Rohan left a wet cotton hand-towel and a thin plastic bag outdoors in the garden soil. After three months,…
Rohan left a wet cotton hand-towel and a thin plastic bag outdoors in the garden soil. After three months, he observed that the cotton towel had decayed and mixed into the soil, whereas the plastic bag remained unchanged. What scientific conclusion can be drawn from this?
Cotton is a man-made substance while plastic is a natural substance.
Natural plant-derived materials are biodegradable, whereas man-made plastics are non-biodegradable.
Man-made materials always decompose faster when exposed to moisture.
Soil bacteria can digest synthetic polymers but cannot break down plant cellulose.
Solution
Cotton is a natural organic substance that micro-organisms can decompose (biodegradable), whereas plastic is a synthetic polymer that resists microbial action (non-biodegradable).