Anaerobic biodegradation simulation tests

Standard test methods for determining aerobic biodegradation of radiolabeUed plastic materials in an aqueous or compost environment Standard test method for determining anaerobic biodegradability of radiolabeUed plastic materials in a laboratory-scale simulated landfiU environment... 

ASTM D6776-02, Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradability of Radiolabeled Plastic Materials in a Laboratory-Scale Simulated Landfill Environment, American Society for Testing and Materials, PA, USA, 2002. (Withdrawn in 2011 ... 

Another category of dry, anaerobic biodegradation tests are landfill simulation tests. These tests have primarily been developed in the USA, where biologically active landfills represent a viable waste management option for the future. In Europe however, there is much less interest for biodegradation characteristics in landfills, especially after the adoption in 1999 of the EU landfill directive, which is phasing out the disposal of biodegradable materials in landfills. 

The initial species present, their relative concentrations, the induction of their enzymes, and their ability to acclimate once exposed to a chemical are likely to vary considerably, depending upon such environmental parameters as temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen concentration (aerobic or anaerobic), redox potential, concentration and nature of various substrates and nutrients, concentration of heavy metals (toxicity), and effects (synergistic and antagonistic) of associated microflora (Howard and Banerjee, 1984). Many of the parameters affect the biodegradation of chemicals in the environment as well as in biodegradation test systems used to simulate the environment. 

The D20.96 Committee of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) worked intensively on test methods for water-insoluble polymers and plastic materials [38,39]. Since 1993, five standards for biodegradation of plastic materials in various conditions have been published (Table 2), and other test methods with different environments are nearing completion [39], i.e., anaerobic high-solid digestor and anaerobic accelerated landfill to simulate the fate of a material during solid waste management. Other experimental methods need to be developed for freshwater and simulated marine conditions. 

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