Degradation Potential of Biodegradable Plastics under Laboratory Conditions

Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium Pub Date : 2024-02-15 DOI:10.31357/fesympo.v27.6617

Sandeepani G.D.V.A., Ranatunga R.R.M.K.P.

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Abstract

Conventional plastics are one of the greatest environmental issues due to their excessive usage and slow degradation. Biodegradable plastics have been introduced as a promising solution to the issue. However, the degradation potential and the best exposure conditions for biodegradable plastics are not well understood in the local context. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the degradation potential of some commercially available single-use plastics labeled as ―biodegradable‖. Two brands of lunch sheets (LS1 and LS2) made from Polylactic acid (PLA), Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and corn starch, and one waste bag made from Low- density polyethylene (LDPE) and Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) were tested against cellulose filter paper (FP) as a positive control. Degradation was tested using mass loss analysis, biogas production, and FTIR spectrum analysis together with visual analysis. The test materials were subject to different exposures, i.e., placed under seawater, beach sand, freshwater, sand with overlying freshwater, and under direct sunlight for 210 days, and anaerobic exposure for 60 days. LS1 had the highest mass loss of 73.3% in freshwater and the lowest of 9.5% in sunlight exposure. LS2 recorded the highest mass loss of 59.3% in compost exposure and the lowest of 2.9% in sunlight exposure. Waste bags recorded 1.5% as the highest mass loss in the sand with overlying freshwater and the lowest 0.3% under direct sunlight which is the lowest among all four samples. FP has shown the highest and lowest mass loss in composting and direct sunlight exposures at 79.7% and 6.2%. The degradation of FP indicates that the conditions required for biodegradation were present in the exposure environments. Direct sunlight exposure does not show a significant impact on the degradation of any of the test materials. The waste bag does not show considerable degradation under any exposure. The carbon dioxide gas production was 8.76×10-4 mol, 18.49×10-4 mol, and 2.88×10-4 mol in LS1, LS2, and waste bag, respectively. LS1 and LS2 showed visual damages and also changes in the FTIR spectrum. However, waste bags did not show any changes visually or in FTIR spectra. Therefore, it can be concluded that LDPE and LLDPE products did not undergo a detectable degradation though PLA, PBAT, and corn starch products show clear signs of degradation. The study needs to be repeated in situ to better understand the degradation behavior in actual exposure situations. Keywords: Biodegradable plastics, Degradation, Plastic pollution

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生物降解塑料在实验室条件下的降解潜力

传统塑料因其使用量大、降解速度慢而成为最大的环境问题之一。生物降解塑料作为一种有希望解决这一问题的方法被引入。然而，当地对生物降解塑料的降解潜力和最佳暴露条件还不甚了解。因此，本研究对一些标有 "可生物降解 "的市售一次性塑料的降解潜力进行了评估。以纤维素滤纸（FP）为阳性对照，测试了由聚乳酸（PLA）、聚对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯（PBAT）和玉米淀粉制成的两种品牌的餐单（LS1 和 LS2），以及由低密度聚乙烯（LDPE）和线性低密度聚乙烯（LLDPE）制成的一种垃圾袋。降解测试采用质量损失分析、沼气生产、傅立叶变换红外光谱分析以及目测分析。对测试材料进行了不同的曝晒，即在海水、沙滩沙、淡水、上覆淡水的沙、阳光直射下曝晒 210 天，以及厌氧曝晒 60 天。在淡水中，LS1 的质量损失最大，为 73.3%，在阳光照射下，质量损失最小，为 9.5%。LS2 在堆肥曝晒下的质量损失最大，为 59.3%，在阳光曝晒下的质量损失最小，为 2.9%。废物袋在上覆淡水的沙子中质量损失最高，为 1.5%，在阳光直射下质量损失最低，为 0.3%，是所有四个样本中质量损失最低的。在堆肥和阳光直射下，FP 的质量损失最高，最低，分别为 79.7% 和 6.2%。FP 的降解表明，暴露环境中存在生物降解所需的条件。阳光直射对任何一种测试材料的降解都没有明显影响。废物袋在任何暴露环境下都没有出现明显的降解。在 LS1、LS2 和废物袋中产生的二氧化碳气体分别为 8.76×10-4 mol、18.49×10-4 mol 和 2.88×10-4 mol。LS1 和 LS2 出现了视觉损伤，傅立叶变换红外光谱也发生了变化。然而，废袋在视觉上和傅立叶变换红外光谱上都没有任何变化。因此，可以得出结论，虽然聚乳酸、PBAT 和玉米淀粉产品显示出明显的降解迹象，但低密度聚乙烯和低低密度聚乙烯产品没有发生可检测到的降解。为了更好地了解实际暴露情况下的降解行为，这项研究需要在原位重复进行。关键词生物降解塑料降解塑料污染

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Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium

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