(a) Describe an activity to show that while the paper is biodegradable but plastic (say, polythene) is non-biodegradable.
(b) Explain why some materials are biodegradable but some are non-biodegradable.
(a) Describe an activity to show that while the paper is biodegradable but plastic (say, polythene) is non-biodegradable.
(b) Explain why some materials are biodegradable but some are non-biodegradable.
(a) An activity to prove that paper is biodegradable and plastic is non-biodegradable is described below.
1) Take a piece of paper and a polythene bag.
2) Dig a hole in the ground about 15 cm deep and place both the paper and the polythene bag separately in it. Cover them with soil.
3) Leave them for about one month.
4) On uncovering the buried materials, it will be observed that the paper has been partially eaten up by micro-organisms, whereas the polythene bag has remained unaffected. This proves that paper is biodegradable, whereas plastic is non-biodegradable.
(b) Some materials are biodegradable, whereas some are non-biodegradable because decomposers break down natural materials such as paper but do not break down man-made materials such as plastics. Non-biodegradable materials consist of compounds that are not degraded by decomposers, and they persist in the environment.
(a) An activity to prove that paper is biodegradable and plastic is non-biodegradable is described below.
1) Take a piece of paper and a polythene bag.
2) Dig a hole in the ground about 15 cm deep and place both the paper and the polythene bag separately in it. Cover them with soil.
3) Leave them for about one month.
4) On uncovering the buried materials, it will be observed that the paper has been partially eaten up by micro-organisms, whereas the polythene bag has remained unaffected. This proves that paper is biodegradable, whereas plastic is non-biodegradable.
(b) Some materials are biodegradable, whereas some are non-biodegradable because decomposers break down natural materials such as paper but do not break down man-made materials such as plastics. Non-biodegradable materials consist of compounds that are not degraded by decomposers, and they persist in the environment.
