| 摘要: | Due to the effects of plastic Pollution on the environment and Human health, the Belizean Government in 2018 announced the start of phasing out the usage of single use plastics and Styrofoam. However, various plastics materials have begun to be imported and advertised to be biodegradable or compostable. Words such as “degradable”, “eco”, “oxo-biodegradable”, “biological”, “compostable” and “green” are used to describe and endorse different plastics. These products include conventional plastics amended with additives that are meant to enhance their biodegradability, bio-based plastics and natural fiber compounds.
However, there has been little research on the extent to which these materials truly degrade and/ or biodegrade. ASTM D5988 was chosen to analyse and test the biodegrability of these plastics in soil conditions at room temperature. However, as the risk of climate change increases our temperature and individuals looks for new ways to harness energy from waste. The analysis of biodegrability at a higher temperature of these plastics (45ºC) were also conducted.
Three plastic samples of Polystyrene (PS), Polypropylene (PP), High-density polyethylene (HDPE) derivatives were source locally from Belize. These plastic samples were immerse in soil and incubated in an air tight container in which the production of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) was calculated through titration. As the CO2 release from the plastic it would react with Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) in the container and subsequently decreasing the KOH concentration. The decrease in concentration can be used to calculate CO2 production per sample.
A moderate positive relationship was found between the increase of temperature and the increase of biodegradability. Polystyrene (PS) and Polypropylene (PP) adequately biodegraded in respect to the Positive sample during at room temperature. HDPE demonstrated the ability to biodegrade but not to the extent of the Positive Sample.
;Due to the effects of plastic Pollution on the environment and Human health, the Belizean Government in 2018 announced the start of phasing out the usage of single use plastics and Styrofoam. However, various plastics materials have begun to be imported and advertised to be biodegradable or compostable. Words such as “degradable”, “eco”, “oxo-biodegradable”, “biological”, “compostable” and “green” are used to describe and endorse different plastics. These products include conventional plastics amended with additives that are meant to enhance their biodegradability, bio-based plastics and natural fiber compounds.
However, there has been little research on the extent to which these materials truly degrade and/ or biodegrade. ASTM D5988 was chosen to analyse and test the biodegrability of these plastics in soil conditions at room temperature. However, as the risk of climate change increases our temperature and individuals looks for new ways to harness energy from waste. The analysis of biodegrability at a higher temperature of these plastics (45ºC) were also conducted.
Three plastic samples of Polystyrene (PS), Polypropylene (PP), High-density polyethylene (HDPE) derivatives were source locally from Belize. These plastic samples were immerse in soil and incubated in an air tight container in which the production of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) was calculated through titration. As the CO2 release from the plastic it would react with Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) in the container and subsequently decreasing the KOH concentration. The decrease in concentration can be used to calculate CO2 production per sample.
A moderate positive relationship was found between the increase of temperature and the increase of biodegradability. Polystyrene (PS) and Polypropylene (PP) adequately biodegraded in respect to the Positive sample during at room temperature. HDPE demonstrated the ability to biodegrade but not to the extent of the Positive Sample. |
