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Plastic degradation in marine bacteria describes when certain pelagic bacteria break down polymers and use them as a primary source of carbon for energy. Polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are incredibly useful for their durability and relatively low cost of production, however it is their persistence and difficulty to be properly ...
The discovery of Ideonella sakaiensis has potential importance for the degradation of PET plastics. Prior to its discovery, the only known degraders of PET were a small number of bacteria and fungi, including Fusarium solani, and no organisms were definitively known to degrade PET as a primary carbon and energy source. [1]
The alkaliphilic bacteria Bacillus pseudofirmus and Salipaludibacillus agaradhaerens can degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE). These bacteria can degrade LDPE on their own but work more quickly as a consortium of both species, and degradation is faster still when iron oxide nanoparticles are added.
Adhered to a low-grade PET film, the bacteria used two novel enzymes, PETase and MHETase, to decompose the plastic into two environmentally benign substances, which served as their main food source. [4] A colony of I. sakaiensis could completely degrade a low-grade plastic water bottle in six weeks. Higher-grade PET products would require ...
Microbial biodegradation is the use of bioremediation and biotransformation methods to harness the naturally occurring ability of microbial xenobiotic metabolism to degrade, transform or accumulate environmental pollutants, including hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic compounds (such as pyridine or quinoline ...
Polymer degradation is the reduction in the physical properties of a polymer, such as strength, caused by changes in its chemical composition.Polymers and particularly plastics are subject to degradation at all stages of their product life cycle, including during their initial processing, use, disposal into the environment and recycling. [1]
For comparison, enzymes that degrade polyester have been known to exist at least as far back as 1975 (in the case of α-chymotrypsin) [6] and 1977 . [ 7 ] PET plastic came into widespread use in the 1970s and it has been suggested that PETases in bacteria evolved only recently. [ 2 ]
Water-insoluble and relatively resistant to hydrolytic degradation. This differentiates PHB from most other currently available biodegradable plastics, which are either water-soluble or moisture-sensitive. Good oxygen permeability. Good ultra-violet resistance but poor resistance to acids and bases.