Long-term immersion of compostable plastics in marine aquarium: Microbial biofilm evolution and polymer degradation

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Alice Delacuvellerie
  • Axelle Brusselman
  • Valentine Cyriaque
  • Samira Benali
  • Sébastien Moins
  • Jean Marie Raquez
  • Sylvie Gobert
  • Ruddy Wattiez

The best-selling compostable plastics, polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT), can accidentally end up in the marine environment due to plastic waste mismanagement. Their degradation and colonization by microbial communities are poorly documented in marine conditions. To better understand their degradation, as well as the dynamics of bacterial colonization after a long immersion time (99, 160, and 260 days), PBAT, semicrystalline, and amorphous PLA films were immersed in a marine aquarium. Sequencing and chemical analyses were used in parallel to characterize these samples. Despite the variation in the chemical intrinsic parameters of these plastics, their degradation remains very slow. Microbial community structure varied according to the immersion time with a high proportion of Archaea. Moreover, the plastisphere structure of PBAT was specific. A better understanding of compostable plastic degradability is crucial to evaluate their impact on ecosystems and to eco-design new recyclable plastics with optimal degradation properties.

Original languageEnglish
Article number114711
JournalMarine Pollution Bulletin
Volume189
Number of pages10
ISSN0025-326X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd

    Research areas

  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing, Microbial community, PBAT, PLA, Plastisphere

ID: 338524239