When TDPA film is ingested by micro-organisms, is the only residue Co2 and water?
Aerobic micro-organisms, like people oxidize carbon to Co2 in order to obtain energy as well as to build cell materials; the hydrogen in food is oxidized to water. The inorganic materials those with no carbon bonded to hydrogen and/or other atoms are not involved. Thus any mineral fillers, metal salts and the like that were present in the plastic to start with will still be there after all the bio-degradation of the oxidized plastic has occurred. Metals, for example, tend to end up as metal oxides, which is how they exist in nature in the first place. But note that any part of a metal compound will undergo bio-degradation, assuming that conditions for the bio-degradation of anything exist. Is the end result of degradation, bio-degradation? Talking specifically about TDPA film, the answer is yes. The micro-organisms cannot derive any energy from conventional polyethylene films because these films are not even water-wettable, and the polyethylene molecules are too large. Oxidative degrad
