The role of oxidation compounds in biofilm growth on polyethylene geomembrane barriers used in landfill

In a model study, polyethylene was preoxidized and incubated for a period of 7 months at 40°C in two different municipal solid waste leachates. During the postexperimental analyses, specific attention was paid to the carbonyl species and carboxylic acid depletion during the environmental exposure because it is well known that carboxylic acids are believed to be a potential substrate for the development of microorganisms. The results showed that the carbonyl as well as the carboxylic acid depletion observed follows first‐order kinetics. The biofilm formation was characterized using a suite of analytical techniques, and its formation was compared with the carboxylic acid and carbonyl depletion profile. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012