Biodegradation, standard criteria

One of the most important quality characteristics of advanced oxidation processes is their ability to reduce the toxicity of an industrial wastewater and to enhance its biodegradability (see Chapter 7.1.5). This criterion can be established by several standardized procedures using different test organisms ranging from microbes to intact animals (cf Tab. 5-1). An easy to perform variant is the bioluminescence assay that uses the inhibition of the bioluminescence intensity of the test organism Vibrio fischeri in the presence of toxic substrates. This is a bioassay used worldwide for the evaluation of toxicity data of individual chemicals or of industrial wastewaters (Froehner et al, 2000, DIN, 1991). Commercial systems are... 

Manufacturers and users of oxo-biodegradable polyolefins view with concern the development of standards for degradable polymers which demand a high level of mineralization as the primary criterion. This protocol was originally developed for hydro-biodegradable polymers, which will primarily end up in sewage. For these polymers and in this application, such test methods are entirely acceptable but they are totally inappropriate for compost, litter and agricultural applications. 

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