater before reaching seawater was more prone to degradation than when directly exposed to seawater. On the other hand, PVA displayed comparable biodegradation rate regardless of whether it was directly exposed to seawater or had passed through other environments beforehand. Metagenome amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed distinct community shifts dependent on the type of plastics in changing environments along the simulated aquatic pathway. Several bacterial species putatively implicated in the biodegradation of PBAT and PVA are discussed. Our findings underscore the significant influence of pollution routes on the biodegradation of PBAT and PVA, highlighting the potential for wastewater treatment to facilitate rapid degradation compared to direct exposure to pristine aquatic environments.
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Generation of biodegradable microplastics from commercially available PBAT and PLA-based plastic bags in water: Impacts of UVA and water medium
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Researchers tested how commercially available biodegradable plastic bags made from PBAT and PLA degrade in water under UVA light and dark conditions over 12 weeks. They found that both materials degraded faster in pure water than seawater, and UVA light significantly accelerated breakdown, but neither fully decomposed. The study confirms that biodegradable plastics generate microplastic fragments during incomplete degradation in aquatic environments.
Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Biodegradable Plastics: Potential Mechanisms and Pathways.
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This study examined how biodegradable plastics — PBAT and PLA — break down under anaerobic conditions in digestion systems, finding that microbial communities degrade them through distinct biochemical pathways. Understanding how biodegradable plastics decompose in real-world conditions like landfills and wastewater treatment is important for evaluating whether they truly degrade safely.
Marine biodegradation mechanism of biodegradable plastics revealed by plastisphere analysis
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Researchers analyzed the marine biodegradation mechanisms of two biodegradable plastics, PHBV and PBSA, by examining plastisphere functional gene assemblages, finding that differences in microbial community composition on their surfaces help explain why these polyesters degrade at substantially different rates in seawater.
Seawater degradation of PLA accelerated by water-soluble PVA
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Researchers developed seawater-degradable PVA/PLA polymer blends and found that adding water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol significantly accelerated the degradation of polylactic acid in natural seawater over 180 days compared to pure PLA.
Microplastic exposure drives divergent assembly mechanisms in riverine microorganisms: Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) triggers metabolic shifts vs polyethylene-enhanced network complexity
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Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT microplastics affect microbial communities in river water over 60 days. They found that both types significantly altered bacterial diversity, but through different mechanisms: PBAT triggered metabolic shifts in microorganisms while polyethylene increased the complexity of microbial networks. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can meaningfully disrupt aquatic microbial ecosystems.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.