Current World Environment

Isolation, Screening and Characterization of Plastic-Degrading Bacteria From Soil for PWM

Sumit Kumar Dubey , Pushplata Chandra and Neha Behar ^*

¹ Department of Biotechnology, DLS Postgraduate College, affiliated to Atal Bihari Vajpayee University, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh India

Corresponding author Email: neha1_biotech@yahoo.com

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.20.3.29

Abstract

Plastic pollution causes a potential environmental challenge due to its perseverance and detrimental effects on ecological system. The problem statement addresses the urgent need for biological solutions to mitigate plastic waste degradation for effective PWM as traditional methods like recycling and incineration are insufficient. In this study, bacterial strains have been reported for their capability of degrading plastic collected from soil samples from garbage. An opaque method was used for screening plastic-degrading bacteria. The SEM analysis of the plastic surface was conducted to evaluate the penetration efficacy of bacterial isolates. The SEM results revealed significant damage (e.g., notable holes and cracks) caused by bacteria on the surface of the test plastic strip under experimental conditions. The results demonstrated that the Isolate B-8 (Bacillus sp.) exhibited notable plastic degradation capabilities, as evidenced by a 37.5% reduction of LPDE in weight (from an initial weight of 0.08 g to a post-degradation weight of 0.05 g). SEM provided critical qualitative evidence linking bacterial colonization to the biodegradation of the LDPE films. In contrast to the smooth, homogenous surface of the untreated control, the treated samples exhibited extensive morphological damage, including cracks, fissures, and surface erosion. This confirms that the physical breakdown of the plastic was directly driven by Isolate B-8 (Bacillus sp.) infiltrating material to metabolize it, rather than just surface-level abrasion. Further visual evidence of structural damage validates the gravimetric data where weight was reduced. This indicates that Isolate B-8 (Bacillus sp.) utilized the plastic as a metabolized carbon source. The future prospects involve exploring consortium to synergistically break down different types of plastics. This research underscores the potential of microbial solutions in addressing plastic pollution, paving the way for sustainable environmental management strategies.

Keywords

Plastic pollution; Plastic Waste Management; Plastic-degrading bacteria; Sustainable environmental

Copy the following to cite this article:

Dubey S. K, Chandra P, Behar N. Isolation, Screening and Characterization of Plastic-Degrading Bacteria From Soil for PWM. Curr World Environ 2025;20(3). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.20.3.29

Copy the following to cite this URL:

Dubey S. K, Chandra P, Behar N. Isolation, Screening and Characterization of Plastic-Degrading Bacteria From Soil for PWM. Curr World Environ 2025;20(3).

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