SIST EN ISO 22404:2022

Plastics - Determination of the aerobic biodegradation of non-floating materials exposed to marine sediment - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide (ISO 22404:2019)

This document specifies a laboratory test method to determine the degree and rate of aerobic biodegradation level of plastic materials. This test method can also be applied to other materials.
Biodegradation is determined by measuring the CO2 evolved by the plastic material when exposed to marine sediments sampled from a sandy tidal zone and kept wet with salt-water under laboratory conditions.
This test method is a simulation under laboratory conditions of the habitat found in sandy tidal zone that, in marine science, is called eulittoral zone.
The conditions described in this document might not always correspond to the optimum conditions for the maximum degree of biodegradation to occur.
Deviations from the test conditions described in this document are justified in the test report.

Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des aeroben Bioabbaus von nicht-schwimmenden Materialien, die marinem Sediment ausgesetzt sind - Verfahren mittels Analyse des freigesetzten Kohlenstoffdioxids (ISO 22404:2019)

Dieses Dokument legt ein Laborprüfverfahren für die Bestimmung des Grads und der Geschindigkeit des aeroben Bioabbaus von Kunststoffmaterialien fest. Dieses Prüfverfahren kann darüber hinaus auch auf andere Materialien angewendet werden.
Bioabbau wird durch die Messung des durch das Kunststoffmaterial erzeugten CO2 bestimmt, wenn das Material Meeressediment ausgesetzt war, das einer sandigen Gezeitenzone entnommen und mit Salzwasser unter Laborbedingungen aufbewahrt wurde.
Dieses Prüfverfahren ist eine Simulation unter Laborbedingungen des in der sandigen Gezeitenzone ange¬troffenen Habitats, das in der Meereswissenschaft als eulitorale Zone bezeichnet wird.
Die in diesem Dokument beschriebenen Bedingungen entsprechen möglicherweise nicht immer den Optimal¬bedingungen, unter denen der höchste Grad an biologischem Abbau möglich ist.
Abweichungen von den in diesem Dokument beschriebenen Prüfbedingungen werden in dem Prüfbericht begründet.

Plastiques - Détermination de la biodégradation aérobie des matériaux non flottants exposés aux sédiments marins - Méthode par analyse du dioxyde de carbone libéré (ISO 22404:2019)

Le présent document spécifie une méthode d’essai en laboratoire permettant de déterminer le taux et le niveau de biodégradation aérobie des matériaux plastiques. Cette méthode d’essai peut également être appliquée à d’autres matériaux.
La biodégradation est déterminée en mesurant le CO2 libéré par le matériau plastique lorsqu’il est exposé à des sédiments marins prélevés dans une zone tidale sableuse et maintenus humides dans de l’eau salée, dans des conditions de laboratoire.
Cette méthode d’essai est une simulation, dans des conditions de laboratoire, de l’habitat présent dans la zone tidale sableuse, connue sous le nom de «zone eulittorale» en sciences marines.
Les conditions décrites dans le présent document ne correspondent pas nécessairement aux conditions optimales permettant d’obtenir le taux maximal de biodégradation.
Les écarts par rapport aux conditions d’essai décrites dans le présent document sont justifiés dans le rapport d’essai.

Polimerni materiali - Določanje aerobne biorazgradljivosti neplavajočih materialov, izpostavljenih morskim sedimentom - Metoda z analizo sproščenega ogljikovega dioksida (ISO 22404:2019)

Ta dokument določa laboratorijsko preskusno metodo za določevanje stopnje in hitrosti aerobne biorazgradnje polimernih materialov. To preskusno metodo je mogoče uporabiti tudi za druge materiale.
Biorazgradljivost se določi z merjenjem CO2, ki se sprošča iz polimernega materiala ob izpostavljenosti morskim sedimentom, vzorčenim iz peščenega območja plimovanja in vlaženim s slano vodo pod laboratorijskimi pogoji.
Ta preskusna metoda je simulacija habitata v peščenem območju plimovanja, ki se v morski znanosti imenuje eulitoralno območje, pod laboratorijskimi pogoji.
Pogoji, ki so opisani v tem dokumentu, morda niso vedno enaki idealnim pogojem, pri katerih pride do največje stopnje biorazgradnje.
Odstopanja od preskusnih pogojev, opisanih v tem dokumentu, so utemeljena v poročilu o preskusu.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 30-Sep-2021
• Publication Date: 24-Nov-2021
• ICS: 13.020.40 - Pollution, pollution control and conservation
• ICS: 83.080.01 - Plastics in general
• Technical Committee: IPMA - Polimer materials and products
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 17-Nov-2021
• Due Date: 22-Jan-2022
• Completion Date: 25-Nov-2021
• Ref Project: EN ISO 22404:2021 - Plastics - Determination of the aerobic biodegradation of non-floating materials exposed to marine sediment - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide (ISO 22404:2019)

