When you already know what does it mean “biodegradableBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits.”, you know WHERE it is biodegradableBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. and in which conditions, you should also ask HOW the biodegradability was measured.
The testing methods can be divided into two groups – physical methods and respirometry.
The main method of this group is simple weight loss measurement. The weight of the polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. in the beginning of the experiment is compared with weight of polymer after a period in selected environment. The main advantage of this method is the possibility to use it in natural environment. However, using this method, bioasimilation and mineralization of the polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. cannot be proven.1
Other physical methods include visual evaluation, microscopy, spectroscopy, etc.
These methods measure oxygen consumed by bacteria during biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of the polymer or CO2/CH4 evolved.1 The advantage is measuring the actual mineralization of the polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits.. These methods can be proceeded only in laboratory using sophisticated equipment; thus, they poorly simulate natural conditions.
Stating whether the polymer is, or is not biodegradableBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. is complicated also because of the variety of methods used during the experiments. We have already discussed the high number of environmental conditions and material properties, which influence the biodegradability rate. If these variables are not properly corrected or discussed during the experiment, the results cannot be compared with measurements from other laboratories. Such results are irreproducible. This led the scientists to establish standard methods for biodegradability determination.
There are 3 standardized procedures:
Methods declaring the conditions and the process of the measurement
Methods that not only set the conditions, but also evaluate the outcomes – based on these methods, you can state whether the polymer is biodegradable, or not
Certificates – third party declarations
There are several ISO, OECD and ASTM standards. They are often overlapping or complementary and provide a set of rules how to measure biodegradability in various environments. These methods are very often criticized by the academics. Yet, they are the main and still best tool for the legislative. Valid methods (in 2021) are summarized in table 1.
Currently, the best accepted and probably most reliable are Vincotte OK biodegradableBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. certificates. As the only ones, they test also the toxicity of the polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. besides its biodegradability.
Now you know what are the perks of biodegradability measurements. Learn what is the biodegradability of PHA group of polymers.
Standard | Last revision | Name | Environment | Method |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 14851 | 2019 | Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium — Method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer | Waste water and sewage sludge (aerobic) | O2 consumption |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 14852 | 2018 | Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium — Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide | Waste water and sewage sludge (aerobic) | CO2 production |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 13975 | 2019 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More — Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of plastic materials in controlled slurry digestion systems — Method by measurement of biogasAnaerobic digestion More production | Waste water and sewage sludge (anaerobic) | CO2 and CH4 production |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 14853 | 2016 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More — Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of plastic materials in an aqueous system — Method by measurement of biogasAnaerobic digestion More production | Waste water and sewage sludge (anaerobic) | CO2 and CH4 production |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 17556 | 2019 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More — Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in soil by measuring the oxygen demand in a respirometer or the amount of carbon dioxide evolved | Soil | O2 consumption and CO2 production |
ASTM 5988 (Equivalent to ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 17556) | 2018 | Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic BiodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of Plastic Materials in Soil | Soil | CO2 production |
OECD 307 | 2002 | Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformation in Soil | Soil | CO2 evolution from radiolabelled polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. (14C) |
EN 17033 | 2018 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More – BiodegradableBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture – Requirements and test methods | Soil | |
NF U 52-001 (French standard for mulch foils) | 2013 | BiodegradableBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. materials for use in agriculture and horticulture – mulching products – requirements and test methods | Soil | |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 19679 | 2020 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More — Determination of aerobic biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sediment interface — Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide | Marine | CO2 production |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 22403 | 2020 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More — Assessment of the intrinsic biodegradability of materials exposed to marine inocula under mesophilic aerobic laboratory conditions — Test methods and requirements | Marine | |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 18830 | 2016 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More — Determination of aerobic biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sandy sediment interface — Method by measuring the oxygen demand in closed respirometer | Marine | O2 consumption |
ASTM D7991 | 2015 | Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic BiodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More Buried in Sandy Marine Sediment under Controlled Laboratory Conditions | Marine | CO2 production |
ASTM D7473 | 2012 | Standard Test Method for Weight Attrition of Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by Open System Aquarium Incubations | Marine | Visual evaluation, weight loss |
ASTM D6691 | 2009 | Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic BiodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by a Defined Microbial Consortium or Natural Sea Water Inoculum | Marine | CO2 production |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 18606 | 2013 | Packaging and the environment — Organic recyclingIt means the treatment of separately collected organic waste by anaerobic digestion and/or composting. More | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 17088 | 2012 | Specifications for compostable plasticsPlastics that are biodegradable under composting conditions: specified humidity, temperature, microorganisms and timeframe. In order to make accurate … More | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 14855 | 2012 | Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled compostingComposting is the controlled aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms, under controlled conditions. It reduc… More conditions — Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | CO2 production |
ASTM D5338 (Equivalent to ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 14855) | 2021 | Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic BiodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of Plastic Materials Under Controlled CompostingComposting is the controlled aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms, under controlled conditions. It reduc… More Conditions, Incorporating Thermophilic Temperatures | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | |
ASTM D6868 | 2019 | Standard Specification for Labeling of End Items that Incorporate PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More and Polymers as Coatings or Additives with Paper and Other Substrates Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | |
ASTM D6400 (Equivalent to ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 17088) | 2019 | Standard Specification for Labeling of PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | |
ASTM D5526 | 2018 | Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic BiodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of Plastic Materials Under Accelerated Landfill Conditions | Landifill / bioreactor | |
EN 14995 | 2006 | Evaluation of compostability – Test scheme and specifications | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | |
EN 13432European standard for the assessment of the compostability of plastic packaging products. More | 2001 | Packaging – Requirements for packaging recoverable through compostingComposting is the controlled aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms, under controlled conditions. It reduc… More and biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. – Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging | Industrial compostingIndustrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable wa… More | |
EN 14045 | 2003 | Packaging – Evaluation of the disintegration of packaging materials in practical oriented tests under defined compostingComposting is the controlled aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms, under controlled conditions. It reduc… More conditions | CompostingComposting is the controlled aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms, under controlled conditions. It reduc… More | Visual evaluation, weight loss |
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 15985 | 2014 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More — Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. under high-solids anaerobic-digestion conditions — Method by analysis of released biogasAnaerobic digestion More | Anaerobic | CO2 and CH4 production |
ASTM D5511 (Equivalent to ISOInternational Organization for Standardization More 15985) | 2018 | Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic BiodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of Plastic Materials Under High-Solids Anaerobic-Digestion Conditions | Anaerobic | |
NF T 51-800 (French standard) | 2015 | PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More – Specifications for plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More suitable for home compostingComposting [bM 06/08] More | Home compostingComposting [bM 06/08] More | |
AS 5810 (Australian standard) | 2010 | Biodegradable plasticsBiodegradable plastics are plastics that are completely assimilated by the microorganisms present a defined environment as food for their energy. The … More – Biodegradable plasticsBiodegradable plastics are plastics that are completely assimilated by the microorganisms present a defined environment as food for their energy. The … More suitable for home compostingComposting [bM 06/08] More | Home compostingComposting [bM 06/08] More |
Table 1 – standard methods for determining polymer biodegradability
1 Harrison, J. P., C. Boardman, K. O’Callaghan, et al. Biodegradability standards for carrier bags and plastic films in aquatic environments: a critical review. Royal Society Open Science. 2018, 5(5): 171792. doi: doi:10.1098/rsos.171792.
2 Zumstein, M. T., R. Narayan, H.-P. E. Kohler, et al. Dos and Do Nots When Assessing the BiodegradationBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. of PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More. Environmental Science & Technology. 2019, 53(17): 9967-9969. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b04513.
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