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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Impact of the thermo-alkaline pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blended plastics
ClearAssessing labelled carbon assimilation from poly butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) monomers during thermophilic anaerobic digestion
Researchers used isotopically labeled carbon to track the biodegradation of PBAT (a biodegradable plastic) monomers in anaerobic conditions using wastewater treatment sludge as inoculum, finding limited metabolization that raises questions about PBAT's true biodegradability in anaerobic environments.
Pretreatment and Anaerobic Co-digestion of Selected PHB and PLA Bioplastics
Researchers evaluated thermal and alkaline pretreatments for PHB and PLA bioplastics to enhance anaerobic digestion, finding pretreatment increased biochemical methane potential by over 100% and reduced lag times before methane production. Bench-scale co-digesters fed synthetic primary sludge with PHB achieved 80-98% conversion to biomethane, with a 5% increase in total biomethane output.
Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Biodegradable Plastics: Potential Mechanisms and Pathways.
This study examined how biodegradable plastics — PBAT and PLA — break down under anaerobic conditions in digestion systems, finding that microbial communities degrade them through distinct biochemical pathways. Understanding how biodegradable plastics decompose in real-world conditions like landfills and wastewater treatment is important for evaluating whether they truly degrade safely.
Biorefining of Thermoplastic Starch via Depolymerization and Methane Arrested Anaerobic Digestion
This study explored whether biodegradable thermoplastic starch packaging could be broken down into useful chemicals through a combination of heat treatment and anaerobic digestion. Higher temperatures accelerated breakdown but also produced microplastics, as the material contains PBAT and PLA plastic co-polymers. The work highlights a tension in biodegradable plastic design: materials marketed as eco-friendly can still generate microplastic fragments and resist full biological conversion without specialized industrial processing.
Can anaerobic digestion be a suitable end-of-life scenario for biodegradable plastics? A critical review of the current situation, hurdles, and challenges
Researchers reviewed the feasibility of anaerobic digestion (AD) as an end-of-life treatment for biodegradable plastics, identifying process parameters, microbial communities, and pretreatment strategies that influence degradation rates and arguing that AD deserves more research attention alongside industrial composting.
Impact of alkaline thermal hydrolysis on anaerobic digestion of mixed sludge contaminated with microplastics
Researchers tested alkaline thermal hydrolysis pretreatment on sludge containing polyethylene and PVC microplastics before anaerobic digestion, finding that the pretreatment altered how microplastics affected subsequent methane production, with effects varying by polymer type and concentration.
Microplastics in sewage sludge destined to anaerobic digestion: The potential role of thermal pretreatment
Researchers found that thermal pretreatment of sewage sludge at 120°C did not degrade conventional PET microplastics but did alter biodegradable microplastics, which also boosted methane production during anaerobic digestion, raising concerns about how different microplastic types behave in sludge treatment.
Effect of alkaline-thermal pretreatment on biodegradable plastics degradation and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in co-compost system
This study found that pretreating biodegradable plastics with heat and alkaline solutions speeds up their breakdown during composting, but the process releases large numbers of smaller microplastic fragments. These smaller particles can carry microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes into the environment, raising concerns that even "eco-friendly" plastics may pose risks to public health during disposal.
Fate of polylactic acid microplastics during anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste: Insights on property changes, released dissolved organic matters, and biofilm formation
Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics were tracked through the anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste, revealing that PLA particles underwent surface changes and released dissolved organic matter but were not fully degraded during the process. The study shows that even supposedly biodegradable plastics can persist and alter biofilm formation in anaerobic digestion systems.
Fate of a biobased polymer via high-solid anaerobic co-digestion with food waste and following aerobic treatment: Insights on changes of polymer physicochemical properties and the role of microbial and fungal communities
PBAT/PLA biopolymer bags were co-digested with food waste in an anaerobic digestion plant and then subjected to aerobic composting, with only partial degradation achieved under both conditions and the remaining polymer fragments altering microbial community composition, raising questions about bioplastic end-of-life claims.
Numerical framework for anaerobic digestion and/or composting of bioplastics and organic waste performance evaluation under real-like large scale operating conditions
Researchers used computer modeling to simulate how well certified biodegradable plastics — including PLA cups and starch-based bags — actually break down in real anaerobic digestion and composting facilities, finding that industrial composting alone only degrades 42–44% of PLA in 28 days. The study warns that current waste infrastructure may not be sufficient to handle the growing volumes of bioplastics, potentially leading to microplastic-like contamination of compost and soil.
