Location-dependent marine biodegradability of aliphatic polyesters under simulated seawater conditions

This project evaluates the location-dependent marine biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) using seawater from 12 coastal sites in Japan. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed on biofilms and seawater, including polyethylene (PE) as a non-biodegradable reference, to characterize plastisphere microbial communities under controlled laboratory conditions.