Are super absorbent polymers compatible to the environment?
Yes, they are. In-depth ecotoxicological testing has provided no evidence for significant adverse effects of super absorbent polymers to marker organisms in water or soil. Super absorbent polymers do not contaminate plants and soils, other living organisms, or ground water due to their inert polymeric structure. Basic research has shown that they are prone to naturally occurring degradation mechanisms and that some microorganisms are capable of degrading super absorbent polymers by solubilization, internalization, and subsequent mineralization. If degradation takes place, the degradation products and water soluble metabolites are not toxic. Therefore, super absorbent polymers are compatible and safe to the environment, and there is sufficient evidence that they do not constitute a persistent man-made polymer.
