Open AccessBiodegradation of low-density polyethylene plastics by fungi isolated from waste disposal site at district Peshawar, Pakistan
Author(s) -
Ali Hyder,
Muhammad Haroon Khan,
Sami Ullah Khan,
Madiha Iqbal,
Sohail Ahmad Jan,
Syed Hussain Shah,
Mir Azam Khan,
Zia Ur Rahman,
Umer Iqbal
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pakistan journal of biochemistry and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2788-4503
pISSN - 2707-5494
DOI - 10.52700/pjbb.v2i2.59
Subject(s) - biodegradation , aspergillus niger , aspergillus flavus , polyethylene , low density polyethylene , aspergillus , food science , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , organic chemistry
Plastics are resistant to microbial attack, which has become a major cause of environmental pollution. The current study aimed to identify the fungi, capable of the biodegradation of low-density polyethylene plastics from different waste disposal sites at Peshawar, Pakistan. A total of 15 soil samples were collected from different waste disposable sites of Peshawar. From these samples, five fungal isolates Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus flavus, White rot, and Brown rot fungi were identified based on their colony morphology and microscopic examination. The biodegradation ability of these isolates against low-density polyethylene plastics was studied through the weight loss percentage method on 30 days of incubation. The weight loss percentage showed that Aspegillus Niger, Aspergillus flavus, Brown rot, and white rot fungi showed 22.9%, 16.1%, 18.4%, and 22.7% biodegradation, respectively. This study concluded that Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus flavus, White rot, and Brown rot fungi are capable to degrade polyethylene plastics.Low density polyethylene, Plastics, Fungi, Biodegradation