ASTM_D_5988_-_12.pdf

Designation:D598812Standard Test Method forDetermining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials inSoil1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5988;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope*1.1 This test method covers determination under laboratoryconditions of the degree and rate of aerobic biodegradation ofplastic materials,including formulation additives,in contactwith soil.1.2 This test method is designed to measure the biodegrad-ability of plastic materials relative to a reference material in anaerobic environment.1.3 This test method is designed to be applicable to allplastic materials that are not inhibitory to the bacteria and fungipresent in soil.1.4 Claims of performance shall be limited to the numericalresult obtained in the test and not be used for unqualified“biodegradable”claims.Reports shall clearly state the percent-age of net gaseous carbon generation for both the test andreference samples at the completion of the test.Results shallnot be extrapolated beyond the actual duration of the test.1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.A specific hazardstatement is given in Section 8.1.7 This ASTM test method is equivalent to ISO 17556.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D425 Test Method for Centrifuge Moisture Equivalent ofSoilsD618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for TestingD883 Terminology Relating to PlasticsD1193 Specification for Reagent WaterD1293 Test Methods for pH of WaterD2980 Test Method for Volume Mass,Moisture-HoldingCapacity,and Porocity of Saturated Peat MaterialsD2989 Test Method for Acidity-Alkalinity of HalogenatedOrganic Solvents and Their AdmixturesD4129 Test Method for Total and Organic Carbon in Waterby High Temperature Oxidation and by CoulometricDetectionD4972 Test Method for pH of SoilsD5338 Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegrada-tion of Plastic Materials Under Controlled CompostingConditions,Incorporating Thermophilic TemperaturesD5511 Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegrada-tion of Plastic Materials Under High-Solids Anaerobic-Digestion Conditions2.2 APHA-AWWA-WPCF Standards:32540 D Total Suspended Solids Dried at 103105C2540 G Total,Fixed,and Volatile Solids in Solids andSemi-Solid Samples2.3 ISO Standard:ISO 17556 PlasticsDetermination of the Ultimate AerobicBiodegradability of Plastic Materials in Soil by Measuringthe Oxygen Demand in a Respirometer or the Amount ofCarbon Dioxide Evolved3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsDefinitions of terms applicable to this testmethod appear in Terminology D883.4.Summary of Test Method4.1 The test method described consists of the selection ofplasticmaterialforthedeterminationofaerobicbiodegradability,obtaining soil as a matrix and source ofinoculum,exposing the plastic material to the soil,measuring1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on Plasticsand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.96 on EnvironmentallyDegradable Plastics and Biobased Products.Current edition approved May 1,2012.Published June 2012.Originallyapproved in 1996.Last previous edition approved in 2003 as D5988-03.DOI:10.1520/D5988-12.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater,17th Edition,1989,American Public Health Association(APHA),1015 Fifteenth Street NW,Washington,DC 20005.*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standardCopyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 the carbon dioxide evolved by the microorganisms as afunction of time,and assessing the degree of biodegradability.4.2 The CO2production measured for a material,expressedas a fraction of the measured or calculated carbon content,isreported with respect to time,from which the degree ofbiodegradability is assessed.4.3 Alternatively,it is possible to determine the consump-tion of oxygen,or biochemical oxygen demand(BOD),forexample,by measuring the amount of oxygen required tomaintain a constant gas volume in the respirometer flask,or bymeasuring the change in volume or pressure(or a combinationof the two)either automatically or manually.The level ofbiodegradation expressed in percent is determined by compar-ing the BOD with the theoretical ox