Biodegradability assessments of organic substances and polymers.

The biodegradation of organic substances is a natural yet poorly understood process. Given that biodegradation assessments form an integral part of chemical regulations to assess the persistent of substances this lack of knowledge needs to be addressed. Official references define the biodegradation process as "The biologically mediated degradation or transformation of chemicals usually carried out by microorganisms" (ECHA, 2012). The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) expand this definition to include the breakdown of a substance in vitro or in vivo as catalysed by enzymes (IUPAC, 1993).