ASTM D5526-18
(Test Method)Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials Under Accelerated Landfill Conditions
Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials Under Accelerated Landfill Conditions
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Decomposition of a plastic within a landfill involves biological processes that will affect the decomposition of other materials enclosed by, or in close proximity to, the plastic. Rapid degradation of the plastic has the ability to increase the economic feasibility of landfill-gas recovery, minimize the duration of after-care of the landfill, and make possible the recovery of the volume reduction of the waste due to biodegradation during the active life of the landfill. This procedure has been developed to permit determination of the anaerobic biodegradability of plastic products when placed in biologically active environments simulating landfill conditions.
5.2 As degradation occurs inevitably in a landfill, it is of immediate concern that the plastic materials do not produce toxic metabolites or end products under the various conditions that have the potential to occur in a landfill. The mixtures remaining after completion of the test method, containing fully or partially degraded plastic materials or extracts, can be submitted subsequently to ecotoxicity testing in order to assess the environmental hazards posed by the breakdown of plastics to varying degrees in landfills. This test method has been designed to assess biodegradation under optimum and less-than-optimum conditions.
5.3 Limitations—Because a wide variation exists in the construction and operation of landfills, and because regulatory requirements for landfills vary greatly, this procedure is not intended to simulate the environment of all landfills. However, it is expected to closely resemble the environment of a biologically active landfill. More specifically, the procedure is intended to create a standard laboratory environment that permits rapid and reproducible determination of the anaerobic biodegradability under accelerated landfill conditions, while at the same time producing reproducible mixtures of fully and partially decomposed household waste with plastic materials for ecotoxicol...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers determination of the degree and rate of anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in an accelerated-landfill test environment. This test method is also designed to produce mixtures of household waste and plastic materials after different degrees of decomposition under conditions that resemble landfill conditions. The test materials are mixed with pretreated household waste and exposed to a methanogenic inoculum derived from anaerobic digesters operating only on pretreated household waste. The anaerobic decomposition occurs under dry (more than 30 % total solids) and static nonmixed conditions. The mixtures obtained after this test method can be used to assess the environmental and health risks of plastic materials that are degraded in a landfill.
1.2 This test method is designed to yield a percentage of conversion of carbon in the sample to carbon in the gaseous form under conditions that resemble landfill conditions. It is possible that this test method will not simulate all conditions found in landfills, especially biologically inactive landfills. This test method more closely resembles those types of landfills in which the gas generated is recovered or even actively promoted, or both, for example, by inoculation (codeposition of anaerobic sewage sludge and anaerobic leachate recirculation), moisture control in the landfill (leachate recirculation), and temperature control (short-term injection of oxygen and heating of recirculated leachate) (1-7).2
1.3 This test method is designed to produce partially degraded mixtures of municipal solid waste and plastics that can be used to assess the ecotoxicological risks associated with the anaerobic degradation of plastics after various stages of anaerobic biodegradation in a landfill.
1.4 Claims of performance shall be limited to the numerical result obtained in the test and not be used for unqualified “biodegradable” claims. Reports sha...
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This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation:D5526 −18
Standard Test Method for
Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials
1
Under Accelerated Landfill Conditions
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5526; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope “biodegradable”claims.Reportsshallclearlystatethepercent-
age of net gaseous carbon generation for both the test and
1.1 Thistestmethodcoversdeterminationofthedegreeand
reference samples at the completion of the test. Furthermore,
rate of anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in an
results shall not be extrapolated past the actual duration of the
accelerated-landfill test environment. This test method is also
test.
designed to produce mixtures of household waste and plastic
materials after different degrees of decomposition under con- 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
ditions that resemble landfill conditions. The test materials are standard.
mixed with pretreated household waste and exposed to a
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
methanogenic inoculum derived from anaerobic digesters op-
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
erating only on pretreated household waste. The anaerobic
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
decomposition occurs under dry (more than 30% total solids)
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
and static nonmixed conditions. The mixtures obtained after
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
this test method can be used to assess the environmental and
Specific hazards statements are given in Section 8.
health risks of plastic materials that are degraded in a landfill.
NOTE 1—There is no known ISO equivalent to this standard.
