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Biodegradation in Freshwater: Comparison Between Compostable Plastics and Their Biopolymer Matrices
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This four-month in situ study compared degradation of compostable plastics (Mater-Bi bag, disposable dish) and their pure biopolymer matrices (PBAT, PLA, PHBV) in a lentic freshwater ecosystem, finding limited degradation of pure polymers within 120 days. PHBV showed the fastest degradation among tested polyesters, while compostable materials exhibited significant leaching of fillers leading to fragmentation, highlighting that laboratory tests may overestimate environmental biodegradability.
Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems is an increasing environmental concern, prompting the search for biodegradable polymer (BP) alternatives. However, their degradation in natural aquatic environments remains poorly investigated and understood. This four-month in situ study compared the degradation in a lentic freshwater ecosystem of two compostable items, Mater-Bi® shopping bag and disposable dish, with their respective pure polymer matrices, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and polylactic acid (PLA). Additionally, biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and oil-based polypropylene (PP) were also tested. Changes in morphology, chemical composition and thermal and mechanical properties, as well as microbial colonization, were analyzed over time. A validated cleaning protocol was employed to ensure accurate surface analysis. Results showed detectable but limited degradation of pure polymers and their matrices in commercial products after 120 days of immersion with variations observed among polymer materials. Compostable materials exhibited significant leaching of fillers (starch, inorganic particles), leading to morphological changes and fragmentation. PHBV showed the fastest degradation among tested polyesters. PP exhibited only minor surface changes. Microbial colonization varied with polymer structure and degradability, but long-term degradation was limited by polymer properties and the gradual development of the plastisphere. This study highlights that standard laboratory tests may overestimate the environmental degradability of BPs and emphasizes the importance of in situ assessments, careful cleaning procedures and property characterizations to accurately assess polymer degradation in freshwater systems.
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Long-term immersion of compostable plastics in marine aquarium: Microbial biofilm evolution and polymer degradation
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Researchers immersed compostable plastics PLA and PBAT in a marine aquarium for up to 260 days and found that despite their biodegradable designation, degradation in marine conditions remains extremely slow, while microbial communities colonizing the plastics shifted over time with a notably high proportion of Archaea and distinct plastisphere structures for each polymer type.
Generation of Microplastics from Biodegradable Packaging Films Based on PLA, PBS and Their Blend in Freshwater and Seawater
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Researchers studied how biodegradable plastic films made from PLA, PBS, and their blends break down in freshwater and seawater over several months. All films generated microplastic particles as they degraded, with different water environments producing different amounts and types of fragments. This study challenges the idea that biodegradable plastics are a clean solution, since they still create microplastics during breakdown in natural water systems.
Freshwater plastisphere structure and succession on diverse polymer surfaces: Linking plastisphere ecology and surface alterations in a 210-day field experiment
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Researchers conducted a 210-day in situ lake experiment comparing plastisphere development on biodegradable polymers (PLA, PHBV, PBAT) and conventional polypropylene, finding that microbial succession followed predictable ecological dynamics largely independent of polymer chemistry, with antimicrobial resistance genes appearing at low abundances comparable to surrounding water.
Microbial Degradation of Plastics in Freshwater Environments
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Scientists tested how well different plastics break down in rivers, creeks, and ponds when exposed to natural microbes. One "biodegradable" plastic (PHA) nearly disappeared within four months, but other common plastics—including a different "biodegradable" one (PLA) and everyday plastics like plastic bags (LDPE) and bottles (PET)—barely broke down at all, even though microbes coated their surfaces. This matters because not all "biodegradable" plastics actually break down quickly in real-world waterways, meaning many plastics we use daily may persist in the environment (and eventually as microplastics we're expos
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.
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