Biogeosciences
Biogeosciences
BG
Articles | Volume 20, issue 19
Articles | Volume 20, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4213-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4213-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 20, issue 19
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
13 Oct 2023
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 13 Oct 2023

Soil-biodegradable plastic films do not decompose in a lake sediment over 9 months of incubation

Sigrid van Grinsven and Carsten Schubert

Viewed

Total article views: 1,466 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
1,134 253 79 1,466 89 53 54
  • HTML: 1,134
  • PDF: 253
  • XML: 79
  • Total: 1,466
  • Supplement: 89
  • BibTeX: 53
  • EndNote: 54
Views and downloads (calculated since 04 Apr 2023)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 04 Apr 2023)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 1,466 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 1,548 with geography defined and -82 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Latest update: 13 Dec 2024
Download
Co-editor-in-chief
The findings of this study are interesting to a broader audience as it demonstrates that supposedly biodegradable mulch films used for agricultural purposes remain unchanged in lake sediments over several months. The results indicate that lake sediments are a place of long-term storage rather than a place of degradation for this form of plastic.
Read more
Short summary
Agriculture relies heavily on plastic mulch films, which may be transported to aquatic environments. We investigated the breakdown of soil-biodegradable agricultural mulch films in lake sediments. After 40 weeks, films were intact, and no significant CO2 or CH4 was produced from the biodegradable mulch films. We conclude that the mulch films we used have a low biodegradability in lake sediments. The sediment lacks the microbes needed to break down the biodegradable plastics that were used here.
Read more
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint