Polymer Biodegradation in Aquatic Environments: A Machine Learning Model Informed by Meta-Analysis of Structure-Biodegradation Relationships.

ABSTRACT: Polymers are widely produced and contribute significantly to environmental pollution due to their low recycling rates and persistence in natural environments. Biodegradable polymers, while promising for reducing environmental impact, account for less than 2% of total polymer production. To expand the availability of biodegradable polymers, research has explored structure-biodegradability relationships, yet most studies focus on specific polymers, necessitating further exploration across diverse polymers. This study addresses this gap by curating an extensive aerobic biodegradation data set of 74 polymers and 1779 data points drawn from both published literature and 28 sets of original experiments. We then conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of experimental conditions, polymer

SUBMITTER: Lin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11755772 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature