Biodegradation of Polymers (Bioassimilation, Biomineralization, Biodisintegration, Compost), Overview

Abstract

According to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) definition [1], biodegradation means degradation caused by enzymatic process resulting from the action of cells, but excludes abiotic enzymatic processes. Abiotic enzymatic processes mean in vitro enzymatic processes that cannot be reproduced in vivo or in the environment because of a lack of proper enzyme(s) in situ (or simply a lack of water). In addition, even if cell mediated, only the chemical modification without main chain scission is not included in this definition. In other words, biodegradation has to satisfy requirements that the main chain must be scissored by living microorganisms in the ordinary ecosystems, composting, activated sludge, methanogenic digester, etc., via their metabolic processes to utilize polymers as digestible nutrients. Briefly, biodegradation is living cell-mediated decomposition of poly ...