Patent ID: 8105635

Claim:
A method of treating a biodegradable substrate, comprising the steps of: a) providing the biodegradable substrate, said substrate comprising (i) a first substrate region distal from a surface of the substrate, said first substrate region having a first concentration of a metal biocide; and (ii) a second substrate region proximal to the surface of the substrate, said second substrate region having a second concentration of metal biocide that is reduced relative to the first substrate region; and b) contacting the surface of the substrate with an aqueous, fluid composition comprising a complexing agent capable of forming a water-soluble metal complex with the metal biocide, said complexing agent and metal biocide having a complex stability constant K1 in the range of from about 2.5 to about 6.5, said contact causing a portion of the metal biocide in the first substrate region to be redistributed to the second substrate region.