Open AccessFate of So‐Called Biodegradable Polymers in Seawater and Freshwater
Author(s) -
Bagheri Amir Reza,
Laforsch Christian,
Greiner Andreas,
Agarwal Seema
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
global challenges
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2056-6646
DOI - 10.1002/gch2.201700048
Subject(s) - polyester , biodegradation , polylactic acid , polymer , polycaprolactone , biodegradable polymer , plga , biodegradable plastic , molar mass , glycolic acid , microplastics , materials science , polymer degradation , degradation (telecommunications) , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , polymer science , chemistry , lactic acid , environmental chemistry , nanotechnology , telecommunications , biology , nanoparticle , bacteria , computer science , engineering , genetics
The stability of polymers with CC and stable Cheteroatom backbones against chemicals, hydrolysis, temperature, light, and microbes has challenged society with the problem of accumulation of plastic waste and its management worldwide. Given careless disposal of plastic waste, large amounts of plastic litter accumulate in the environment and disintegrate into microplastics. One of the questions frequently raised in the recent times is if so‐called biodegradable polymers can substitute conventional polymers for several applications and help to tackle this challenge. The answer is not so simple as biodegradability is a certified property occurring only under certain environmental conditions and therefore requires systematic study. As a first step, this study focusses on comparative degradation studies of six polymers (five taken from the so‐called biodegradable polyesters, including poly(lactic‐ co ‐glycolic acid) (PLGA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), Ecoflex, and one well‐known non‐degradable polymer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in artificial seawater and freshwater under controlled conditions for 1 year. Only amorphous PLGA shows 100% degradation as determined by weight loss, change in molar mass with time, NMR, electron microscopy, and high‐performance liquid chromatography. This is a step forward in understanding the degradability of polyesters required for the design of environmentally friendly novel polymers for future use.