One of the more commercially successful plastics is pla, so named because it is produced from the poly lactic acid found in corn. Bioplastics are biomass based biodegradable plastics which can be derived from corn starch, pea starch, vegetable fats and oils as well as microorganisms like bacteria, algae etc. However, their popularity has also meant a rise in plastic waste, which brings its own economic, environmental and social issues. Sequence of reduction reactions if a system is effectively a closed system and there is. Considered the use of antimicrobial impregnated plastics for our scanner housings. Biodegradable plastic production by bacteria isolated. They offer a number of advantages over other materials being versatile, light weight, low cost, strong and potentially transparent and are ideally suited for a variety of applications. Plastics are one of the most widely used materials and, in most cases, they are designed to have long life times. Biodegradable plastics plastics that will fully decompose to carbon dioxide, methane, water, biomass and inorganic compounds under aerobic or anaerobic conditions and the action of living organisms. Microorganisms are the most promising candidates for an eventual bioremediation of environmental plastics. Recovery methods for plastics include recycling, reuse, energy recovery, and composting.
The growth of many fungi can also cause smallscale swelling and bursting, as the fungi penetrate the polymer solids 9. In general, biobased and biodegradable plastics are more expensive than fossilbased plastics on a weight basis. Most plastics used in india are in the packaging sector. Biodegradation of a polymeric material is chemical degradation brought by the action of naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi via enzymatic action into metabolic products of microorganisms e. Microbes are found everywhere, they are on and in our bodies, and in the food and water we drink and in the air we breathe. Discarded plastics, besides being highly visible are a rapidly increasing percentage of solid waste in landfills, resistant to biodegradation leading to pollution, harmful to the natural environment. Accordingly, this definition embraces those biodegradable plastics made from oil in the same way as conventional plastics but that can be broken down by bacteria, the process. Due to plastics resilience against degradation and its. Jul 11, 2017 the increasing amount of plastic waste causes significant environmental pollution. Synthetic plastics present in everyday materials constitute the main anthropogenic debris entering the earths oceans. Plastic debris and microplastics have a low biodegradability making them persist in the environment and. Natural plastics are made from plant and animal sources, or produced by a range of microorganisms, must be introduced. Degradation of plastics and plasticdegrading bacteria in.
Microorganisms, or microbes, are tiny organisms, often single celled that are invisible to the naked eye. Biodegradation of polyester polyurethane by endophytic fungi. Singh department of biotechnology national conference on bio resources as a key to value added products 2. It is possible that biodegradable plastics will help to allay public concern by allowing for the safe disposal of plastic materials at sea. Bacterial degradation of synthetic plastics explore to. Recently several microorganisms have been reported to produce degrading enzymes gnanavel et al. Microorganisms types of plastics source of the microbes degradation efficiency reference bacillus cereus polyethylene dumpsite soil.
Polyolefins or saturated polymers have a broad range of applications. The enzymatic degradation of plastics by hydrolysis is a twostep process. This knowledge is useful for the molecular design of biodegradable polymers and for the molecular evolution and breeding of degradation enzymes and microbes. They are also the main way of international trade and the main stabilizer of the climate. In view of this, the biodegradation of plastics has been studied extensively for the past three decades. In 2002, the production of biodegradable plastics was less than one percent of the production of plastics scott 10.
A large amount of plastics that we use are becoming waste in no time. Degradation of plastics and plastic degrading bacteria in. Pdf plastic is a broad name given to different polymers with high molecular weight, which can be degraded by various processes. The definition of biodegradable plastics are plastics that can be broken down by microorganisms bacteria or fungi into water, carbon dioxide and some biomaterial. Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news, views and product information. All raw sequences files are available from the ncbi sequence read. Bioplastics produced by microorganisms iman rusmana department of biology bogor agricultural university. Hence, changes in the marine ecosystem caused by anthropogenic influences.
