Enhancement of biodegradability of disposable polyethylene in controlled biological soil

Plastics as polyethylene are widely used in packaging and other agricultura l applications. They accumulate in the environment at a rate of 25 million tons per year. Thus, the development and use of degradable plastics was pro posed as a solution for plastic waste problem. Because of the ever-increasi ng use of plastic films, nowadays, biodegradability has become a useful cha racteristic for plastics. Conversely, the introduction of biodegradable pla stics has generated a need for methods to evaluate the biodegradation of th ese polymers in landfills and solid waste treatment systems such as compost ing or anaerobic digestion treatment plants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biodegradation of disposable low-density polyethylene ba gs containing starch (12%), autoxidizable fatty acid ester and catalytic ag ents in soil. Structurally this work intended to evaluate the capacity of P hanerochaete chrysosporium (ATCC 34541) to enhance polyethylene film biodeg radation in soil microcosms. Soil samples inoculated with P. chrysosporium were mixed with LDPE/starch blend films and biological changes of the films and soil were monitored for 6 months. The biodegradation of polyethylene s tarch blend film has been determined by the physical, chemical and biologic al properties of the samples such as pH, biomass, CO2 formation, percentage elongation, relative viscosity and FTIR spectrum. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd. All rights reserved.