Erkul Seyma Nur, Ucaroglu Selnur
Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa 16059, Turkey.
BUTEKOM Bursa Technology Coordination and R&D Center, Bursa 16245, Turkey.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Jan 28;17(3):352. doi: 10.3390/polym17030352.
In this study, the biodegradability of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), the most widely produced bioplastic, and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), known for its very biodegradability, was investigated in soil and soil amended with nitrogen sources, such as treatment sludge and vermicompost. Biodegradability was evaluated over 180 days by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide (CO) and analyzing samples with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). PLA showed a low biodegradation (6%) in soil, but this increased to 40% in soil amended with treatment sludge and 45% in soil amended with vermicompost. PHB completely degraded within 90 days in soil; however, this process extended to 120 days in soil amended with vermicompost and 150 days in soil amended with treatment sludge. The organic and microbial content of the amendments enhanced PLA biodegradation, while PHB degradation slowed after 50 days as microorganisms prioritized other organic matter. SEM and FTIR analyses after 60 days showed more intense degradation of both bioplastics in soil amended with vermicompost. These findings highlight the potential of treatment sludge and vermicompost for improving bioplastic degradation, contributing to sustainable waste management and soil enhancement.
在本研究中，对产量最高的生物塑料聚乳酸（PLA）以及以高生物降解性著称的聚3-羟基丁酸酯（PHB）在土壤和添加了氮源（如处理污泥和蚯蚓堆肥）的土壤中的生物降解性进行了研究。通过测量二氧化碳（CO₂）的量，并利用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）对样品进行分析，在180天内评估了生物降解性。PLA在土壤中的生物降解率较低（6%），但在添加处理污泥的土壤中这一比例增加到40%，在添加蚯蚓堆肥的土壤中为45%。PHB在土壤中90天内完全降解；然而，在添加蚯蚓堆肥的土壤中这个过程延长到120天，在添加处理污泥的土壤中延长到150天。添加物中的有机和微生物成分提高了PLA的生物降解性，而PHB在50天后降解减缓，因为微生物优先利用其他有机物质。60天后的SEM和FTIR分析表明，在添加蚯蚓堆肥的土壤中，两种生物塑料的降解更为剧烈。这些发现凸显了处理污泥和蚯蚓堆肥在改善生物塑料降解方面的潜力，有助于可持续的废物管理和土壤改良。
