ISO 16636:2025

Plastics — Disintegration field test of plastics under water environmental conditions

Scope

This document specifies test methods for the determination of the degree of disintegration of plastic materials floating in water.
NOTE            The disintegration test is a field test performed under natural environmental conditions in a part of the sublittoral zone, the shores of lakes or rivers, and the test samples are immersed to a depth between 1,5 m to 3 m from water surface.
This document specifies the general requirements of the apparatus and the procedures for using the test methods described.
This document is not suitable for the assessment of disintegration caused by heat or light exposure.
The described field test is a disintegration test and not a biodegradation test. Therefore, it cannot be used for demonstrating biodegradation or for making unqualified claims such as “biodegradable in marine environment” and similar.