Plastic pollution presents a growing concern, and various solutions have been proposed to address it. One such solution involves the development of new plastics that match the properties of traditional polymers while exhibiting enhanced biodegradability when disposed of in a suitable environment. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biobased, compostable polymer known for its low environmental impact and ability to break down into harmless components within a specified timeframe. However, its degradation in industrial composting facilities poses challenges, and it cannot degrade in home composting. In this study, we investigated the biodegradability of PLA within a biostimulated compost matrix at mesophilic conditions (37 °C) over 180 days. The compost environment was enhanced with Fe₃O₄ nanopowder, skim milk, gelatin, and ethyl lactate, individually and in combination, to target different stages of the PLA biodegradation process. We monitored key indicators, CO₂ evolution, number average molecular weight, and crystallinity, to assess the impact of the various biostimulants and iron. The results demonstrated that the most effective treatment for degrading PLA at mesophilic conditions was adding gelatin and Fe₃O₄. Gelatin accelerated PLA biodegradation by 25%, Fe₃O₄ by 17%, and a combination of gelatin and Fe₃O₄ by 30%. The effect of skim milk and ethyl lactate is also reported. This research introduces novel pathways to enhance PLA biodegradation in home composting scenarios, offering promising solutions to address the plastic pollution challenge.

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加速：生物刺激剂和铁对中温条件下聚乳酸生物降解的双重作用

塑料污染日益引起人们的关注，人们提出了各种解决方案来解决这个问题。其中一种解决方案涉及开发与传统聚合物特性相匹配的新型塑料，同时在合适的环境中处理时表现出增强的生物降解性。聚乳酸 (PLA) 是一种生物基可堆肥聚合物，以其对环境影响低且能够在指定时间内分解成无害成分而闻名。然而，它在工业堆肥设施中的降解带来了挑战，并且它不能在家庭堆肥中降解。在这项研究中，我们研究了 PLA 在生物刺激堆肥基质中在中温条件 (37 °C) 下 180 天的生物降解性。使用 Fe ₃ O ₄纳米粉末、脱脂牛奶、明胶和乳酸乙酯单独或组合增强堆肥环境，以针对 PLA 生物降解过程的不同阶段。我们监测了关键指标、CO ₂释放、数均分子量和结晶度，以评估各种生物刺激剂和铁的影响。结果表明，在中温条件下降解PLA最有效的处理方法是添加明胶和Fe ₃ O ₄。明胶加速PLA生物降解25%，Fe ₃ O _{4加速17%，明胶和Fe 3} O ₄的组合加速30%。脱脂奶和乳酸乙酯的作用也有报道。这项研究介绍了在家庭堆肥场景中增强 PLA 生物降解的新途径，为应对塑料污染挑战提供了有前途的解决方案。