We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Biodegradation in Soil of Commercial Plastic Bags Labelled as “Biodegradable”
ClearBiodegradable 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.
Degradation Pattern of Five Biodegradable, Potentially Low-Environmental-Impact Mulches under Laboratory Conditions
Five biodegradable plastic mulch materials were tested under laboratory conditions, with results showing highly variable degradation rates and completeness, raising questions about whether products marketed as biodegradable actually break down fully in field conditions.
Degradation of supposedly biodegradable polymers in a real estuarine environment
Researchers tested the real-world degradation of supposedly biodegradable polymer bags in an estuarine environment over 180 days. The study found that bags made of PLA combined with PBAT and starch showed the most consistent degradation, while polyethylene bags with oxo-biodegradable additives and plain polyethylene showed minimal breakdown, questioning the effectiveness of some biodegradable alternatives in natural settings.
Analysis of the Mechanical Degradability of Biodegradable Polymer-Based Bags in Different Environments
Researchers analyzed the mechanical degradability of biodegradable polymer-based bags under simulated environmental conditions, measuring fragmentation rates and the physical characteristics of resulting particles. The bags fragmented into microplastic-sized pieces under mechanical stress comparable to environmental conditions, raising concerns that biodegradable bags may contribute to environmental microplastic loads during incomplete degradation.
Evaluation of the degradation from micro to nanoplastics from biodegradable bags in marine conditions
Researchers evaluated how biodegradable plastic bags degrade from the micro to nano scale under environmental conditions, testing whether commercial biodegradable plastics fully decompose or generate persistent nanoplastic particles. Results showed biodegradable bags produced nanoplastic particles during degradation, challenging the assumption that biodegradable label guarantees complete environmental breakdown.
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.
Evaluation of the degradation from micro to nanoplastics from biodegradable bags in marine conditions
Researchers evaluated how biodegradable plastic bags degrade into micro- and nanoplastics under environmental conditions, comparing them to conventional plastics. The study found that even biodegradable materials generate persistent micro- and nanoplastic particles under real-world conditions.
Review 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.
Generation of biodegradable microplastics from commercially available PBAT and PLA-based plastic bags in water: Impacts of UVA and water medium
Researchers tested how commercially available biodegradable plastic bags made from PBAT and PLA degrade in water under UVA light and dark conditions over 12 weeks. They found that both materials degraded faster in pure water than seawater, and UVA light significantly accelerated breakdown, but neither fully decomposed. The study confirms that biodegradable plastics generate microplastic fragments during incomplete degradation in aquatic environments.
Biodegradability standards for carrier bags and plastic films in aquatic environments: a critical review
Researchers critically reviewed existing biodegradability standards for carrier bags and plastic films in aquatic environments and found that current testing protocols do not adequately reflect real-world marine or freshwater conditions. The study suggests that labeling plastics as "biodegradable" may be misleading, since degradation rates vary dramatically depending on temperature, oxygen levels, and microbial communities present in natural water bodies.
Field studies on the deterioration of microplastic films from ultra-thin compostable bags in soil
Researchers found that ultra-thin compostable plastic bag films used for food waste collection degrade poorly in agricultural soil, with industrial compost containing undeteriorated fragments that persist after field application and raise concerns about compostable plastics as a source of soil microplastic contamination.
Degradation of Biodegradable Microplastics under Artificially Controlled Aging Conditions with UV Radiation
Researchers subjected biodegradable plastics to controlled UV aging and found that they fragmented into microplastics faster than conventional plastics under simulated outdoor conditions. Biodegradable plastics are promoted as an eco-friendly alternative, but this study shows they may actually create microplastic pollution more rapidly in real-world environments. The findings raise important questions about whether biodegradable plastics are a genuine solution to plastic pollution.
Biodegradable mulch films exhibit slower-than-expected degradation with negligible effects on soil microbial communities
Researchers ran a year-long field trial with seven biodegradable plastic mulch films in the UK, finding that none fragmented into soil microplastics as expected and all degraded far more slowly than current industry standards suggest they should. Despite virtually no measurable impact on soil microbial communities, the results challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics reliably break down under real farming conditions.
