Biodegradability and disintegration in marine conditions

This analysis package comprehensively evaluates both aerobic biodegradability and disintegration of plastics exposed to marine conditions.

Plastics subject to microbial actions undergo ultimate biodegradation, resulting in erosion at the solid-liquid interface and causing a loss of mass and physical properties. In biodegradation studies, the breakdown of organic material to CO2 is monitored in controlled simulated marine conditions.

The disintegration studies (ISO 23832) outline three methods to assess degradation rates and physical breakdown in natural marine settings:

1. burying plastics in wet and sandy marine sediment

2. placing them at the sediment-water interface

3. exposing them to seawater

Key parameters include mass loss rate, erosion rate, and loss of mechanical properties. The physical breakdown into small fragments is examined simultaneously.

The displayed price for this analysis package covers a 9-month testing time, which is the typical time it takes for biodegradable plastics to biodegrade and disintegrate in marine conditions. The maximum testing time for these tests is 24 months.