AGRIPOLYS: Sustainable Polymers for Agriculture

The consortium brings together leading academic partners from the University of Padova, University of Warwick, University of Twente, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich and the University of Vienna, alongside industrial partners including Bayer, Syngenta, Covestro, Bioweg and LigniLabs. The network combines expertise in polymer chemistry, materials science, plant biology and environmental sciences to develop agricultural polymers with improved environmental performance.

At the University of Vienna, the Division of Environmental Geosciences (EDGE) focuses on the environmental fate and biotransformation of novel polymers in agricultural soils. The research focuses on how polymer chemistry influences biodegradation pathways and kinetics, and whether biodegradable polymers form transient or persistent micro- and nanoplastic fragments during their breakdown.

Methodologically, the project combines enzyme assays and high-resolution mass spectrometry to investigate polymer biotransformation. In parallel, advanced particle characterization and separation techniques, including Raman microspectrometry, field-flow fractionation and size-exclusion chromatography, are used to characterize polymer fragmentation across different size ranges. Novel polymer–metal tagging approaches will be developed to track polymer-derived particles and degradation products in complex soil matrices, from micrometre-sized fragments to nanoscale particles and molecular species. By combining mechanistic biodegradation studies with advanced analytical methods, AGRIPOLYS aims to establish how the molecular design of agricultural polymers determines affects their environmental stability. The results will help guide the development and environmental assessment of safer, biodegradable polymeric materials for agriculture.

Funding: European Union, Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN).