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Comparison of biodegradable polyesters degradation behavior in sand.
Summary
This study compared how four biodegradable plastics (PLA, PCL, PBSA, and PBAT) break down in sandy beach environments. Researchers found that biodegradable polymers degrade at very different rates in sand, and some persist far longer than expected under beach conditions. The findings suggest that labeling a material as biodegradable does not guarantee it will break down quickly in coastal environments.
Sandy beaches represent environmental compartments particularly vulnerable to litter pollution, and they reflect the magnitude of pollution of adjacent compartments: water and coastal areas. The substitution of conventional polymers by biodegradable materials is generally considered as an alternative for reducing environmental accumulation of plastic debris. The present study is aimed to investigate the degradation of poly(lactic acid), poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(butylenesuccinate adipate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) buried in sand for 267 days, simulating them as beach litter. The analysed polyesters showed different degradation mechanisms and kinetics. PLA is mainly subjected to weathering by physical aging; after an initial faster degradation of the amorphous phase, PCL showed a decrease of its degradation rate; similarly to PCL, the degradation of PBSA started from the amorphous phase; PHB is clearly subjected to biological degradation. The degradation trend of the investigated materials in sand decreased in the order PHB > PBSA > PCL > PLA. PLA, PCL and PBSA did not undergo complete degradation in sand during the testing time.