Biodegradable polymers biochemical oxygen demand

To quantitatively assess the degree of biodegradation, analytical techniques are needed for all of the reactants and products the polymer oxv gen uptake, known as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and the residue. The more rigorous the analysis, the more reliable the measurement of the extent of biodegradation, and, of course the acceptability of the data and the conclusions drawn therefrom. For total biodegradation, there should be no residue remaining in the environment. 

The extent of biodegradation is usually measured using respirometric methods, which detect CO2 evolution. Other parameters to assess are the rate of MW loss, the loss of polymer physical properties (e.g., tensile strength per ASTM standard D3826-98 [5]), the rate of increase of the microbial culture colony size in contact with the material, O2 uptake (e.g., biochemical oxygen demand) and radioactive tracer techniques that use labelling. 

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