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Vol. 37 No. 10 (2025): Vol 37 Issue 10, 2025

Copyright (c) 2025 Divyanshi Mishra, Indu Saxena, Aditya Gupta, Preeti Yadav

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Soil Properties as Key Determinants for the Biodegradation Kinetics of Polymer Blends in Indian Agroecosystems

https://doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2025.34390
Divyanshi Mishra
Department of Chemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6518-6523
Indu Saxena
Department of Chemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5767-2401
Aditya Gupta
Department of Chemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5736-8098
Preeti Yadav
Department of Chemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9154-380X

Corresponding Author(s) : Indu Saxena

indu_lu@yahoo.com

Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 37 No. 10 (2025): Vol 37 Issue 10, 2025

Abstract

The growing worldwide plastic pollution challenge needs the development of biodegradable polymers as potential alternatives. The present research the soil biodegradation behaviour of four polymer blends viz. PVA/starch, PAM/starch, PEG/HPMC and PVP/HPMC in three different Indian soil types: nutrient-rich alluvial soil (Gomti river, Lucknow), clay-rich black cotton soil (Bhopal) and nutrient-deficient mountainous soil (Kasar Devi, Almora). The PVA/starch blend exhibited the highest degradation over 28 days, with a 72% weight loss in Gomti soil, likely due to hydrophilicity of PVA and the high microbial accessibility of starch. PVP/HPMC, on the other hand, showed only minor degradation (18-35%) due to the chemical inertness of PVP. Degradation rates were found to be significantly influenced by porosity, nutrient content (Fe, Mg and K) and microbial activity, according to soil characterization using FE-SEM and EDX. The acidic pH (6.3) and compact structure of Kasar Devi soil hindered degradation, whereas the alkaline pH (7.8) and high porosity of Gomti soil facilitated favourable conditions for microbial colonization. In a range of agroclimatic zones, the present findings highlight the significance of customizing biodegradable polymers to local soil conditions, providing useful information for green packaging and agricultural films.

Keywords

Biodegradable polymers Polymeric blends Soil biodegradation Green packaging
(1)
Mishra, D.; Saxena, I.; Gupta, A.; Yadav, P. Soil Properties As Key Determinants for the Biodegradation Kinetics of Polymer Blends in Indian Agroecosystems. ajc 2025, 37, 2477-2486.
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