The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus species
Polyethylene (PE) products have short-term applications, resulting in the daily release of enormous quantities of plastic wastes into the environment with their attendant public and environmental health threats of global concern. Developing an eco-friendly management method to abate the menace promp...
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University of Bologna
2025-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://eqa.unibo.it/article/view/20474 |
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| author | Felicia E. Uwakwe Tobias I.N. Ezejiofor Ernest A.A. Anyalogbu Toochukwu E. Ogbulie |
| author_facet | Felicia E. Uwakwe Tobias I.N. Ezejiofor Ernest A.A. Anyalogbu Toochukwu E. Ogbulie |
| author_sort | Felicia E. Uwakwe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polyethylene (PE) products have short-term applications, resulting in the daily release of enormous quantities of plastic wastes into the environment with their attendant public and environmental health threats of global concern. Developing an eco-friendly management method to abate the menace prompted this research work. Four Bacillus species were isolated from different dumpsites in Owerri Metropolis, and identified using 16S rDNA sequencing, as B.pumilus, B.siamensis, B.coagulans and B. subtilis. The ability of the microbial isolates to degrade polyethylene (table water sachets) was determined using microbial growth measurement in liquid medium (Optical Density (OD600)), disappearance and introduction of functional groups (Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and weight loss analysis measured after sixty (60) days of incubation in mineral salt vitamin media. Microbial density showed a gradual and progressive increase from 0 day to 60 days : B. siamensis (0.12 - 0.84), B.pumilus (0.11-.67), B.coagulans (0.12 - 0.61) and B.subtilis (0.11 – 0.60), as against the control medium which remained unchanged (0.11). Similarly, FTIR spectra showed additional functional groups (carboxylic acids, ethers, esters, amines, methylene, alcohols, and alkenes in the polyethylene materials exposed to the test isolates: B.siamensis (17 peaks), B.pumilus (12 peaks), B.coagulans and B.subtilis (13 peaks each), but control (8 peaks). There were subatantial reduction in the residual weights of the PE materials: B.siamensis (52%), B.pumilus (26%), B.coagulans and B.subtilis (18% each). The observations showed that these Bacillus spp. indigenous to Owerri Metropolis have the ability to degrade PE and utilize it as a carbon source, and it was concluded that biodegradation was achieved, and that PE which was regarded to be inert can be biodegraded when exposed to the right microorganisms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6e51f629114c49fea6c7f75f334b02f9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2039-9898 2281-4485 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | University of Bologna |
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| series | EQA |
| spelling | doaj-art-6e51f629114c49fea6c7f75f334b02f92025-02-05T14:02:21ZengUniversity of BolognaEQA2039-98982281-44852025-02-0167263510.6092/issn.2281-4485/2047418845The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus speciesFelicia E. Uwakwe0Tobias I.N. Ezejiofor1Ernest A.A. Anyalogbu2Toochukwu E. Ogbulie3Department of Environmental Health Science, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, NigeriaDepartment of Biotechnology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, NigeriaDepartment of Biotechnology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, NigeriaDepartment of Biotechnology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, NigeriaPolyethylene (PE) products have short-term applications, resulting in the daily release of enormous quantities of plastic wastes into the environment with their attendant public and environmental health threats of global concern. Developing an eco-friendly management method to abate the menace prompted this research work. Four Bacillus species were isolated from different dumpsites in Owerri Metropolis, and identified using 16S rDNA sequencing, as B.pumilus, B.siamensis, B.coagulans and B. subtilis. The ability of the microbial isolates to degrade polyethylene (table water sachets) was determined using microbial growth measurement in liquid medium (Optical Density (OD600)), disappearance and introduction of functional groups (Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and weight loss analysis measured after sixty (60) days of incubation in mineral salt vitamin media. Microbial density showed a gradual and progressive increase from 0 day to 60 days : B. siamensis (0.12 - 0.84), B.pumilus (0.11-.67), B.coagulans (0.12 - 0.61) and B.subtilis (0.11 – 0.60), as against the control medium which remained unchanged (0.11). Similarly, FTIR spectra showed additional functional groups (carboxylic acids, ethers, esters, amines, methylene, alcohols, and alkenes in the polyethylene materials exposed to the test isolates: B.siamensis (17 peaks), B.pumilus (12 peaks), B.coagulans and B.subtilis (13 peaks each), but control (8 peaks). There were subatantial reduction in the residual weights of the PE materials: B.siamensis (52%), B.pumilus (26%), B.coagulans and B.subtilis (18% each). The observations showed that these Bacillus spp. indigenous to Owerri Metropolis have the ability to degrade PE and utilize it as a carbon source, and it was concluded that biodegradation was achieved, and that PE which was regarded to be inert can be biodegraded when exposed to the right microorganisms.https://eqa.unibo.it/article/view/20474polyethylenebiodegradationbacillus spp.eco-friendlydumpsite |
| spellingShingle | Felicia E. Uwakwe Tobias I.N. Ezejiofor Ernest A.A. Anyalogbu Toochukwu E. Ogbulie The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus species EQA polyethylene biodegradation bacillus spp. eco-friendly dumpsite |
| title | The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus species |
| title_full | The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus species |
| title_fullStr | The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus species |
| title_full_unstemmed | The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus species |
| title_short | The biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by Bacillus species |
| title_sort | biodegradation of low density polyethylene by bacillus species |
| topic | polyethylene biodegradation bacillus spp. eco-friendly dumpsite |
| url | https://eqa.unibo.it/article/view/20474 |
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