Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Hamburger Allee 45, 60486, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2019 Jan 2;58(1):50-62. doi: 10.1002/anie.201805766. Epub 2018 Nov 11.
In recent years the littering of plastics and the problems related to their persistence in the environment have become a major focus in both research and the news. Biodegradable polymers like poly(lactic acid) are seen as a suitable alternative to commodity plastics. However, poly(lactic acid) is basically non-degradable in seawater. Similarly, the degradation rate of other biodegradable polymers also crucially depends on the environments they end up in, such as soil or marine water, or when used in biomedical devices. In this Minireview, we show that biodegradation tests carried out in artificial environments lack transferability to real conditions and, therefore, highlight the necessity of environmentally authentic and relevant field-testing conditions. In addition, we focus on ecotoxicological implications of biodegradable polymers. We also consider the social aspects and ask how biodegradable polymers influence consumer behavior and municipal waste management. Taken together, this study is intended as a contribution towards evaluating the potential of biodegradable polymers as alternative materials to commodity plastics.
近年来，塑料垃圾及其在环境中持久性相关问题已成为研究和新闻的焦点。可生物降解聚合物，如聚乳酸，被视为商品塑料的合适替代品。然而，聚乳酸在海水中基本不可降解。同样，其他可生物降解聚合物的降解速率也取决于它们最终所处的环境，例如土壤或海水，或者在生物医学设备中使用时的环境。在这篇综述中，我们表明在人工环境中进行的生物降解测试缺乏向真实条件的可转移性，因此强调了需要进行具有环境真实性和相关性的野外测试条件。此外，我们还关注可生物降解聚合物的生态毒理学影响。我们还考虑了社会方面的问题，并探讨了可生物降解聚合物如何影响消费者行为和城市废物管理。总的来说，这项研究旨在评估可生物降解聚合物作为商品塑料替代品的潜力。
