Abstract
In this study several recently developed or modified tests for assessing biodegradability of water insoluble polymers in the aquatic environments are described and compared. By modifying the traditional single-phase closed bottle B.O.D. test, lower deviations and a higher rate of oxygen demand were obtained. Biological oxygen demands in the two-phase (semi-) closed bottle B.O.D. test correlated well with carbon conversion to inorganic gases under both, aerobic (modified Sturm test), and anaerobic circumstances (anaerobic digester test). The test methods presented in this report can be used to assess the extent and rate of biodegradation of a vast range of synthetic and natural insoluble polymers, varying from persistent (non-biodegradable) polyethylenes and slowly degradable modified starch materials, to fully biodegradable natural polymers of plant origin.
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