Due to the increased demand for plastics, its production is increasing and with it the plastic waste, that ends up in the environment. Plastics pose a hazard to terrestrial and aquatic organisms and can fragment into smaller particles, i. e. microplastics. To reduce the accumulation of plastic waste and generation of microplastics, the production of biodegradable plastics has been increased, as these can be degraded in the environment due to the action of microorganisms. Despite the introduction of biodegradable plastics on the market, there are not many studies on their degradation in the aquatic environment. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the degradation of microplastics from biodegradable plastic bags. The biodegradability in the aquatic environment was determined by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer. The results showed that microplastics from biodegradable bags degrade minimally. One bag showed a maximum biodegradability of 2 % and the other 1,2 %. No biodegradation was found for microplastics from polyethylene bags. The results suggest that the biodegradation of the treated biodegradable bags does not occur fast enough to prevent the accumulation of plastics in the aquatic environment in case of improper disposal.
|
