Bio-Based Teabag Soil Degradation Measurements in the UK

UK-based research provides measurements on the degradation of Polylactic acid (PLA)-cellulose teabags buried in soil for a 7-month period from November 2021 to June 2022. The dataset includes variables such as mass change, PLA mass change, crystallinity change, and pyrolysis GCMS data. This work was conducted as part of the BIO-PLASTIC-RISK project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.

Use Cases

• Analyze mass change and PLA mass change data to model degradation rates of bio-based materials in soil.
• Correlate crystallinity change measurements with pyrolysis GCMS data to understand polymer breakdown mechanisms.
• Compare degradation characteristics across different teabag types using the suite of measured variables from the 7-month burial experiment.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a defined 7-month burial period from November 2021 to June 2022.
• Includes multiple analytical measurements per sample, such as mass change and pyrolysis GCMS data.
• Dataset is part of a formal research project (BIO-PLASTIC-RISK) with specific grant funding identifiers.

Limitations

• Sample size and number of experimental replicates are not specified, limiting statistical power assessment.
• Geographic scope is limited to the UK, which may not represent soil degradation processes in other climates.
• The dataset's structure, including available columns and file organization within the ZIP, is not described.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Measurements calculated following a 7-month soil burial experiment.

Time Range

November 2021 to June 2022

Freshness

Metadata was last updated in March 2026, though the experimental data covers 2021-2022.

Geography

United Kingdom