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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Biodegradable Plastics: Potential Mechanisms and Pathways.
ClearImpact of the thermo-alkaline pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blended plastics
Researchers tested whether a heat-and-alkali pretreatment could improve the breakdown of biodegradable plastics PBAT and PLA through anaerobic digestion. They found that pretreatment significantly improved methane production from PLA-containing blends but had limited effect on PBAT alone, which remained resistant to digestion. The results suggest that even plastics labeled as biodegradable may not break down easily in real-world composting and waste treatment systems.
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.
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.
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.
Assessing 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.
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.
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.
The Polymer-Plastisphere-Function Nexus Links to Divergent Biodegradation of Microplastics During Composting.
Researchers found a fundamental dichotomy in microplastic biodegradation during thermophilic composting, where biodegradable polymers (PLA, PBS, PBAT) underwent rapid degradation driven by selective microbial community assembly shaped by polymer chemistry, while conventional plastics resisted breakdown despite similar composting conditions.
Microbial Degradation of Polylactic Acid Bioplastic
This review covers how microorganisms degrade polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic under different environmental conditions. Understanding PLA biodegradation is important for assessing whether PLA products actually break down as intended in real-world environments rather than persisting as microplastics.
Plastic waste impact and biotechnology: Exploring polymer degradation, microbial role, and sustainable development implications
Researchers reviewed how microorganisms and their enzymes can break down different types of plastic waste through both aerobic (oxygen-using) and anaerobic (oxygen-free) pathways. The review highlights biotechnological tools like genetic modification that could accelerate plastic biodegradation, supporting a shift toward a circular economy.
Study of the Biodegradation of PLA/PBAT Films after Biodegradation Tests in Soil and the Aqueous Medium
This study assessed how a common biodegradable plastic blend (PLA/PBAT) degrades in soil and water over time, finding it broke down into smaller fragments rather than fully mineralizing. The persistence of biodegradable plastic fragments raises questions about whether these materials are truly safe alternatives to conventional plastic.
Elucidating degradation properties, microbial community, and mechanism of microplastics in sewage sludge under different terminal electron acceptors conditions
Researchers found that the type of terminal electron acceptor significantly controls the degradation rates and pathways of polylactic acid, polyvinyl chloride, and polyhydroxyalkanoate microplastics in sewage sludge, with aerobic conditions promoting faster degradation than anaerobic alternatives.
Microplastic Generation and Persistence of Biodegradable Plastics under Anaerobic Conditions
Scientists tested how well "biodegradable" plastics actually break down in oxygen-free environments like landfills and found that many don't degrade as expected. Instead, several types of these supposedly eco-friendly plastics break apart into tiny plastic particles called microplastics that stick around for a long time. This matters because these microplastics can end up in our food and water, and we're still learning about their potential health effects.
Degradation of microplastics and the plastisphere bacteria in the acidogenic phase of simulated municipal solid waste landfilling
Researchers simulated conditions inside a municipal solid waste landfill and found that different microplastic types (PE, PS, and PLA) aged and degraded at very different rates during the acidogenic leachate phase, with distinct microbial communities forming on each plastic type. This matters because landfills are both sources and sinks for microplastics, and understanding how plastics degrade there helps predict what eventually leaches into groundwater and surrounding soil.
Characteristic Features of Plastic Microbial Degradation
This book chapter reviews the characteristics of microbial plastic degradation, covering the enzymes, metabolic pathways, and environmental conditions that affect breakdown rates for different polymer types. Understanding microbial degradation mechanisms is foundational to developing biological solutions for microplastic pollution.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Biopolymers modulate microbial communities in municipal organic waste digestion
Researchers investigated how biopolymers (bio-based plastics) affect microbial communities and process outcomes when co-treated with municipal organic waste in anaerobic digestion and composting systems. They found that biopolymers can alter microbial community structure, raising questions about their persistence and biodegradability in waste treatment.