Thermophilic anaerobic digestion of polylactic acid, polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics: effect of inoculum-substrate ratio and microbiome
Researchers tested thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic digestion of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polylactic acid microplastics at different substrate ratios to assess methane production and MP degradation. PLA showed greater degradation under thermophilic conditions, while PE and PP were largely resistant to both digestion temperatures.
Microbial community acclimatization enhances bioplastics biodegradation and biogas production under thermophilic anaerobic digestion
Three sequential anaerobic digestion runs showed that microbial community acclimatization enhanced biodegradation and biogas production from starch-based and polylactic acid bioplastics, demonstrating that inoculum adaptation is key to improving bioplastic treatment in anaerobic systems.
Investigating the Fate of Bio-based Plastics in Anaerobic Digestion
This study tested the breakdown of three types of bio-based food packaging plastics in anaerobic digesters over 26 weeks, assessing how well they degrade under conditions similar to industrial composting. Understanding whether bio-based plastics truly break down in real waste treatment settings is critical to evaluating their environmental claims.
Degradation of Film and Rigid Bioplastics During the Thermophilic Phase and the Maturation Phase of Simulated Composting
Researchers tested how well commercially certified compostable bioplastics (starch-based, PBAT, and PLA) actually degrade under realistic industrial composting conditions, finding that PLA degradation was highly sensitive to both plastic thickness and the duration of the high-temperature composting phase. The results suggest that current industrial composting timelines may be insufficient to fully break down certified compostable plastics, raising questions about real-world end-of-life claims.
Enhanced Biodegradation Rate of Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Composites Using Reed Fiber
Researchers blended reed plant fibers with a biodegradable plastic called PBAT to create a composite material that breaks down faster in the environment. They tested the composite with four different enzymes and found that adding reed fiber significantly accelerated degradation rates. The study suggests that incorporating natural plant fibers into biodegradable plastics could help reduce the persistence of plastic waste.
Study on the degradability of plastics with prodegradant additives during anaerobic and aerobic biological waste treatment processes
Researchers evaluated whether PP and PET plastic packaging specimens containing commercially available prodegradant additives actually degrade under simulated composting and anaerobic digestion conditions. None of the materials fragmented into microplastic particles larger than 1 mm under the tested conditions, though FTIR detected surface oxidation in PP samples and PET specimens showed roughly 6.5% mass loss during anaerobic digestion, calling into question the degradability claims of such additives.
Fate and effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics during anaerobic digestion of alkaline-thermal pretreated sludge
This study investigated the fate and effects of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics during alkaline-thermal pretreatment and anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge. PET microplastics were partially degraded under alkaline-thermal conditions, and their presence at elevated concentrations inhibited biogas production and reduced methane yield in anaerobic digesters.
How does alkaline-thermal pretreatment followed by anaerobic digestion affect the content of polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide 66 microplastics?
Researchers investigated how alkaline-thermal pretreatment of sludge followed by anaerobic digestion affects PET and polyamide-66 microplastics in wastewater treatment. Different NaOH concentrations, temperatures, and retention times altered the physical and chemical characteristics of both MP types, informing strategies for reducing MP persistence in sludge destined for agricultural reuse.
Thermal hydrolysis alleviates polyethylene microplastic-induced stress in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge
Scientists found that pretreating waste sludge with heat before anaerobic digestion reduced the negative effects that polyethylene microplastics have on the process. The thermal treatment improved methane production and helped maintain healthy microbial communities even in the presence of microplastics. The study suggests that thermal hydrolysis could be a practical strategy for wastewater treatment plants dealing with microplastic-contaminated sludge.
Advances in environmental degradation and impact of degradable plastics
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.
The microbial response to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics during anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge
Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics — often assumed to be benign because they are 'biodegradable' — were found to inhibit the breakdown of organic matter in wastewater sludge by 5–18%, disrupting microbial communities and key enzymes. The result challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally safe once they enter wastewater treatment systems.
Biodegradation of poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) and poly(vinyl alcohol) within aquatic pathway
Researchers traced the biodegradation of two common biodegradable plastics through simulated aquatic pathways and found that prior exposure to wastewater accelerates breakdown of PBAT in seawater, while PVA degrades similarly regardless of prior environment — with microbial community composition shifting distinctly for each plastic.
Fate and effect of Polyamide-6 microplastics in mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion
This study examined the fate and impact of polyamide-6 microplastics during mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion, finding that digestion temperature affects polymer degradation rates and that microplastics influence methane production and microbial communities.