Overview

EN ISO 22404:2021 (identical to ISO 22404:2019) specifies a laboratory test method for determining the aerobic biodegradation of non‑floating plastics exposed to marine sediment by analyzing the carbon dioxide (CO2) evolved. The method simulates the sandy tidal (eulittoral) zone by exposing test specimens to marine sediment kept wet with salt water and monitoring CO2 evolution as a quantitative measure of biodegradation. The standard can also be applied to other non‑floating materials.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test principle: Biodegradation is quantified from the amount of CO2 produced when the test material is biodegraded by the marine inoculum (sediment + seawater).
• Test environment: Uses sediment sampled from a sandy tidal zone (eulittoral) and controlled laboratory salt‑water conditions to simulate the natural habitat.
• Sample preparation: Refers to established sampling and specimen preparation methods (see ISO 10210 for sample prep guidance).
• Pre‑conditioning and inoculum handling: Includes pre‑conditioning of inoculum and controlled incubation before starting the measurement phase.
• CO2 measurement and calculations: Specifies procedures for measuring evolved CO2 and calculating biodegradation as a percentage of theoretical CO2 (ThCO2) based on total organic carbon (TOC) or molecular composition.
• Test validity and reporting: Defines validity criteria, data interpretation and the required content for the test report. Any deviations from the prescribed conditions must be justified and recorded.
• Scope limits: The laboratory simulation may not represent optimum field conditions for maximum biodegradation; results are specific to the tested conditions.

Applications and users

• Who uses it:
  • Test laboratories and conformity assessment bodies performing biodegradation testing
  • Plastics and polymer manufacturers assessing environmental behavior of materials intended for marine use
  • Product designers (e.g., fishing gear, aquaculture components) evaluating biodegradability risk
  • Environmental scientists studying material fate in coastal zones
  • Regulators and certification schemes requiring standardized biodegradation data
• Practical applications:
  • Quantitative evaluation of biodegradation rates and levels for non‑floating plastics in marine sediment
  • Comparative testing of material formulations and additives
  • Supporting environmental risk assessments and eco‑design decisions for marine applications
  • Generating reproducible laboratory evidence for claims about marine biodegradability

Related standards

• ISO 10210 - Plastics: Methods for preparation of samples for biodegradation testing of plastic materials (referenced for sample preparation).

Keywords: EN ISO 22404:2021, plastics biodegradation, marine sediment test, evolved CO2, aerobic biodegradation, non‑floating materials, eulittoral zone, laboratory biodegradation method.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2022
Polimerni materiali - Določanje aerobne biorazgradljivosti neplavajočih materialov,
izpostavljenih morskim sedimentom - Metoda z analizo sproščenega ogljikovega
dioksida (ISO 22404:2019)
Plastics - Determination of the aerobic biodegradation of non-floating materials exposed
to marine sediment - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide (ISO 22404:2019)
Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des aeroben Bioabbaus von nicht-schwimmenden Materialien,
die marinem Sediment ausgesetzt sind - Verfahren mittels Analyse des freigesetzten
Kohlenstoffdioxids (ISO 22404:2019)
Plastiques - Détermination de la biodégradation aérobie des matériaux non flottants
exposés aux sédiments marins - Méthode par analyse du dioxyde de carbone libéré
(ISO 22404:2019)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 22404:2021
ICS:
13.020.40 Onesnaževanje, nadzor nad Pollution, pollution control
onesnaževanjem in and conservation
ohranjanje
83.080.01 Polimerni materiali na Plastics in general
splošno
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 22404
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
November 2021
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 83.080.01
English Version
Plastics - Determination of the aerobic biodegradation of
non-floating materials exposed to marine sediment -
Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide (ISO
22404:2019)
Plastiques - Détermination de la biodégradation Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des aeroben Bioabbaus von
aérobie des matériaux non flottants exposés aux nicht-schwimmenden Materialien, die marinem
sédiments marins - Méthode par analyse du dioxyde de Sediment ausgesetzt sind - Verfahren mittels Analyse
carbone libéré (ISO 22404:2019) des freigesetzten Kohlenstoffdioxids (ISO 22404:2019)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 8 November 2021.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2021 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 22404:2021 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
The text of ISO 22404:2019 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61 "Plastics” of the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as EN ISO 22404:2021 by
Technical Committee CEN/TC 249 “Plastics” the secretariat of which is held by NBN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by May 2022, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by May 2022.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 22404:2019 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 22404:2021 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 22404
First edition
2019-09
Plastics — Determination of the
aerobic biodegradation of non-
floating materials exposed to marine
sediment — Method by analysis of
evolved carbon dioxide
Plastiques — Détermination de la biodégradation aérobie des
matériaux non flottants exposés aux sédiments marins — Méthode
par analyse du dioxyde de carbone libéré
Reference number
ISO 22404:2019(E)
©
ISO 2019
ISO 22404:2019(E)
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

