Table 1.
Biodegradation summary.
| Compost + test material | Biodegradability test (25 °C) after 97 days | Biodegradability test (58 °C) after 98 days | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative O2 consumed (mg) | O2 consumption rate (mg/d) | Mineralization (%) | Cumulative CO2 evolved (mg) | CO2 respired rate (mg/d) | Mineralization (%) | |
| Blank compost (Background) | 2194 ± 3 | 22.62 ± 0.03 | – | 44,771 ± 2387 | 457 ± 24 | – |
| Polyethylene (Negative control) | nd | nd | nd | 47,864 ± 4455 | 488 ± 45 | 0 |
| Cellulose (Positive control) | 8835 ± 23 | 91.08 ± 0.23 | 71.2 ± 0.2 | 76,454 ± 1400 | 780 ± 14 | 98 ± 6 |
| Sepia Melanin | 2759 ± 156 | 28.44 ± 1.61 | 4.1 ± 0.7 | 60,099 ± 9385 | 613 ± 96 | 37 ± 17 |
| Copper (II) phthalocyanine | nd | nd | nd | 39,190 ± 885 | 400 ± 9 | 0 |
| Polyphenylene sulfide | nd | nd | nd | 46,833 ± 4468 | 478 ± 46 | 0 |
Respiration rates under mesophilic (25 °C) and thermophilic (58 °C) conditions for various combinations of compost and test material (bio-sourced and synthetic) buried in 100 g and 250 g of compost, respectively. (–) Not applicable; (nd) not determined.