Degradation of PVC rPLA Thick Films in Soil Burial Experiment

• Published in: IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 52029 - 52034
• Main Authors: Nowak, Bo ena, Rusinowski, Szymon, Chmielnicki, Blazej, Kami ska-Bach, Gra yna, Bortel, Krzysztof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.10.2016
• Subjects: Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Biosurfactants; Biotransformation; Environmental degradation; Gardens & gardening; Hydrocarbons; Hydrophobicity; Microflora; Microorganisms; Morphology; Polylactic acid; Polymer films; Polymers; Polyvinyl chloride; Sediment pollution; Soil conditions; Soil contamination; Soil microorganisms; Soil mixtures; Soil pollution; Soils; Surfactants; Tensile strength; Thick films; Vinyl chloride; Weight loss
• ISSN: 1755-1307; 1755-1315
• DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/44/5/052029

Some of the biodegradable polymers can be blended with a synthetic polymer to facilitate their biodegradation in the environment. The objective of the study was to investigate the biodegradation of thick films of poly(vinyl chloride) recycled polylactide (PVC rPLA). The experiments were carried out in the garden soil or in the mixture of garden soil and hydrocarbon-contaminated soil under laboratory conditions. Since it is widely accepted that the biosurfactants secreted by microorganisms enable biotransformation of various hydrophobic substances in the environment, it was assumed that the use of contaminated soil, rich in biosurfactant producing bacteria, may accelerate biodegradation of plastics. After the experimental period, the more noticeable weight loss of polymer films was observed after incubation in the garden soil. However, more pronounced changes in the film surface morphology and chemical structure as well as decrease of tensile strength were observed after incubation of films in the mixture of garden and contaminated soil. It turned out that as a result of competition between two distinct groups of microorganisms present in the mixture of garden and hydrocarbon-contaminated soils the number of microorganisms and their activity were lower than the activity of indigenous microflora of garden soil as well as the amount of secreted biosurfactants towards plastics.