A.I.S.E.  is proud to support and contribute to the advancement of biodegradability science for key ingredients used in the detergents industry. The A.I.S.E. Polymer Biodegradation Taskforce has published the first phase of its work in a scientific publication in Science of the Total Environment (Volume 901, 25 November 2023, 166339).  At the 34th annual meeting organised by Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), taking place in Seville Spain from 6-13 May, this work is being showcased and includes the following posters: 

• Biodegradability of water-soluble & water-dispersible polymers - A.I.S.E. SETAC 2024 poster_Battagliarin et al
• Prolonged test duration for testing the biodegradability of polymers_ A.I.S.E. SETAC poster Bergheim et al 

A multi-laboratory evaluation of polymer biodegradation assessments, using standard and modified respirometry methods based on the OECD 301 Test Guideline on Ready Biodegradation, produced highly reproducible results and confirmed the viability of OECD 301 as a screening method for the subset of polymers tested. 

Further research is needed to represent the large chemical domain of polymers, and to identify slowly degrading polymeric reference materials to provide a better assessment of inoculum performance over longer test durations.  Work continues to develop modifications / refinements to tests and promote these for official recognition, and to build a body of data that can be provided to inform regulators drafting guidelines for polymer persistence assessments.