Open AccessBiodegradation of Polyvinyl Alcohol by Thai Indigenous Mixed Microbial Culture
Author(s) -
Duangkhaetita Kanjanasopa,
Benchamaporn Pimpa,
Suraphon Thitithanakul,
Suwaluk Wisunthorn
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
walailak journal of science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.146
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2228-835X
pISSN - 1686-3933
DOI - 10.48048/wjst.2020.6158
Subject(s) - polyvinyl alcohol , biodegradation , wastewater , chemistry , degradation (telecommunications) , microbial biodegradation , urea , microbial consortium , environmental pollution , waste management , pulp and paper industry , food science , bacteria , microorganism , organic chemistry , environmental science , biology , telecommunications , computer science , engineering , genetics , environmental protection
PVA is biodegradable plastic and a water-soluble synthetic polymer that plays a significant role in industry. A large amount of PVA in wastewater causes heavy environmental pollution in terms of accumulation, disposal, and long-term degradation; therefore it must be removed from wastewater before the water is discharged. In this study, NS3 mixed microbial culture, capable of completely degrading 5 g.L-1 polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), was isolated from landfill soil using the enrichment culture method. It completely degraded PVA at an initial concentration in the range 1 - 5 g.L-1 over 5 - 20 days of incubation with continuous shaking at 30 °C. Moreover, mixed microbial cultures were found to remove PVA at a high range concentration of 10 - 25 g.L-1. Urea and glucose added to the medium inhibited PVA degradation by increasing the pH to a strongly alkaline level, which would cause cell viability and enzyme stability. The FT-IR spectra and SEM imaging revealed the mechanisms and the physical degradation of PVA films, respectively. PVA uptake in bacterial cells produced a dent in the cell surface, which represented the consumption of PVA by bacterial cell. The PVA-degrading mixed microbial culture is the first reported in Thailand and can be beneficial in PVA wastewater treatment.