Solutions Presentation
What is EcoPure?
- Organic Compounds: Proprietarily manufactured by Bio-Tec Environmental.
- Evidence of working in most major polymers except Fiberglass.
- Months-a few years to become fully biodegraded.
- Indefinite shelf life.
- FDA Approved for contact with food. OSHA Approved as Non-Hazardous.
Testing Facility
Electron Microprobe Lab
Institute of Meteoritics
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
Telephone: (505) 277-5430
Fax: (505) 277-3577
Biodegradation Testing for PVC
Conclusions
Obviously, microbial colonies are attached to the surface of the treated sample and no apparent colonies are on the untreated sample. The depressions around the colonies indicate that they are degrading the material. Since these changes are only occurring on the treated sample, they could only be the result of the additive used in treating the pvc. The additive is not present in the control sample, and it has therefore remained unaltered by microbial degradation.
Biodegradation Testing for EPS
Conclusions
The treated sample exhibits significant differences from the untreated control sample. Since these changes are only occurring on the treated sample, they must be the result of the additive used in treating the eps. The additive is not present in the control sample, and it has therefore remained unaltered by microbial degradation, despite the presence of microbes on the surface.
Biodegradation Testing for HIPS
Conclusions
The untreated sample exhibits very little degradation. Very small pits are present that may be the result of biodegradation, but the rate of degradation of this sample is very slow compared to the treated sample. Since major changes are only occurring on the treated sample, they could only be the result of the additive used in treating the HIPS. The additive is not present in the control sample, and it has therefore been only slightly (if at all) altered by microbial degradation.
Testing on LDPE
Conclusions
There are several readily apparent differences between the treated and untreated samples. Abundant polygonal ridges are present on the treated sample while only limited areas of raised ridges are available on the control sample. Likewise, pits and surface defects are widespread on the treated sample but are present to a much less extent on the control. The control sample surface is almost devoid of large-scale features except for occasional areas of parallel ridges. It is not certain how the ridges on either sample are, or if they are, related to the degradation of the plastic. Pits of all sizes and other surface features are exceedingly abundant across the treated plastic. Pits on the control sample, on the other hand, tend to be small, irregular-shapes and far less common. As a result, at similar magnifications between the two samples, the treated sample surface is far rougher and more degraded than the surface of the control sample.
The pits on the treated sample are probably related to microbial breakdown of the plastic, since they are often the same size as the bacteria. Pits such as these, the same shape and size as bacteria, are commonly observed on rock surfaces where bacteria attach to the surface and cause minute depressions to form in the rock under the bacteria from the release of organic acids by the microbes. Over time, the bacteria can become almost embedded as they dissolve the substrate. The curving pits, and certainly the micrometer-sized circular pits in the treated plastic may be explained by this mechanism. Although there are pits in the control sample, most are smaller than bacteria or are irregularly shaped, which would indicate that they are probably not the result of direct microbial dissolution.
Another, perhaps tentative, difference is found in the uncleaned sample surfaces. The microbial community on the untreated sample is made up of fewer types of microorganisms and appears to be dominated by the individual cocci. The treated sample appears to host a more diverse community. However, this conclusion is only qualitative and more rigorous tests beyond simple imaging would need to be conducted to determine if this is actually the case.
Testing on PET
Conclusions
There are significant differences between the treated and untreated samples in both cases. The treated bottle displays deep canyons and pits formed along the trend of surface scratches and shallow surface depressions that contain small deep pits. The untreated bottle, on the other hand, exhibits no pitting. Although scratches are present, they are mostly shallow; those with sharp edges exhibit no further alteration, such as rounding of the edges. Parallel scratches also tend to be the focus of alteration on the treated knife, where small pits and shallow depressions are found along the trend of the parallel scratches. There are no pits visible in the untreated knife. Likewise, the scratches present do not appear to have any effect on concentrating the amount of attached debris nor do they display any apparent except the scratch.
It appears that degradation of the treated samples is occurring both at the surface and at some depth into the surface. Evidence of surface degradation is present as irregular, shallow depressions that are abundant on the surface. Further evidence of surface alteration or degradation is the rounding of the edges of deep scratches. Degradation at depth is characterized by deep pits within shallow surface depressions and deep “canyons” that form along some scratches. Most of these features have the appearance of the initial stages of dissolution. When many materials are degraded by acid dissolution, for example, the dissolving action will occur first at sharp edges and corners, since these are areas where surface tension is greatest. Away from corners and edges, dissolution occurs with the formation of pits that grow generally deeper as they become wider. Both of these effects are similar to those observed in the treated samples; most of the dissolution features on the treated plastic samples tend to form along scratches or other surface defects where surface energy is high.
Bacteria and fungi are known to produce organic acids that can dissolve a number of materials, even rock. This could explain the dissolution that appears to have taken place on the treated samples. Certainly, there is an abundance of small round and rod-shaped features, present in the images, that are the right size for bacterial cells. Furthermore, the strongly attached clumps of surface debris are likely biofilm, which can sometimes resist even the strongest washing. Therefore, I would conclude that the degradation of the treated sample is mostly due to microbial action. In addition, the scratches and other defects on the surface provide a locus for microbial degradation to take place in both the treated bottle and knife. Although there is apparent biofilm and bacterial evidence present on the untreated samples, the fact that none of the dissolution features were seen on the untreated samples suggests that degradation is occurring much more slowly there, if at all.
EcoPure™ Conclusion
Fully Biodegradable Plastic Products look like normal plastic products and have the same properties of plastic until placed into the waste stream. Best of all these products are offered at comparable prices to regular plastic products, all without changing the shelf life.
