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Review on the Biological Degradation of Polymers in Various Environments
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This review provides an overview of how biodegradable plastics degrade under different environmental conditions including soil, freshwater, marine, and composting environments. It finds that biodegradability is a material property strongly dependent on environmental conditions, and that many so-called biodegradable plastics degrade far more slowly in nature than in controlled test conditions.
Biodegradable plastics can make an important contribution to the struggle against increasing environmental pollution through plastics. However, biodegradability is a material property that is influenced by many factors. This review provides an overview of the main environmental conditions in which biodegradation takes place and then presents the degradability of numerous polymers. Polylactide (PLA), which is already available on an industrial scale, and the polyhydroxyalkanoates polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV), which are among the few plastics that have been proven to degrade in seawater, will be discussed in detail, followed by a summary of the degradability of further petroleum-, cellulose-, starch-, protein- and CO2-based biopolymers and some naturally occurring polymers.
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Biodegradation of Wasted Bioplastics in Natural and Industrial Environments: A Review
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This review examines the biodegradation of bioplastics in both natural environments and industrial composting facilities, finding that many bioplastics degrade far more slowly outside industrial conditions than their labeling implies.
Advances in environmental degradation and impact of degradable plastics
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This review clarifies definitions and classifications of degradable plastics and summarizes their degradation characteristics in water, soil, aerobic composting, and anaerobic digestion environments, finding that degradability remains conditional and dependent on specific polymer type, temperature, and duration. The authors also assess the potential environmental and biological impacts of microplastic fragments and additive byproducts released during degradation.
Bridging Three Gaps in Biodegradable Plastics: Misconceptions and Truths About Biodegradation
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This review addresses common misconceptions about biodegradable plastics, clarifying that degradation depends heavily on specific environmental conditions and that most biodegradable plastics do not fully break down in typical marine or soil environments.
Microplastics: Degradation properties of polymers in the environment
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This study examined the degradation pathways and rates of various plastic polymers in environmental settings, addressing the gap between labeled biodegradability and actual environmental persistence. Understanding how different plastics fragment and degrade is essential for predicting their long-term fate as microplastics in soil and aquatic environments.
Fate of So‐Called Biodegradable Polymers in Seawater and Freshwater
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This review examined whether so-called biodegradable plastics actually break down in seawater and freshwater environments, finding that most degrade far too slowly to offer any practical environmental benefit. The study warns that biodegradable labeling can create a false sense of security and may not reduce plastic accumulation in aquatic ecosystems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.