1.2 This test method is designed to yield a percentage of
1.7 This international standard was developed in accor-
conversion of carbon in the sample to carbon in the gaseous
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
form under conditions that resemble landfill conditions. It is
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
possible that this test method will not simulate all conditions
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
found in landfills, especially biologically inactive landfills.
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
This test method more closely resembles those types of
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
landfills in which the gas generated is recovered or even
actively promoted, or both, for example, by inoculation (code-
2. Referenced Documents
position of anaerobic sewage sludge and anaerobic leachate
3
2.1 ASTM Standards:
recirculation), moisture control in the landfill (leachate
D618Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
recirculation), and temperature control (short-term injection of
2 D883Terminology Relating to Plastics
oxygen and heating of recirculated leachate) (1-7).
D1293Test Methods for pH of Water
1.3 This test method is designed to produce partially de-
D1888MethodsOfTestforParticulateandDissolvedMatter
4
graded mixtures of municipal solid waste and plastics that can
in Water (Withdrawn 1989)
beusedtoassesstheecotoxicologicalrisksassociatedwiththe
D2908Practice for Measuring Volatile Organic Matter in
anaerobic degradation of plastics after various stages of an-
Water by Aqueous-Injection Gas Chromatography
aerobic biodegradation in a landfill.
D3590Test Methods for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen in Water
D4129Test Method for Total and Organic Carbon in Water
1.4 Claimsofperformanceshallbelimitedtothenumerical
result obtained in the test and not be used for unqualified by High Temperature Oxidation and by Coulometric
Detection
E260Practice for Packed Column Gas Chromatography
1
ThistestmethodisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeD20onPlastics
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.96 on Environmentally
3
Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved Sept. 15, 2018. Published October 2018. Originally contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
approved in 1994. Last previous edition approved in 2012 as D5526–12. DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/D5526-18. the ASTM website.
2 4
Theboldfacenumbersinparenthesesrefertothelistofr
...
This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: D5526 − 12 D5526 − 18
Standard Test Method for
Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials
1
Under Accelerated Landfill Conditions
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5526; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This test method covers determination of the degree and rate of anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in an
accelerated-landfill test environment. This test method is also designed to produce mixtures of household waste and plastic
materials after different degrees of decomposition under conditions that resemble landfill conditions. The test materials are mixed
with pretreated household waste and exposed to a methanogenic inoculum derived from anaerobic digesters operating only on
pretreated household waste. The anaerobic decomposition occurs under dry (more than 30 % total solids) and static nonmixed
conditions. The mixtures obtained after this test method can be used to assess the environmental and health risks of plastic
materials that are degraded in a landfill.
1.2 This test method is designed to yield a percentage of conversion of carbon in the sample to carbon in the gaseous form under
conditions that resemble landfill conditions. It is possible that this test method will not simulate all conditions found in landfills,
especially biologically inactive landfills. This test method more closely resembles those types of landfills in which the gas
generated is recovered or even actively promoted, or both, for example, by inoculation (codeposition of anaerobic sewage sludge
and anaerobic leachate recirculation), moisture control in the landfill (leachate recirculation), and temperature control (short-term
2
injection of oxygen and heating of recirculated leachate) (1-7).
1.3 This test method is designed to produce partially degraded mixtures of municipal solid waste and plastics that can be used
to assess the ecotoxicological risks associated with the anaerobic degradation of plastics after various stages of anaerobic
biodegradation in a landfill.
1.4 Claims of performance shall be limited to the numerical result obtained in the test and not be used for unqualified
“biodegradable” claims. Reports shall clearly state the percentage of net gaseous carbon generation for both the test and reference
samples at the completion of the test. Furthermore, results shall not be extrapolated past the actual duration of the test.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific hazards statements are given in Section 8.
NOTE 1—There is no known ISO equivalent to this standard.
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
3
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
D1293 Test Methods for pH of Water
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on Plastics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.96 on Environmentally Degradable
Plastics and Biobased Products.
Current edition approved May 1, 2012Sept. 15, 2018. Published June 2012October 2018. Originally approved in 1994. Last previous edition approved in 20112012 as
ε1
D5526 – 94D5526 – 12.(2011) . DOI: 10.1520/D5526-12.10.1520/D5526-18.
2
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end of this standard.
3
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United St
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