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Assessing the biodegradability of microparticles disposed down the drain
Summary
This study tested the biodegradability of microparticles made from natural and biodegradable materials proposed as alternatives to synthetic microplastic particles in personal care products, finding that they broke down efficiently under standard conditions. The results support the use of naturally derived microparticles as safer substitutes for plastic microbeads in cosmetics.
Microparticles made from naturally occurring materials or biodegradable plastics such as poly(3-hydroxy butyrate)-co-(3-hydroxy valerate), PHBV, are being evaluated as alternatives to microplastics in personal care product applications but limited data is available on their ultimate biodegradability (mineralization) in down the drain environmental compartments. An OECD 301B Ready Biodegradation Test was used to quantify ultimate biodegradability of microparticles made of PHBV foam, jojoba wax, beeswax, rice bran wax, stearyl stearate, blueberry seeds and walnut shells. PHBV polymer was ready biodegradable reaching 65.4 ± 4.1% evolved CO in 5 d and 90.5 ± 3.1% evolved CO in 80 d. PHBV foam microparticles (125-500 μm) were mineralized extensively with >66% CO evolution in 28 d and >82% CO evolution in 80 d. PHBV foam microparticles were mineralized at a similar rate and extent as microparticles made of jojoba wax, beeswax, rice bran wax, and stearyl stearate which reached 84.8 ± 4.8, 84.9 ± 2.2, 82.7 ± 4.7, and 86.4 ± 3.2% CO evolution respectively in 80 d. Blueberry seeds and walnut shells mineralized more slowly only reaching 39.3 ± 6.9 and 5.1 ± 2.8% CO evolution in 80 d respectively.