BIOdegradable plastics in soil environment: Formation and accumulation risks of MICROplatics (BIO-MICRO)

Although biodegradable plastics are widely viewed as a promising solution to address the global issue of plastic pollution, their biodegradability doesn´t necessarily ensure that they will not have negative environmental impacts.

On the contrary, their biodegradability can accelerate the fragmentation process, leading to faster microplastic formation than traditional persistent plastics.

As the trend towards replacing non-degradable plastic products with biodegradable ones intensifies, it´s crucial to understand the potential risks associated with the formation and accumulation of microplastics from these products.

This project aims at a fundamental understanding of the risks and mechanisms for microplastic formation during the biodegradation of plastics in the soil and how these depend on pre-weathering, material formulation and properties, and environmental factors by using biodegradable plastic mulches as an example.

Besides, the accumulation risks/persistence of the formed biodegradable microplastics will be studied.

Biodegradation tests will be conducted under well-controlled conditions in the lab as well as under real soil conditions in farmland.

The outcome of this project would significantly contribute to our understanding of the risks, emissions, formation mechanisms, and persistence of microplastics from biodegradable plastics and their blends, and to regulating their use, application, and waste handling to reduce microplastic pollution for a more sustainable world.