KAIST Uncovers Divergent Fates of Biodegradable Plastics and Identifies Potential Microbial Degraders in Landfill Leachate (IMAGE)
Caption
Figure 1. Conceptual illustration of the divergent fates of biodegradable plastics under landfill-derived anaerobic conditions.
This conceptual illustration summarizes the contrasting degradation behaviors of PHB, PLA, and PBAT observed during anaerobic incubation in landfill leachate at 35 °C.
PHB reached 99.9% mineralization within 17 days, whereas PLA degraded gradually over an extended period, reaching 83.6% after 320 days, alongside microbial biofilm formation on its surface. PBAT reached only 2.7% mineralization over the same period and largely persisted. The illustration conveys that plastics classified as biodegradable can exhibit very different outcomes depending on their properties and the microbial activity associated with their surfaces under the tested disposal-related conditions.
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KAIST
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