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Difficulty: EasyBiodegradable vs Non-Biodegradable Materials and Recycling

Synthetic addition polymers, such as polyethene and polyvinyl chloride, are biodegradable because soil micro-organisms can readily break down their carbon-carbon backbone.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. Synthetic addition polymers possess strong, non-polar carbon-carbon backbones that micro-organisms cannot decompose naturally.
Synthetic addition polymers are non-biodegradable because their backbone consists of stable C-C single bonds that soil bacteria and fungi cannot enzymatically break down.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the chemical structure of synthetic addition polymers like polyethene.
The polymer backbone consists exclusively of non-polar carbon-carbon (C-C) single bonds without ester or amide linkages.
Microbial degradation requires specific functional groups that enzymes can recognize and hydrolyze.
2
Assess the action of soil micro-organisms on this chemical structure.
Micro-organisms do not possess enzymes capable of cleaving the unreactive C-C backbone of addition polymers.
Because the material cannot be decomposed biologically, it is categorized as non-biodegradable.

Key Concept

Distinction between non-biodegradable synthetic addition polymers and biodegradable natural/condensation polymers
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Topics

Biodegradable vs Non-Biodegradable Materials and Recycling

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