ISO 22404:2019,Plastics — Determination of the aerobic biodegradation of non-floating materials exposed to marine sediment — Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide.
ISO 22404:2019 specifies a laboratory test method to determine the degree and rate of aerobic biodegradation level of plastic materials. This test method can also be applied to other materials.
Products made with biodegradable plastics and other biodegradable materials are designed to be recoverable by means of organic recycling in composting plants or in anaerobic digesters. The uncontrolled dispersion of biodegradable plastics in natural environments is not desirable. The biodegradability of products cannot be considered as an excuse to spread wastes that should be environments (such as soil or the marine environment) are of interest in order to better characterize the behaviour of plastics in these very particular environments. As a matter of fact, some plastics are used in products that are applied in the sea ( for example, fishing gear)and sometimes they can get lost or put willingly in marine environment. The characterization of biodegradable plastic materials can be enlarged by applying specific test methods that enable the quantitative assessment of biodegradation of plastics exposed to marine sediment and seawater. In order to carry out a proper product design, it important to know whether a plastic material is inherently biodegradable when exposed to marine inocula.
ISO 22404:2019 provides a test method for calculating and reporting biodegradation level obtained
er laboratory conditions using a marine inoculum. The marine inoculum is sediment sampled at the
tidal zone. The plastic material is exposed to this environmental matrix and biodegradation is followed by measuring the evolved CO2.
Normative references
ISO 10210, Plastics-Methods for the preparation of samples for biodegradation testing of plastic.