TIDMSYM
RNS Number : 8546T
Symphony Environmental Tech. PLC
30 March 2021
30 March 2021
SYMPHONY ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES PLC
(the "Company")
European Scientific Study
Biodegradation & Non-Toxicity of Oxo-biodegradable Plastic
in the Oceans
Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc (AIM:SYM), the
specialist in technologies that make plastic "smarter, safer and
sustainable" and world leaders in making ordinary plastics
biodegradable with d2w technology, is very pleased to announce the
successful conclusion of the 5-year Oxomar study (the "Study")
sponsored by the French Agence National de Recherche.
This study provides Symphony with further comprehensive and
reliable scientific data on the performance of d2w in the oceans.
The study had a multidisciplinary approach including physics,
chemistry, and biology.
Highlights of the Study:
-- Biodegradation proved beyond doubt in the marine environment
-- Direct correlation of lab results to real-world conditions.
This is critical, and hugely positive, because until now it has
been alleged that laboratory results could not demonstrate
performance in real life marine conditions
-- Proof of transformation into more than 3,000 non-plastic
biodegradable oligomers found in nature
-- Non-toxic to marine creatures
The report on this ground-breaking scientific study has been
submitted to the Agence Nationale de la Recherche. Symphony made a
contribution to the costs of the project and the oxo-biodegradable
plastic studied in the project contained the Company's d2w
oxo-biodegradable masterbatches.
The report confirms the findings of the scientists in their
September 2020 interim report that "Oxo-biodegradable plastics
biodegrade in seawater and do so with a significantly higher
efficiency than conventional plastics," and that "The oxidation
level obtained due to the d2w prodegradant catalyst was found to be
of crucial importance in the degradation process."
The report confirms the studies completed by Queen Mary
University London, and Station d'essais de Vieillissement naturel
de Bandol, who applied different scientific techniques to prove
biodegradation of d2w plastic in the marine environment, leaving no
toxic residues.
The Study has dynamically combined and compared tests and
studies performed directly in marine conditions as well as under
laboratory conditions. Bacterial strains found in marine waters
were used, and incubated in marine waters under temperature
conditions (> 18degC) usually found in the ocean.
The Study has proved that plastic biodegradation processes
observed in laboratory conditions are transferable to real life
marine conditions. The scientists have specifically confirmed that
accelerated weathering does not invalidate the results of
experiments.
The rate of biodegradation and the ratio between biomass
creation and CO(2) production were also carefully studied.
Toxicity testing in Oxomar was more thorough than in any
previous studies, and a wide variety of marine creatures at
differing trophic levels were examined. The toxicity of the
Oxo-biodegradable leachates was found to be nil, with the exception
of the cobalt-based pro-oxidant. However, even in the case of that
pro-oxidant, the scientists found that toxicity is not likely at
the level at which it would be used in practice. Most of Symphony's
masterbatches use manganese and/or iron. Cobalt is used for special
applications and at low levels.
Scientific articles arising from this Study have already been
published in scientific journals (see below), and results have been
presented at 13 international conferences.
The scientists noted that they had achieved significant advances
in the understanding of the biodegradation and toxicity of
oxo-biodegradable plastics in the marine environment. In particular
they confirmed that "accelerated artificial aging (UV, temperature)
which was perfectly mastered in this project, is a tool of choice
which is particularly well suited to the study of the fate of
OXO-bios in the marine environment."
Michael Laurier said "No government can now be in any doubt that
oxo-biodegradable plastic (as distinct from oxo-degradable plastic)
does properly biodegrade in the open environment, and is not toxic.
This is not therefore the type of material that the EU intended to
prohibit and I trust that this and other scientific evidence will
now dispel the confusion in the marketplace."
Enquiries
Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc
Michael Laurier, CEO Tel: +44 (0) 20 8207 5900
Ian Bristow, CFO
www.symphonyenvironmental.com
Zeus Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint
Broker)
David Foreman / Nick Cowles / Kieran Russell (Corporate Tel: +44 (0) 161 831 1512
Finance)
Dominic King / Victoria Ayton (Sales) Tel: +44 (0) 203 829 5000
Hybridan LLP (Joint Broker)
Claire Louise Noyce Tel: +44 (0) 203 764 2341
ABOUT OXOMAR:
The OXOMAR project is a fundamental research project sponsored
by The French National Research Agency and coordinated by the CNRS
LOMIC. It combines the expertise of the public laboratories
CNRS-LOMIC, CNRS-ICCF and IFREMER-Nantes, and CNEP and a partner
from the United Kingdom SYMPHONY ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES PLC.
The project started in October 2016.
PUBLISHED PAPERS RESULTING FROM OXOMAR
Eyheraguibel B, Leremboure M, Traikia M, Sancelme M, Bonhomme S,
Fromageot D, Lemaire J, Lacoste J, Delort A.M. (2018).
Environmental scenarii for the degradation of oxo-polymers.
Chemosphere. 198 182-190
Eyheraguibel B, M. Traikia, S. Fontanella, M. Sancelme, S.
Bonhomme, D. Fromageot, J. Lemaire, G. Laurenson, J. Lacoste, A-M.
Delort (2017). Characterization of oxidized oligomers from
polyethylene films by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy before
and after biodegradation by a Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain.
Chemosphere.184, 366-374.
Dussud C, Hudec C, George M, Fabre P, Higgs P, Bruzaud S,
Eyheraguibel B, Meistertzheim AL, Jacquin J, Cheng J, Callac N,
Odobel C, Rabouille S, Ghiglione JF (2018). Colonization of
non-biodegradable and biodegradable plastics by marine
microorganisms. Frontiers in microbiology (IF 4.52) 9:1571.
Odobel C, Dussud C, Conan P, Pujo-Pay M, Meistertzheim AL,
Eyheraguibel B, Delort AM, Ter Halle A, Bruzaud S, Barbe V,
Ghiglione JF. Long-term colonization (7 months) of
non-biodegradable and biodegradable microplastics by marine
bacteria. Frontiers in microbiology (IF 4.52), submitted for
publication.
Further Information: https://anr.fr/Project-ANR-16-CE34-0007
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