ISO 22404:2019(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 2
5 Test environment . 2
6 Reagents . 2
7 Apparatus . 3
8 Procedure. 3
8.1 Test material . 3
8.2 Reference material . 4
8.3 Preparation of the sediment . 4
8.4 Test setup . 4
8.5 Pre-conditioning phase . 4
8.6 Start of the test . 5
8.7 Carbon dioxide measurement . 5
8.8 End of the test . 6
9 Calculation and expression of results . 6
9.1 Calculation . 6
9.1.1 Amount of CO produced . 6
9.1.2 Percentage of biodegradation. 8
9.2 Expression and interpretation of results . 8
10 Validity of results . 9
11 Test report . 9
Bibliography .10
ISO 22404:2019(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 14,
Environmental aspects.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

ISO 22404:2019(E)
Introduction
Products made with biodegradable plastics and other biodegradable materials are designed to
be recoverable by means of organic recycling in composting plants or in anaerobic digesters. The
uncontrolled dispersion of biodegradable plastics in natural environments is not desirable. The
biodegradability of products cannot be considered as an excuse to spread wastes that should be
recovered and recycled. However, test methods to measure rate and level of biodegradation in natural
environments (such as soil or the marine environment) are of interest in order to better characterize
the behaviour of plastics in these very particular environments. As a matter of fact, some plastics are
used in products that are applied in the sea (for example, fishing gear) and sometimes they can get lost
or put willingly in marine environment. The characterization of biodegradable plastic materials can be
enlarged by applying specific test methods that enable the quantitative assessment of biodegradation
of plastics exposed to marine sediment and seawater. In order to carry out a proper product design, it
is important to know whether a plastic material is inherently biodegradable when exposed to marine
inocula.
This document provides a test method for calculating and reporting biodegradation level obtained
under laboratory conditions using a marine inoculum. The marine inoculum is sediment sampled at the
tidal zone. The plastic material is exposed to this environmental matrix and biodegradation is followed
by measuring the evolved CO .
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 22404:2019(E)
Plastics — Determination of the aerobic biodegradation
of non-floating materials exposed to marine sediment —
Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
1 Scope
This document specifies a laboratory test method to determine the degree and rate of aerobic
biodegradation level of plastic materials. This test method can also be applied to other materials.
Biodegradation is determined by measuring the CO evolved by the plastic material when exposed
to marine sediments sampled from a sandy tidal zone and kept wet with salt-water under laboratory
conditions.
This test method is a simulation under laboratory conditions of the habitat found in sandy tidal zone
that, in marine science, is called eulittoral zone.
The conditions described in this document might not always correspond to the optimum conditions for
the maximum degree of biodegradation to occur.
Deviations from the test conditions described in this document are justified in the test report.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 10210, Plastics — Methods for the preparation of samples for biodegradation testing of plastic
materials
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https: //www .iso .org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
3.1
tidal zone
borderline between sea and land that extends from the high tide line, which is rarely inundated with
water, to the low tide line, which is typically always covered with water
Note 1 to entry: The tidal zone is frequently a sandy area that is kept constantly damp by the lapping of the waves.
Note 2 to entry: Stony and rocky shorelines also exist.
Note 3 to entry: They are also known as eulittoral zone, midlittoral zone, mediolittoral zone, intertidal zone,
foreshore.
ISO 22404:2019(E)
3.2
theoretical amount of evolved carbon dioxide
ThCO
maximum theoretical amount of carbon dioxide evolved after completely oxidising a chemical
compound, calculated from the molecular formula or from determination of total organic carbon (TOC)
(3.3) and expressed as milligrams of carbon dioxide evolved per milligram or gram of test compound
3.3
total organic carbon
TOC
amount of carbon bound in an organic compound
Note 1 to entry: Total organic carbon is expressed as milligrams of carbon per 100 milligrams of the compound.
3.4
dissolved organic carbon
DOC
part of the organic carbon in water which cannot be removed by specified phase separation methods,
-2
for example by centrifugation at 40 000 ms for 15 min or by membranes with pores of 0,2 µm to
0,45 µm diameter
3.5
pre-conditioning phase
pre-incubation of an inoculum under the conditions of the subsequent test in the absence of test material,
with the aim to consume potential organic matter present in excess that could disturb biodegradation
measurement and to improve the acclimatization of the microorganisms to the test conditions
4 Principle
This test method is based on the determination of the evolved carbon dioxide and derives from
ISO 19679. The testing medium is based on a sandy marine sediment laid in the bottom of a closed flask;
the sediment is kept wet with natural sea water. The test material is preferably in the form of a powder.
The carbon dioxide evolved during the microbial degradation is determined by a suitable anal
...