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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Biodegradation kinetics in soil of a multi-constituent biodegradable plastic
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.
Microbial Degradation of Plastic in Aqueous Solutions Demonstrated by CO2 Evolution and Quantification
Researchers developed a novel CO2 evolution-based method to measure microbial degradation of plastics in aqueous solutions, providing a reproducible and quantitative way to assess the true biodegradability of both conventional and marketed 'biodegradable' polymers. The method revealed that many commercially available biodegradable plastics degrade far more slowly than claimed under realistic environmental conditions.
Unravelling the ecological ramifications of biodegradable microplastics in soil environment: A systematic review
Researchers reviewed 85 studies on biodegradable microplastics in soil, finding that when biodegradable plastics fail to fully break down they can disrupt soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial life in ways that depend heavily on concentration and plastic type. The review highlights that "biodegradable" plastics are not a simple fix for microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Bioplastics in agricultural soils: Biodegradability, analytical techniques, and soil microbial impact
Researchers reviewed the evidence on how bioplastics degrade in agricultural soils, finding that commonly used analytical techniques overestimate biodegradation rates because they measure surface changes rather than full carbon mineralization, meaning biodegradable microplastic residues may persist across seasons under realistic conditions.
Soil Properties as Key Determinants for the Biodegradation Kinetics of Polymer Blends in Indian Agroecosystems
Soil properties such as pH, texture, and organic matter content were identified as key determinants of how quickly biodegradable plastics break down in different soils. The findings explain why biodegradable plastics may persist much longer in some soils than expected based on manufacturer claims.
Mechanism of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastic aging effects on soil organic carbon fractions in different land-use types
Researchers compared how polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics at different stages of aging affect soil organic carbon fractions across various land-use types. The study found that both types of microplastics altered soil carbon dynamics, but the effects depended on the plastic type, its degree of aging, and the specific land-use context.
[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.
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.
Influence of biodegradable microplastics on soil carbon cycling: Insights from soil respiration, enzyme activity, carbon use efficiency and microbial community
Researchers investigated how biodegradable microplastics affect carbon cycling in soil by measuring respiration, enzyme activity, and microbial communities over 64 days. They found that certain biodegradable plastics, particularly polyhydroxyalkanoates, dramatically increased soil carbon emissions by up to 665% and significantly altered microbial community structure. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can substantially disrupt soil ecosystem processes when they break down into microplastic-sized particles.
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.
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.
Effect of different polymers of microplastics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen – A mesocosm experiment
Researchers found that adding polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics to agricultural soil altered carbon and nitrogen dynamics, with biodegradable microplastics having stronger effects on soil organic carbon decomposition and nutrient cycling than conventional plastics.
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.
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.
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.
Analysis of the microplastic emission potential of a starch-based biodegradable plastic material
Researchers developed a method to assess the microplastic emission potential of biodegradable starch-based plastics under environmental conditions, finding that even materials labeled biodegradable can fragment into persistent microplastic particles depending on environmental degradation pathways.
Microplastic accumulation in soils: Unlocking the mechanism and biodegradation pathway
Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in soil and break down biologically, finding that certain microorganisms can form biofilms on plastic surfaces and use enzymes to slowly degrade the polymers — though conditions like pH, temperature, and moisture must be optimized and new plastic-degrading microbes need to be identified before this approach can be widely applied.
Soil-biodegradable mulch film: Distinguishing between persistent microplastics and fragments released from certified soil-biodegradable products
Researchers incubated a certified soil-biodegradable mulch film in agricultural soil and used μ-FTIR microscopy to track fragmentation and biodegradation kinetics, distinguishing between fragments that biodegraded within the study period and those that would persist as microplastics.
Plastics Biodegradation in the Short Term in a Mediterranean Soil and the Effect of Organic Amendment
Researchers investigated short-term biodegradation of conventional plastics in Mediterranean agricultural soil and examined the effect of organic amendment on degradation rates, testing whether low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and biodegradable alternatives differ in their breakdown behavior under realistic field conditions.
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.
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.
Biodegradation of poly(butylene succinate) in soil laboratory incubations assessed by stable carbon isotope labelling
Researchers used carbon isotope labeling to precisely track how biodegradable plastic (poly(butylene succinate)) breaks down in agricultural soil over more than a year, finding that 65% fully converted to CO2 while the rest integrated into the soil. This new tracking method provides a reliable way to evaluate whether "biodegradable" plastics actually decompose as claimed in real soil conditions.
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.