I have been working on bioplastic biodegradation under the soil. So after a certain period of incubation in the compost, due to the action of microbes and soil physicochemical parameters, the plastic degrades and breaks down. The products formed as a result of biodegradation are lost in the soil. For example, if there is a kind of additive that persists in the soil for durations longer than usual post degradation, like carbon black, which may pose a threat to the environment. How am I supposed to retrieve them or are there any techniques or soil analysis methods to find out the products of biodegradation in the soil?
If are you aware of environmental safety after bioplastic composting and degradation, you can perform ecotoxicity testing of soil (compost) before and after biodegradation. The results of ecotoxicity tests (they can be aquatic tests with leachate or terrestrial tests with soil) can indicate if any toxic byproducts are formed from bioplastics after biodegradation.
Best regards
Vit
Please look at the following below links which may help you in your analysis:
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-019-01393-3.pdf
https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2017/12/13/the-truth-about-bioplastics/
https://acta.mendelu.cz/media/pdf/actaun_2017065030791.pdf
https://www.sphere.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/18072019-Rapport-SPHERE-ANG-DEF.pdf
Thanks
Dear Disha Pamecha ,
Ecotoxicological test is a good suggestion, however, I understood that you want to analyse the degradation products.If you start directly from the soil extraction, it could be to complex to understand the pathway.
I suggest to star with mixing a selection of microbes, a solid inert support (e.g. sand) and your plastic to test. Be aware that in natur a co-metabolism is ofen used in these pathway. The experiment has to be planned consider all these factors.
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