Investigating aquatic biodegradation and changes in the properties of pristine and UV-irradiated microplastics from conventional and biodegradable agricultural plastics
Researchers compared the biodegradation of conventional and biodegradable agricultural plastic mulching films in aquatic environments, testing both pristine and UV-weathered samples. The study found that while biodegradable plastics break down well under controlled composting conditions, their degradation in non-target environments like water bodies is considerably less predictable.
Degradation of Biodegradable Single-use Plates and Waste Bags in Terrestrial and Marine Environments
Field experiments found that biodegradable single-use plates and waste bags degraded at very different rates depending on material and environment, with some lasting far longer than expected. Products labeled as biodegradable may still persist and fragment into microplastics in natural marine and terrestrial conditions.
Field test on the biodegradation of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) based mulch films in soil
Researchers buried four types of supposedly biodegradable plastic mulch films — used in farming to suppress weeds — in agricultural soil for over two years and found that all four still left behind microplastic fragments. This shows that even biodegradable plastics can accumulate in soil if used repeatedly each growing season.
In situ degradation of biodegradable plastic mulch in Nordic agricultural soils
Nordic field studies tracked the in situ degradation of biodegradable plastic mulch films under cold, wet, low-UV conditions, finding that degradation was far slower than under the warm conditions where biodegradable plastics perform as designed, raising concerns about persistence in northern agricultural soils.
Biodegradable Polyesters and Low Molecular Weight Polyethylene in Soil: Interrelations of Material Properties, Soil Organic Matter Substances, and Microbial Community
Researchers examined how biodegradable polyesters and low molecular weight polyethylene behave in soil environments, investigating their interactions with soil organic matter and microbial communities over time. They found that both biodegradable and conventional polymer microplastics alter soil microbial community composition and interact with organic matter fractions, with biodegradable plastics showing distinct but not necessarily more benign effects than conventional plastics.
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.
The fate of biodegradable polyesters in the marine environment
Researchers tracked the degradation of five biodegradable plastics in simulated marine environments over nearly a year, including materials like polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate. While all materials showed signs of degradation such as surface cracking and weight loss from hydrolysis, they also released polymer fragments into surrounding sand, indicating that even biodegradable plastics can generate microplastic pollution. The findings suggest that labeling a plastic as biodegradable does not guarantee it will fully break down in ocean conditions.
Novel insight into the in-situ study of biodegradable microplastics in soil aggregates
An in-situ study of biodegradable microplastic degradation under real environmental conditions revealed insights into how quickly these materials actually break down compared to lab predictions. The findings show that biodegradation rates in nature often differ significantly from those measured in controlled experiments.
The fate of post-use biodegradable PBAT-based mulch films buried in agricultural soil
Scientists tracked the breakdown of a biodegradable mulch film in farm soil over 16 months and found that while the film lost more than half its surface area, it released microplastics into the surrounding soil during the process. About 17-23% of the original film material was still recoverable from the soil after nearly 500 days. The study shows that even biodegradable plastics can be a source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Degradation of Plastics in Simulated Landfill Conditions
Researchers exposed high-density polyethylene, oxo-degradable polyethylene, and certified compostable plastics to simulated landfill conditions for 854 days and found that only compostable plastic degraded substantially, while oxo-degradable plastic showed minimal improvement over standard HDPE under anaerobic landfill conditions.
Comparison of the aerobic biodegradation of biopolymers and the corresponding bioplastics: A review
Researchers compared how quickly biodegradable bioplastics break down in soil versus their natural parent materials — like starch, cellulose, and lignin — finding that chemical modifications made during manufacturing significantly change which microbes and enzymes are needed for degradation. The review concludes that lab-based biodegradation studies often miss real-world complexity, and long-term field experiments are urgently needed to validate biodegradability claims for bioplastics.