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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Advances in environmental degradation and impact of degradable plastics
ClearReview on the Biological Degradation of Polymers in Various Environments
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.
Polymer Biodegradability 2.0: A Holistic View on Polymer Biodegradation in Natural and Engineered Environments
Researchers reviewed the science of biodegradable plastics, examining how material properties and environmental conditions — such as temperature, moisture, and microbial activity — determine how quickly and completely a polymer breaks down. The chapter provides guidance for developing, testing, and regulating biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics that persist in the environment.
Biodegradable plastics in the air and soil environment: Low degradation rate and high microplastics formation
Researchers compared the degradation rates of various biodegradable plastic types in natural air and soil environments over time, finding that most degraded slowly under ambient conditions and generated substantial microplastic fragments, with non-certified biodegradable plastics showing essentially no degradation.
A review of biodegradation and formation of biodegradable microplastics in soil and freshwater environments
Researchers reviewed how biodegradable plastics break down in soil and freshwater, finding that incomplete degradation by microorganisms can still produce tiny biodegradable microplastic particles that persist in the environment — meaning "biodegradable" doesn't always mean safe or fast-disappearing.
Biodegradation of Polymers: Stages, Measurement, Standards and Prospects
This review covers all stages of polymer biodegradation, from initial surface colonization by microbes to complete breakdown into CO2 and water. The authors compare testing standards across different environments like soil, marine, and compost settings, noting significant gaps between lab results and real-world degradation rates. Understanding true biodegradability is critical because many products marketed as biodegradable may still leave behind persistent microplastic fragments.
Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs): a new cause for concern?
This review examined whether biodegradable microplastics present new environmental hazards, finding that many biodegradable polymers degrade slowly under real environmental conditions and can release toxic additives, and that the assumption of biodegradability does not eliminate microplastic pollution risks unless composting conditions are actively managed.
The Biodegradation of Plastic by Microorganisms
This review examines how the chemical composition of plastics influences their susceptibility to biodegradation by microorganisms, discussing the diverse biophysical-chemical properties of synthetic polymers that affect microbial degradation rates across different environmental contexts.
Occurrence, Degradation, and Effect of Polymer-Based Materials in the Environment
This review covers the occurrence, environmental degradation, and ecological effects of polymer-based materials across terrestrial and aquatic environments, including both conventional and biodegradable plastics. It highlights the chemical complexity of plastics — including additives and degradation products — as a key factor determining environmental risk beyond just the physical presence of particles.
Bridging Three Gaps in Biodegradable Plastics: Misconceptions and Truths About Biodegradation
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.
Biodegradable plastics in the marine environment: a potential source of risk?
This review examines whether biodegradable plastics offer a genuine solution to marine plastic pollution, finding that their environmental behavior depends heavily on specific conditions and that they may still pose risks in marine environments where decomposition is slow.
Biodegradability of Plastics: Challenges and Misconceptions
This review addresses widespread misconceptions about plastic biodegradability, explaining why most plastics persist in the environment for decades to centuries despite industry marketing claims. It clarifies the distinction between degradable, biodegradable, and compostable plastics and explains why real-world conditions rarely support plastic breakdown.
Razgradnja mikroplastike v okolju
This review examines the degradation of microplastics in the environment, explaining how the rate of polymer breakdown is governed by intrinsic material properties -- including chemical structure, molecular weight, crystallinity, and additives -- alongside environmental factors such as UV radiation, temperature, humidity, and the specific matrix in which the plastic resides.
Biodegradation of Different Types of Bioplastics through Composting—A Recent Trend in Green Recycling
This review examines the biodegradation of various bioplastics through composting and other environments. Researchers found that while bioplastics offer a promising sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics, their degradation rates are highly dependent on environmental conditions, and concerns remain about their leakage into the environment and long degradation timeframes during waste management.
