Biodegradation of synthetic polymers in soils: Tracking carbon into CO2 and microbial biomass.
Sci Adv
; 4(7): eaas9024, 2018 07.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30050987
ABSTRACT
Plastic materials are widely used in agricultural applications to achieve food security for the growing world population. The use of biodegradable instead of nonbiodegradable polymers in single-use agricultural applications, including plastic mulching, promises to reduce plastic accumulation in the environment. We present a novel approach that allows tracking of carbon from biodegradable polymers into CO2 and microbial biomass. The approach is based on 13C-labeled polymers and on isotope-specific analytical methods, including nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). Our results unequivocally demonstrate the biodegradability of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), an important polyester used in agriculture, in soil. Carbon from each monomer unit of PBAT was used by soil microorganisms, including filamentous fungi, to gain energy and to form biomass. This work advances both our conceptual understanding of polymer biodegradation and the methodological capabilities to assess this process in natural and engineered environments.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Polymers
/
Soil Microbiology
/
Biodegradation, Environmental
/
Biomass
Language:
En
Journal:
Sci Adv
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Switzerland