ISO 14853:2016 defines a method for evaluating the ultimate anaerobic biodegradability of plastics in an aqueous system by anaerobic microorganisms. In this method, a test material with desired concentration organic carbon is incubated at mesophilic condition in sealed flasks together with the pre-treated digested sludge for a period normally not exceeding 60 days.

The amount of microbiologically produced biogas carbon is calculated from the net biogas production and the net inorganic carbon (IC) formation in excess of blank values. The percentage biodegradation is calculated from the total amount of carbon transformed to biogas and IC and the measured or calculated amount of carbon added as test material. 

BPC Blue is a fully automated biodegradability testing system suitable for ISO 14853. It allows for continuous and on-line monitoring of released biogas (CH₄ and CO₂) and is a fully integrated and automated system for sampling, analysing, recording, and generating reports. BPC Blue is the perfect analytical tool that offers standardised measurement procedures, data interpretations and reports.