本文件规定了确定塑料材料有氧生物降解水平的程度和速率的实验室测试方法。该测试方法也可应用于其他材料。 生物降解是通过测量塑料材料暴露于从沙质潮汐区取样并在实验室条件下用盐水保持湿润的海洋沉积物时释放的CO2来确定的。 该测试方法是在实验室条件下模拟沙质潮汐带中发现的栖息地，在海洋科学中称为eulittoral zone。 本文件中描述的条件可能并不总是对应于发生最大程度生物降解的最佳条件。 在试验报告中说明与本文件中所述试验条件的偏差。

This document specifies a laboratory test method to determine the degree and rate of aerobic biodegradation level of plastic materials. This test method can also be applied to other materials. Biodegradation is determined by measuring the CO₂ evolved by the plastic material when exposed to marine sediments sampled from a sandy tidal zone and kept wet with salt-water under laboratory conditions. This test method is a simulation under laboratory conditions of the habitat found in sandy tidal zone that, in marine science, is called eulittoral zone. The conditions described in this document might not always correspond to the optimum conditions for the maximum degree of biodegradation to occur. Deviations from the test conditions described in this document are justified in the test report.