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Flexible biodegradable polyurethane foams (BIO-PUR) were prepared by a one-shot process using commercially available coreactants and modified by substituting biodegradable additive based on the acetylated starch (AS), acetylcellulose (AC), 2-hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) and carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt (CMC) for 5 or 10 wt% of commercial polyether polyol. The BIO-PUR foams were characterized by FTIR, TGA and polarization microscopy. Ecotoxicity of BIO-PUR foams freshwater extracts was evaluated using the alternative crustacean toxicity test Thamnotoxkit F. Values of toxicity were expressed as percentage mortality of the instars II–III larvae of freshwater fairy shrimps (Thamnocephalus platyurus) dependence on the effect criterion of the respective assay. The leaches of BIO-PUR foams modified with 5 or 10 wt% of HEC showed higher toxicity then other BIO-PUR foams, whereas leaches of BIO-PUR with 5wt% of AS and 10wt% of AC were even less toxic than REF. PUR foam.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Training of the Czech Republic under the research project MSM 0021630501.