Open AccessCombined use of Bacillus strains and Miscanthus for accelerating biodegradation of poly(lactic acid) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)
Author(s) -
Grażyna B. Dąbrowska,
Katarzyna Janczak,
Agnieszka Richert
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
peerj
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.927
H-Index - 70
ISSN - 2167-8359
DOI - 10.7717/peerj.10957
Subject(s) - biodegradation , bacillus cereus , bacillus subtilis , lactic acid , ethylene , ultimate tensile strength , compost , food science , miscanthus , nuclear chemistry , chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , bacteria , composite material , biology , agronomy , microbiology and biotechnology , bioenergy , biofuel , genetics , catalysis
Background The aim of this study was to verify whether the presence of Bacillus strains and of miscanthus influence biodegradation and formed of biofilm of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). Methods The experiment conducted in compost soil showed that strains Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus isolated from heavy metal contaminated environment have biochemical activity and accelerate biodegradation of both plastic materials. Results For PLA film it was found that the carbonyl index dropped by over 15% in the presence of B. subtilis , while the film tensile strength decreased by 35% and the oxygen to carbon O/C ratio was higher by 3% in the presence of B. cereus , and the presence of miscanthus resulted in a loss of weight. For PET film, a decrease in the carbonyl index by 16% was observed following inoculation with B. cereus. The metabolic activity of this strain contributed to the reduction of the film’s tensile strength by 17% and to the increase in the permeability to O 2 and CO 2 . The most intense degradation of PET film was observed in the presence of bacteria and plants. B. subtilis strain combined with miscanthus plantings may be a promising method for accelerating PLA and PET degradation in compost soil.