The biodegradation rates of single-use blended bioplastic packaging nylon, nylon 6, and cellulose polymer were assessed in aquatic environments in an attempt to identify real biodegradable bioplastics (RBB). The natural biodegradation rates of the test samples in freshwater and marine water were assessed by respirometric method following the procedure of the American Standard Testing and Materials. The experimental design was arranged thrice in a completely randomized design of 2x4x3. The physicochemical parameters were obtained using the standard methods while the rates of biodegradation were obtained by titration method. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistical method. At the end of 120 days, there were steady increase in the rates of biodegradation of cellulose and bioplastic samples across the fourth month in both freshwater and marine water. However, the rate of biodegradation in marine water were higher than in freshwater following the trend cellulose in marine (342 %) > cellulose in freshwater (259%) > bioplastics packaging nylon in marine (193%) > bioplastics packaging nylon in freshwater (175%). For nylon 6, the rate (-14) of retardation in the biodegradation process in Nylon 6 soaked in marine water is greater than that of Nylon 6 soaked in freshwater (-13). Consequently, nylon 6 was recalcitrant to biodegradation both in freshwater and marine water. The study concluded that the blended bioplastic packaging nylon is a real biodegradable bioplastic and could be suggested as a feasible and environmentally-friendly option to replace traditional plastics in the society.

Plastics in rivers and lakes have direct local impact, and may also reach the world's oceans. Monitoring river plastic pollution is therefore key to quantify, understand and reduce plastics in all aquatic ecosystems. The lack of harmonization between ongoing monitoring efforts compromises the direct comparison and combination of available data. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched guidelines on freshwater plastic monitoring, to provide a starting point for practitioners and scientists towards harmonized data collection, analysis, and reporting. We developed a five-step workflow to support to design effective plastic monitoring strategies. The workflow was applied to three rivers (Rhine, Mekong and Odaw) across relevant gradients, including geography, hydrology, and plastic pollution levels. We show that despite the simplicity of the selected methods and the limited duration of the data collection, our harmonized approach provides crucial insights in the state of plastic pollution in very different river basins globally.

Plastics in rivers and lakes have direct local impact, and may also reach the world's oceans. Monitoring river plastic pollution is therefore key to quantify, understand and reduce plastics in all aquatic ecosystems. The lack of harmonization between ongoing monitoring efforts compromises the direct comparison and combination of available data. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched guidelines on freshwater plastic monitoring, to provide a starting point for practitioners and scientists towards harmonized data collection, analysis, and reporting. We developed a five-step workflow to support to design effective plastic monitoring strategies. The workflow was applied to three rivers (Rhine, Mekong and Odaw) across relevant gradients, including geography, hydrology, and plastic pollution levels. We show that despite the simplicity of the selected methods and the limited duration of the data collection, our harmonized approach provides crucial insights in the state of plastic pollution in very different river basins globally.