Plastics can be biodegraded by reducing the polymer chain length by oxidation which may be accessed by microbes. Pathogenic bacteria travel the waters on microplastics. Biodegradation mecha the curiosities on microbial degradation of plastics emerged when paraffin degradation by several microorganisms was reported 14. Biodegradation of synthetic and natural plastic by microorganisms. These polymers are usually built from hydroxyacylcoa derivatives via different metabolic pathways. This special issue in microorganisms aims to take the current research on microbial interactions with plastics a step further, and characterise the socalled biodegraders, pathogens and other polymerspecific microbes, as well as the microbiome as a whole. This bacteria which has contributed to the global cleanup of consumer waste was introduced at the marine debris conference in hawaii. Microorganisms free download as powerpoint presentation.
The plastics present very low degradation rates in the environment, with a halflife up to 500 years. Microorganisms also secrete enzyme polyhydroxyalkanoates depolymerases which helps in plastic degradation 1. Biobased and biodegradable plastics facts and figures. Plastics evaluation of the action of microorganisms. Pdf prospects for microbiological solutions to environmental. Accumulation of plastics in the aquatic environment microplastics plastics. Microplastics in the ocean small pieces of plastic, commonly referred to as microplastics, were first described in the early 1970s and are widespread in the ocean. Pdf synthetic polymers, commonly named plastics, are among the most widespread anthropogenic. Some microorganisms use this polymer as a source for carbon and energy. Scientists have developed biodegradable plastics derived from microorganisms that feed on seaweed which produces zero toxic waste and can be recycled into organic waste. Manufacturers are increasingly incorporating antibacterial or. The microorganisms act either directly or indirectly which includes discoloration and deterioration of plastics and serving as carbon or. Bacterial degradation of plastic linkedin slideshare. So microorganisms simply havent had much time to evolve the necessary biochemical tool kit to latch onto the plastic fibres, break them up into the constituent parts and then utilise the resulting chemicals as a source of energy and carbon that they need to grow.
This process is performed as the microorganisms and bacteria in the soil decompose the material, and it actually makes the ground more fertile plastics, 1998. Six types of monomers produced by microbial fermentation are the most common biobased polymer building blocks. An approach to polymer degradation through microbes uttiya dey1, naba kumar mondal2. Tfcut2, as it happens, is a great enzyme for doing just this. An approach to polymer degradation through microbes. Biodegradation is the action of microorganisms to decompose a substance. Scientists just discovered plasticeating bacteria that. Astm d6691 17 standard test method for determining aerobic. Isolation of biodegradable plastic degrading bacteria from deep sea. Inertness and indiscriminate uses as well as growing water and land pollution problems have lead to concern about plastics.
The heterotrophic population of microbes in polythene and plastics, bacterial counts was recorded up to 62. Bacterial production of the biodegradable plastics. Microorganism communities for plastics biodegradation funding. A high percentage of the plastics being produced ends up in litter streams rather quickly and does not serve longterm needs. For most of the biobased and biodegradable plastics there are several suppliers and most plastics are readily available. Challenges and misconceptions stephan kubowicz and andy m. They are polyesters, produced by a range of microbes, cultured under different nutrient and environmental conditions.
A wide variety of different types of microorganisms are known to produce intracellular energy and carbon storage products which have been generally described as being poly. These polymers, which are usually lipid in nature, are accumulated as storage materials in the form of mobile, amorphous, liquid granules, allowing microbial survival under stress conditions 6. Plastic pollution this module1 is intended for elementary or secondary education teachers interested in teaching their classroom about plastic pollution and for anyone interested in learning about the impacts of plastic pollution on our environment and society and actions we can take to diminish this problem. Biodegradation, plastics, bacteria, breakdown, degradation introduction he use of plastics has transformed our life in. In total, 3 microorganisms were isolated from 52 soil samples from the arctic region spitsbergen. Commonly used plastics and their applications 5 microbial degradation of plastic. Their degradation ability and mechanism of bioplastics degradation such as pbs, pbsa, and pla have also been in. Low density polyethylene ldpe is one of the polymers that is up till date nearly impossible to be degraded safely. This assessment should provide government, commerce, industry and society with a.
