Assessing the degradability of polymeric materials

The search for a truly degradable synthetic polymer has led to the creation of the Advisory Committee on Degradable Polymers at the American Institute for Testing and Materials/Institute for Standards Research. The committee oversees the testing of these synthetic polymers on three levels. The first level is on screening, the second, on the first level of confirmation and the third, on the second level of confirmation. The results of a field study on the biodegradability of 11 synthetic polymers are presented.