What is ISO 19679 about?
ISO 19679 is an international standard on determination of aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials which covers a method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide.
ISO 19679 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.
NOTE: The determination of biodegradation of plastic materials and other solid materials buried in marine sediment is not mentioned in ISO 19679.
NOTE: The conditions described in ISO 19679 do not always correspond to the optimum conditions for the maximum degree of biodegradation to occur.
Who is ISO 19679 for?
ISO 19679 on aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials is relevant to:
- Plastics manufacturing industries
- Chemical engineers
Why should you use ISO 19679?
Products made with biodegradable plastics are designed to be recovered by means of organic recycling in composting plants or in anaerobic digesters.
ISO 19679 provides the test methods to determine aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials. This test method is based on the determination of evolved CO2 and the testing medium is based on a solid phase and a liquid phase.
ISO 19679 provides the requirement regarding the apparatus and reagents used for the test procedure.
These test methods help you get measure rate and level of biodegradation in natural environments such as soil or the marine environment in order to better characterize the behaviour of plastics in these very particular environments.