However, considering their abundance in the environment and their specificity in attacking plastics, biodegradation of plastics by microorganisms and enzymes seems to be the most effective process. The global market for plastics continues to grow due to their physical properties and benefits such as light. Some bacterial strains can produce and store bioplastics using carbon sources. List of microorganisms reported for degradation of different types of plastic and polyethylene materials. The microbial organisms will turn plastic mixtures into chemical constituents facilitating. However, specific material properties can allow costs reductions in the use or endoflife phase. Biodegradable plastic developed from microorganisms that. The commission already provides guidance documents, including a template for. Microorganisms are very diverse and include all the bacteria and archaea and almost all the protozoa. Of this municipal waste, plastics currently account for approximately 11 percent, with plastic containers and packaging being the chief source, accounting for more than 11 million tons in 2001 or about 5 percent of the total waste generated that year. But the degradable plastics are made up of starch and they have less molecular weight. Bacterial degradation of plastic by shivam saini shirin akhtar saksham saxena dr.
Biodegradation of plastic waste advanced science news. According to the united nations, plastic accounts for up to 90 percent of all the pollutants in our oceans, yet there are few comparable, environmentally friendly alternatives. The bacterial communities developing on the plastics clustered in two groups. As noted previously, once plastic wastes enter the marine environment, the large particles of plastic are first fragmented to form microplastics. Moreover, we highlight the advantages of microorganisms isolated from this environment for eliminating plastic waste from ecosystems. Since microorganisms are capable of degrading most of. During the past decade polyethylene materials have gained widespread use in various fields and have become indispensables.
These studies on the biodegradation of plastics have increased our knowledge of degrading microbes, degradation enzymes and their genes, and polymer structures for biodegradation. Plastic is a broad name given to different polymers with high molecular weight, which can be degraded by various processes. The main driver for this approach is the growing idea that recycling of polymers such pet can be done by recovering their monomers as raw materials, and then reusing these raw materials to make the polymers afresh, thus creating a sustainable, closed loop in the plastics industry. Isolation and characterization of arctic microorganisms. Most of the biodegradation studies on plastics are being carried out using microorganisms.
Recently on an article was produced showing how microorganisms in water can biodegrade normal plastic. Other scientists have discovered plasticeating bacteria that can break down pet2. Biodegradation is defined as the biologically catalyzed reduction in complexity of chemical compounds 1. Biodegradability of polythene and plastic by the help of.
Booth, sintef materials and chemistry, oslo, 0314, norway sintef ocean, trondheim, 7465, norway abstract. Later on various microorganisms isolated from soil, water and dumping sites were reported 15. Polymers used in plastics producing, factors affecting the biodegradability, assessment of microbial and enzymatic degradation of plastics and. As noted previously, once plastic wastes enter the marine environment, the large particles of plastic are first. Biodegradable plastics produced by microorganisms author. The oceans provide important and valuable resources such as food, energy, and water. Plastics are typically composed of artificial synthetic polymers.
Indeed, biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down into smaller compounds by living microbial organisms 2. Their structure is not naturally occurring, so plastics are not biodegradable. The low degradability causes, among other drawbacks, a high accumulation of plastics in sanitary landfills, decreasing the life thereof. Degradation of plastics and plasticdegrading bacteria in cold. Most plastics contain primarily carbon atoms linked into long chains. Scientists have established a biorefinery system to create nonnatural polymers from natural sources, allowing various plastics to be made in an environmentallyfriendly and sustainable manner. Nonnatural biomedical polymers produced from microorganisms. Synthetic plastics are emerging environmental contaminants that have been found to accumulate within marine waters worldwide. The versatility of these polymers arises from the fact that. All the given information and works are true to my sense and knowledge. The composition of bacterial communities associated with plastic. The biodegradation could be through aerobic process on anaerobic depending on environmental factors and type of microbe gu. Although carbon is a great nutrient source for microorganisms, the long chains make it difficult to be metabolized by microorganisms.