In-soil degradation of polymer materials waste – A survey of different approaches in relation with environmental impact
This review surveys the in-soil degradation of polymer materials — including natural fibers, synthetic plastics, and composites — examining how environmental factors such as UV radiation, microorganisms, moisture, and temperature drive degradation and influence the environmental impact of plastic waste in terrestrial ecosystems.
[Degradation Processes of Biodegradable Plastics in Soil and Their Effects on Soil Animals].
Researchers reviewed the three-phase degradation process of biodegradable plastics in soil—biodeterioration, bio-depolymerization, and bioassimilation—and assessed how the resulting fragments and additives affect soil animals. They found that degradation byproducts and residual microplastics from biodegradable plastics can harm soil invertebrates, with effects depending on polymer type and soil conditions.
Biodegradable Polyesters in Soil - Real Environmental Hazard or Just a Storm in a Teacup?
This review critically examines whether biodegradable polyesters genuinely degrade in soil environments, finding that under field conditions many degrade slowly and incompletely, forming persistent microplastic particles ('microbioplastics') with largely unknown ecological consequences.
Biodegradable Plastics: Standards, Policies, and Impacts
This review evaluates the promise and limitations of biodegradable plastics as a solution to plastic pollution. Researchers found that while biodegradable plastics can help reduce environmental persistence, many only break down under specific industrial composting conditions and do not readily degrade in natural environments like oceans or landfills, highlighting the need for clearer standards and consumer education.
A Mini Review on Recent Insight into Degradation of Environmental Plastics
This mini-review summarizes current knowledge on how plastics break down in the environment to form microplastics, covering mechanical, photochemical, thermal, and biological degradation pathways, and identifies key gaps in understanding how environmental conditions and plastic properties influence degradation rates.
Discussion about suitable applications for biodegradable plastics regarding their sources, uses and end of life
Researchers critically evaluated the scientific basis for biodegradable plastics as a solution to plastic pollution, concluding that no plastic biodegrades universally across all ecosystems, that treating the environment as a waste treatment system is unacceptable, and that compostable plastics require dedicated collection infrastructure to deliver on their environmental promise.
Acceleration of Biodegradation Using Polymer Blends and Composites
This review examines how blending biodegradable polymers with other materials can tune both physical properties and biodegradation rates, noting that many biodegradable plastics degrade far more slowly than claimed. The authors stress that biodegradation claims require rigorous validation under realistic environmental conditions.
Current studies on the degradation of microplastics in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem
This review summarizes current studies on microplastic degradation in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, covering physical, chemical, and biological degradation pathways and the fate of breakdown products. The review highlights the persistence of microplastics and the limited progress toward efficient degradation under natural environmental conditions.
A comprehensive review on polymer degradation: Mechanisms, environmental implications, and sustainable mitigation strategies
This comprehensive review examined the different ways plastics break down in the environment, including through heat, sunlight, chemical reactions, and biological processes. Researchers highlighted how polymer degradation leads to microplastic pollution, ecosystem disruption, and potential health risks for both wildlife and humans. The study emphasizes that biodegradable plastics, improved recycling, and better stabilization techniques are needed to manage plastic waste more sustainably.
Biodegradation of macro- and micro-plastics in environment: A review on mechanism, toxicity, and future perspectives.
This review examined mechanisms, toxicology, and future perspectives for biodegradation of macro- and micro-plastics, cataloguing microbial species capable of polymer degradation, discussing enzymatic pathways, and identifying key limitations including slow degradation rates and the need for pretreatment to accelerate breakdown in environmental settings.
A progress update on the biological effects of biodegradable microplastics on soil and ocean environment: A perfect substitute or new threat?
This review examines whether biodegradable plastics, often marketed as eco-friendly alternatives, actually break down safely in the environment. The evidence shows that biodegradable plastics often fragment into microplastics rather than fully decomposing, and these biodegradable microplastics can harm soil organisms, marine life, and disrupt nutrient cycles. The findings suggest that simply switching to biodegradable plastics may not solve the microplastic pollution problem and could introduce new environmental risks.