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"The rate of marine biodegradation of PCL has been studied by Janik et. al. (1988) by measuring the tensile strength and percent weight loss over time in both seawater and a buffered salt solution. It was found that the weight loss, as a percent of total weight, decreased more rapidly in seawater than in the buffered salt solution. After eight weeks, the PCL in seawater was completely decomposed, whereas that in salt solution had lost only 20% of its weight. The same trend was seen for the tensile strength, where after eight weeks, the PCL in seawater was destroyed and that in buffered salt solution had decreased to roughly one-sixth its original value. It is therefore apparent that enzymes in the seawater solution assist to accelerate the biodegradation of PCL and other biodegradable plastics"
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