Plastics have been designed for their physical properties, strength and durability. Isolated microbes in the degradation of plastics were analyzed in liquid. With all of the advantages of biodegradable plastics, there are a number of disadvantages. Studies looking at novel aspects of the plastisphere and enriched consortia will also be. Depending on their microbial origin, bioplastics differ in their. A new company has found a way to produce polymers from genetically engineered microbes that feed on sugars, replacing fossilfuel based processes. Biodegradation is a process by which microbial organisms mainly bacteria and fungi transform or alter through metabolic or enzymatic action the structure of chemicals introduced into the environment muthu 2014. Degradation of bioplastics in soil and their degradation. Isolation of native soil microorganisms with potential for. Enzymes availabl e act mainly on the high molecular weight polymers of 38 po lyethylene terephthalate pet and ester based polyurethane pur. Biodegradation of synthetic and natural plastic by. But plastics have only been around for about 70 years. After fatty acid boxidation, acylcoa enters the pha monomer synthesis process.
Otey fh, westhoff rp, doane wm 1987 proc spi symp degr plastics, soc plastics ind, washington, dc, p. A study on the plastic waste and environmental degradation. Jun 30, 2015 the study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with the discovery of microorganisms in 1674 by antonie van leeuwenhoek, using a microscope of his own design. Biodegradation of these plastics can be accelerated. In order to support continued sustainable development throughout the world, this problem must be addressed. Polyhydroxyalkanoates 23 the second pha synthesis pathway pathway ii is related to fatty acid uptake by microorganisms. Review article biodegradation of low density polythene.
Plastic can degrade by a variety of mechanisms such as chemical, thermal, photoxidation and biodegradation, all of which take an extremely long time depending on the molecular weight of polymer, it could take up to years for some types of plastics to degrade microorganisms can also play a vital role in this process, as over 90 genera of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes have the. Pdf biodegradation of plastics using microorganisms. When biodegradation is complete, the process is called mineralization. Present paper investigates the possibility of plastic degradation by microbes. Involvement of microorganisms for degradation of plastics the microorganism s role is very important for plastic degradation. In fact, almost 52 per cent of all plastics is used in packaging chintan, 2010. There are several studies are available for isolation and enumeration of microorganisms bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, protoz and viruses from the soil. Screening of plastic degrading bacteria from dumped soil area, is original and no part of this work report has been submitted for any other degree or diploma. This is the key process by which biodegradable plastics are broken down in the. Partial replacement of nondegradable plastics with biodegradable polymers is one strategy for reducing the negative environmental impact caused by plastic materials since the biodegradable polymers can be degraded by microorganisms tabata and kanehiro, 2004. Biodegradation of plastics using nonconventional methods promises a future free of accumulation of commodity plastics used in packaging and commercial polymers, which are the most abundant form of plastic wastes. Jun 01, 2012 monomers of bacterial plastics synthesized by microorganisms. Microorganism as plastic biodegradation agent towards. Role of microorganisms in the abatement of pollutants.
Soil burial degraded ldpestarch film was taken and the microorganisms were isolated by the help of serial dilution technique. Breakdown of plastics and polymers by microorganisms. Isolation and characterization of biodegradable plastic. The microorganisms that are contributing to the global cleanup are vibros bacteria. Mechanism of biodegradation of plastic by microorganisms microbes degrade synthetic and natural plastics through enzymatic hydrolysis, where they secrete extracellular enzymes shah et al. Microbial degradation of lowdensity polyethylene ldpe by. The degradation of a polymer is affected many factors like temperature, moisture, oxygen, sun light, stress, living organisms and contaminants. In a recent study, evidence shows that the vibrio spp. Deguchi t, kakezawa m, nishida t 1997 nylon biodegradation by. A number of microorganisms have the ability to degrade different types of plastic under suitable conditions, but due to the hardness of these polymers and their nonsolubility in water, biological decomposition is a slow process. Polypropylene pp and polyethylene pe, expressed as cnh2n, are most widely used linear hydrocarbon polymers. Poly lactic acid is present in the metabolism of all animals and microorganisms and does not produce. Turning bacteria into plastic factories scientific american. In this study, screening of arctic microorganisms which are able to degrade bioplastics was performed.