Biodegradation Behaviour of Polymers in the Soil

The current development status of bioassays for compost and soil samples does not allow differentiation between the effects in the range below 10%. More research will be needed to fully discover the complex chemical reactions involved in the biodegradation process of artificial polymers. In the meanwhile, the material producers should pay substantial attention to the environmental behaviour of their products. The goal is to avoid any appearance of negative effects in the environment caused by a practical application on a large scale. 

The routine chemical analysis for the quality control of compost and soil will not be suitable to detect (unknown) metabolites which are harmful to the environment. Bioassays will be necessary to supplement other analyses and to complete the information about the environmental behaviour of biodegradable polymers. This requirement is already expressed in the inclusion of mandatory bioassays in the relevant standards for compostable products. 

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