1.?Scope

1.1?This?test?method?covers?the?determination?of?the?degree?and?rate?of?anaerobic?biodegradation?of?plastic?materials?in?high-solids?anaerobic?conditions.?The?test?materials?are?exposed?to?a?methanogenic?inoculum?derived?from?anaerobic?digesters?operating?only?on?pretreated?household?waste.?The?anaerobic?decomposition?takes?place?under?high-solids?(more?than?30?%?total?solids)?and?static?non-mixed?conditions.

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?found?in?high-solids?anaerobic?digesters,?treating?municipal?solid?waste?(1,?2,?3,?4).?This?test?method?may?also?resemble?some?conditions?in?biologically?active?landfills?where?the?gas?generated?is?recovered?and?biogas?production?is?actively?promoted?by?inoculation?(for?example,?codeposition?of?anaerobic?sewage?sludge,?anaerobic?leachate?recirculation),?moisture?control?(for?example,?leachate?recirculation),?and?temperature?control?(for?example,?short-term?injection?of?oxygen,?heating?of?recirculated?leachate)?(5,?6,?7).

1.3?This?test?method?is?designed?to?be?applicable?to?all?plastic?materials?that?are?not?inhibitory?to?the?microorganisms?present?in?anaerobic?digesters?operating?on?household?waste.

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?given?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?and?health?practices?and?determine?the?applicability?of?regulatory?limitations?prior?to?use.?Specific?hazards?are?given?in?Section?8.?

Note?1—This?test?method?is?equivalent?to?ISO?15985.

2.?Referenced?Documents (purchase?separately) The?documents?listed?below?are?referenced?within?the?subject?standard?but?are?not?provided?as?part?of?the?standard.

ASTM?Standards

D618 Practice?for?Conditioning?Plastics?for?Testing

D883 Terminology?Relating?to?Plastics

D1293?Test?Methods?for?pH?of?Water

D1888?Methods?Of?Test?for?Particulate?and?Disso*ed?Matter?in?Water

D2908?Practice?for?Measuring?Volatile?Organic?Matter?in?Water?by?Aqueous-Injection?Gas?Chromatography

D3590?Test?Methods?for?Total?Kjeldahl?Nitrogen?in?Water

D4129?Test?Method?for?Total?and?Organic?Carbon?in?Water?by?High?Temperature?Oxidation?and?by?Coulometric?Detection

E260?Practice?for?Packed?Column?Gas?Chromatography

E355?Practice?for?Gas?Chromatography?Terms?and?Relationships

APHA-AWWA-WPCF?Standards

212?Nitrogen?Ammonia

ISO?Standard

ISO15985?PlasticsDetermination?of?the?ultimate?anaerobic?biodegradability?and?disintegration?under?high-solids?anaerobic-digestion?conditionsMethod?by?analysis?of?released?biogas.