BS EN ISO 19679:2020 - Plastics Biodegradation Standard

The BS EN ISO 19679:2020 is a comprehensive standard that provides a detailed methodology for determining the aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sediment interface. This standard is crucial for industries and researchers focused on understanding the environmental impact of plastic materials, particularly in marine environments.

Overview

Released on July 9, 2020, this standard is a pivotal document for those involved in environmental science, marine biology, and materials engineering. It outlines a methodical approach to assess how non-floating plastics degrade when exposed to the unique conditions found at the interface of seawater and sediment. The method involves analyzing the carbon dioxide evolved during the biodegradation process, providing a quantitative measure of the degradation rate.

Key Features

• Standard Number: BS EN ISO 19679:2020
• Pages: 20
• ISBN: 978 0 539 05633 4
• Status: Standard

Importance of the Standard

With increasing global awareness of plastic pollution, especially in marine environments, the BS EN ISO 19679:2020 standard plays a critical role in guiding efforts to mitigate environmental damage. By providing a standardized method for testing biodegradation, it helps ensure consistency and reliability in research findings and industrial applications.

This standard is particularly important for:

• Environmental Researchers: It offers a reliable method to study the biodegradation of plastics, contributing to a better understanding of their environmental impact.
• Manufacturers: Companies producing plastic materials can use this standard to test and improve the biodegradability of their products, aligning with environmental regulations and consumer expectations.
• Policy Makers: The data obtained using this standard can inform policy decisions regarding plastic use and waste management.

Methodology

The BS EN ISO 19679:2020 standard describes a method that involves the analysis of carbon dioxide evolved during the biodegradation process. This approach is significant because it provides a direct measure of the biodegradation rate, which is essential for assessing the environmental impact of plastic materials.

The method is designed to simulate natural conditions as closely as possible, ensuring that the results are relevant to real-world scenarios. This involves maintaining specific conditions of temperature, salinity, and sediment composition, which are critical factors influencing the biodegradation process.

Applications

The applications of this standard are vast and varied, impacting several sectors:

• Marine Conservation: By understanding how plastics degrade in marine environments, conservation efforts can be better directed to protect marine life and ecosystems.
• Product Development: Companies can develop new materials that are more environmentally friendly, using the standard as a benchmark for biodegradability.
• Waste Management: Insights from the standard can lead to improved waste management practices, reducing the environmental footprint of plastic waste.

Conclusion

The BS EN ISO 19679:2020 standard is an essential tool for anyone involved in the study or management of plastic materials in marine environments. Its detailed methodology provides a reliable means of assessing the biodegradability of plastics, contributing to efforts to reduce plastic pollution and its impact on the environment.

By adhering to this standard, researchers, manufacturers, and policymakers can work together to create a more sustainable future, where the use of plastics is balanced with the need to protect our planet's precious marine ecosystems.

BS EN ISO 19679:2020

This standard BS EN ISO 19679:2020 Plastics. Determination of aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sediment interface. Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide is classified in these ICS categories:

• 83.080.01 Plastics in general

This document specifies a test method to determine the degree and rate of aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials when settled on marine sandy sediment at the interface between seawater and the seafloor, by measuring the evolved carbon dioxide (CO₂). This test method can also be applied to other solid materials.

This test method is a simulation under laboratory conditions of the habitat found in different seawater/sediment-areas in the sea, e.g. in a benthic zone where sunlight reaches the ocean floor (photic zone) that, in marine science, is called sublittoral zone

The determination of biodegradation of plastic materials and other solid materials buried in marine sediment is outside the scope of this document.

The conditions described in this document do not always correspond to the optimum conditions for the maximum degree of biodegradation to occur.