According to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, the researchers analyzed 3 types of bags: a biodegradable bag made from plant starch, a recycled plastic bag, and a traditional plastic bag.
They exposed it to sunlight to decompose, then they also turned it into fertilizer and tested the toxicity of the resulting compound.
The biodegradable bags produced a high level of toxicity, damaging the fish cells that were used in the experiment as a measure of toxicity.
“We were surprised that cells exposed to conventional plastic bags showed no trace of toxicity, while we found this in the biodegradable ones, which resulted in decreased cell viability,” said Senta Bort, lead author of the study.
“In addition, recycled plastic bags also showed higher levels of toxicity than traditional bags,” he added.
“The observed toxicity may be derived from the additives used during processing and from the fractions of biodegradable plastics produced during the composting process,” said Amparo Lopez Rubio, co-author. “It is necessary to thoroughly investigate the migration and environmental toxicity of these new materials and establish a good regulatory framework.” “Based on scientific evidence, to ensure its safety before it reaches the market.”
The specific chemical compounds added to these biodegradable bags could not be identified in the study, as many of the additives are protected by patents, the authors said.
But they are more likely to be plasticizers, which are compounds added to plastic to make it more flexible.
The researchers concluded that this work demonstrates the higher toxicity of recycled plastics and biodegradable plastics compared to conventional plastic extracts.
Last year, researchers in Manchester reported that biodegradable bags have nearly twice the global warming effect of traditional plastic, and four times that of paper.
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