Analytical Methods for Monitoring Biodegradation Processes of Environmentally Degradable Polymers

This chapter presents an overview of the current knowledge on experimental methods for monitoring the biodegradability of polymeric materials. The focus is, in particular, on the biodegradation of materials under environmental conditions. Examples of in vivo degradation of polymers used in biomedical applications are not covered in detail but have been extensively reviewed elsewhere, e.g., [1 – 3] . Nevertheless, it is good to realize that the same principles of the methods for monitoring biodegradability of environmental polymers are also used for the evaluation of the degradation behavior of biomedical polymers. A number of different aspects of assessing the potential, the rate, and the degree of biodegradation of polymeric materials are discussed. The mechanisms of polymer degradation and erosion receive attention and factors affecting enzymatic and nonenzymatic degradation are briefl y addressed. Particular attention is given to the various ways for measuring biodegradation, including complete mineralization to gasses (such as carbon dioxide and methane), water, and possibly microbial biomass. Finally, some general conclusions are presented with respect to measuring biodegradability of polymeric materials.