ASTM_D_5526_-_12.pdf

Designation:D552612Standard Test Method forDetermining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic MaterialsUnder Accelerated Landfill Conditions1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5526;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.Scope1.1 This test method covers determination of the degree andrate of anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in anaccelerated-landfill test environment.This test method is alsodesigned to produce mixtures of household waste and plasticmaterials after different degrees of decomposition under con-ditions that resemble landfill conditions.The test materials aremixed with pretreated household waste and exposed to amethanogenic inoculum derived from anaerobic digesters op-erating only on pretreated household waste.The anaerobicdecomposition occurs under dry(more than 30%total solids)and static nonmixed conditions.The mixtures obtained afterthis test method can be used to assess the environmental andhealth risks of plastic materials that are degraded in a landfill.1.2 This test method is designed to yield a percentage ofconversion of carbon in the sample to carbon in the gaseousform under conditions that resemble landfill conditions.It ispossible that this test method will not simulate all conditionsfound in landfills,especially biologically inactive landfills.This test method more closely resembles those types oflandfills in which the gas generated is recovered or evenactively promoted,or both,for example,by inoculation(code-position of anaerobic sewage sludge and anaerobic leachaterecirculation),moisture control in the landfill(leachaterecirculation),and temperature control(short-term injection ofoxygen and heating of recirculated leachate)(1-7).21.3 This test method is designed to produce partially de-graded mixtures of municipal solid waste and plastics that canbe used to assess the ecotoxicological risks associated with theanaerobic degradation of plastics after various stages of an-aerobic biodegradation in a landfill.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.Furthermore,results shall not be extrapolated past the actual duration of thetest.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.Specific hazardsstatements are given in Section 8.NOTE1There is no known ISO equivalent to this standard.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:3D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for TestingD883 Terminology Relating to PlasticsD1293 Test Methods for pH of WaterD1888 Methods Of Test for Particulate and Dissolved Matterin Water(Withdrawn 1989)4D2908 Practice for Measuring Volatile Organic Matter inWater by Aqueous-Injection Gas ChromatographyD3590 Test Methods for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen in WaterD4129 Test Method for Total and Organic Carbon in Waterby High Temperature Oxidation and by CoulometricDetectionE260 Practice for Packed Column Gas ChromatographyE355 Practice for Gas Chromatography Terms and Relation-ships2.2 APHA-AWWA-WPCF Standards:52540D Total Suspended Solids Dried at 103105C2540E Fixed and Volatile Solids Ignited at 550C1This 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 1994.Last previous edition approved in 2011 as D5526 94(2011)1.DOI:10.1520/D5526-12.2The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end ofthis standard.3For 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.4The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced onwww.astm.org.5Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater,20thed.,1999,available from American Public Health Association,800 I Street,NW,Washington,D.C.20001-3710,or http:/www.standardmethods.org.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 212 Nitrogen Ammonia3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of terms used in this testmethod see Te