This study examined the impact of the preparation method and incubation time of activated vermiculite on the biodegradation of microcrystalline cellulose. Vermiculite was pre-incubated for 1–4 days using compost extract or a commercial organic fermentation agent before use as inoculum. Results showed highest percentage biodegradation (64.9%) after 15 days with 1-day pre-incubation using compost extract. With the commercial agent, the highest rate (45.3%) was achieved after 3 days. The study provided insights into optimizing vermiculite preparation for reliable biodegradation tests, indicating the need to distinguish validity criteria for vermiculite and compost inoculum.
© 2025 Shijia Wang, Hongying Deng, Wanhan Sun, Yaoquan Xu, Yanan Zhang, Chen Yang, published by Łukasiewicz Research Network, Institute of Biopolymers and Chemical Fibres
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