Microplastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size are of increasing concem, especially in aquatic environments, such as the ocean. Primary source is microbeads （〈 1 mm） used in cosmetics and cleaning agents and fibe...Microplastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size are of increasing concem, especially in aquatic environments, such as the ocean. Primary source is microbeads （〈 1 mm） used in cosmetics and cleaning agents and fiber fragments from washing of clothes, and secondary source such as broken down plastic litter and debris. These particles are mostly made from polyethylene （PE）, polypropylene （PP）, polystyrene （PS）, polyethylene terephthalate （PET） and polyesters. They are ingested by diverse marine fauna, including zooplanktons, mussel, oyster, shrimp, fish etc. and can enter human food chains via several pathways. Strategy for control of microplastics pollution should primarily focus on source reduction and subsequently on the development of cost-effective clean up and remediation technologies. Recent research results on biodegradation of plastics have revealed a potential for microbial biodegradation and bioremediation of plastic pollutants, such as PE, PS and PET under appropriate conditions.展开更多
Bioplastics were first introduced as environmentally friendly materials,with properties similar to those of conventional plastics.A bioplastic is defined as biodegradable if it can be decomposed into carbon dioxide un...Bioplastics were first introduced as environmentally friendly materials,with properties similar to those of conventional plastics.A bioplastic is defined as biodegradable if it can be decomposed into carbon dioxide under aerobic degradation,or methane and CO_(2)under anaerobic conditions,inorganic compounds,and new cellular biomass,by the action of naturally occurring microorganisms.This definition however does not provide any information on the environmental conditions,timescale and extent at which decomposition processes should occur.With regard to the aquatic environment,recognized standards have been established to assess the ability of plastics to undergo biodegradation;however,these standards fail to provide clear targets to be met to allow labelling of a bioplastic as biodegradable.Moreover,these standards grant the user an extensive leeway in the choice of process parameters.For these reasons,the comparison of results deriving from different studies is challenging.The authors analysed and discussed the degree of biodegradability of a series of biodegradable bioplastics in aquatic environments(both fresh and salt water)using the results obtained in the laboratory and from on-site testing in the context of different research studies.Biochemical Oxygen Demand(BOD),CO_(2)evolution,surface erosion and weight loss were the main parameters used by researchers to describe the percentage of biodegradation.The results showed a large variability both in weight loss and BOD,even when evaluating the same type of bioplastics.This confirms the need for a reference range of values to be established with regard to parameters applied in defining the biodegradability of bioplastics.展开更多
The possibility of microbial degradation of plastic waste was investigated by isolating microorganisms present in dumpsite containing low-density polyethylene (LDP). Aspergillus niger (fungi) and Pseudomonas sp. (bact...The possibility of microbial degradation of plastic waste was investigated by isolating microorganisms present in dumpsite containing low-density polyethylene (LDP). Aspergillus niger (fungi) and Pseudomonas sp. (bacteria) were identified and subsequently used to biodegrade plastic waste. The medium was made up of 0.2 g of MgSO4, 1.0 g of KH2PO4, 1.0 g of K2HPO4, 1.0 g of NH4NO3, 0.02 g of CaCl2, 0.05 g of FeCl3 in 1000 ml water. 10 ml of the medium containing the bacteria and/or fungi was poured into test tubes and 0.1 g of the plastic sample (Pure water sachet) pre-treated with ethanol was introduced into the tubes. The pH of the medium was adjusted to 7.2, 5.4 and 6.0 for Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus niger and the mixed culture respectively. Each experiment was carried out aerobically at room temperature and incubated on a rotary shaker at 120 rpm. The weight loss in each experiment was monitored at 10 days interval for 60 days. The total weight loss after 60 days was 7.2%, 12.4%, 15% for degradation with Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus niger and the mixed culture respectively. From this study it can be inferred that Pseudomonas sp. and Aspergillus niger have the ability to degrade plastics. It can also be inferred that Aspergillus niger degraded plastics better than Pseudomonas sp. and there was synergy between the two microorganisms since the mixed culture gave a higher degradation.展开更多
文摘Microplastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size are of increasing concem, especially in aquatic environments, such as the ocean. Primary source is microbeads （〈 1 mm） used in cosmetics and cleaning agents and fiber fragments from washing of clothes, and secondary source such as broken down plastic litter and debris. These particles are mostly made from polyethylene （PE）, polypropylene （PP）, polystyrene （PS）, polyethylene terephthalate （PET） and polyesters. They are ingested by diverse marine fauna, including zooplanktons, mussel, oyster, shrimp, fish etc. and can enter human food chains via several pathways. Strategy for control of microplastics pollution should primarily focus on source reduction and subsequently on the development of cost-effective clean up and remediation technologies. Recent research results on biodegradation of plastics have revealed a potential for microbial biodegradation and bioremediation of plastic pollutants, such as PE, PS and PET under appropriate conditions.
文摘Bioplastics were first introduced as environmentally friendly materials,with properties similar to those of conventional plastics.A bioplastic is defined as biodegradable if it can be decomposed into carbon dioxide under aerobic degradation,or methane and CO_(2)under anaerobic conditions,inorganic compounds,and new cellular biomass,by the action of naturally occurring microorganisms.This definition however does not provide any information on the environmental conditions,timescale and extent at which decomposition processes should occur.With regard to the aquatic environment,recognized standards have been established to assess the ability of plastics to undergo biodegradation;however,these standards fail to provide clear targets to be met to allow labelling of a bioplastic as biodegradable.Moreover,these standards grant the user an extensive leeway in the choice of process parameters.For these reasons,the comparison of results deriving from different studies is challenging.The authors analysed and discussed the degree of biodegradability of a series of biodegradable bioplastics in aquatic environments(both fresh and salt water)using the results obtained in the laboratory and from on-site testing in the context of different research studies.Biochemical Oxygen Demand(BOD),CO_(2)evolution,surface erosion and weight loss were the main parameters used by researchers to describe the percentage of biodegradation.The results showed a large variability both in weight loss and BOD,even when evaluating the same type of bioplastics.This confirms the need for a reference range of values to be established with regard to parameters applied in defining the biodegradability of bioplastics.
文摘The possibility of microbial degradation of plastic waste was investigated by isolating microorganisms present in dumpsite containing low-density polyethylene (LDP). Aspergillus niger (fungi) and Pseudomonas sp. (bacteria) were identified and subsequently used to biodegrade plastic waste. The medium was made up of 0.2 g of MgSO4, 1.0 g of KH2PO4, 1.0 g of K2HPO4, 1.0 g of NH4NO3, 0.02 g of CaCl2, 0.05 g of FeCl3 in 1000 ml water. 10 ml of the medium containing the bacteria and/or fungi was poured into test tubes and 0.1 g of the plastic sample (Pure water sachet) pre-treated with ethanol was introduced into the tubes. The pH of the medium was adjusted to 7.2, 5.4 and 6.0 for Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus niger and the mixed culture respectively. Each experiment was carried out aerobically at room temperature and incubated on a rotary shaker at 120 rpm. The weight loss in each experiment was monitored at 10 days interval for 60 days. The total weight loss after 60 days was 7.2%, 12.4%, 15% for degradation with Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus niger and the mixed culture respectively. From this study it can be inferred that Pseudomonas sp. and Aspergillus niger have the ability to degrade plastics. It can also be inferred that Aspergillus niger degraded plastics better than Pseudomonas sp. and there was synergy between the two microorganisms since the mixed culture gave a higher degradation.
