Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene and polypropylene by microbes isolated from Vaigai River, Madurai, India

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Archives of Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the microplastic degradation efficiency of bacterial isolates collected from Vaigai River, Madurai, India. The isolates were processed with proper methods and incorporated in to the UV-treated polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) degradation. Based on preliminary screening, four bacterial isolates such as Bacillus sp. (BS-1), Bacillus cereus (BC), Bacillus sp. (BS-2), and Bacillus paramycoides (BP) were proceed to further degradation experiment for 21 days. The microplastics were filled with bacterial isolates which is use microplastic (PE, PP) as carbon source for their growth and proceed for shake flask experiment were carried out by two approaches with control. The microplastic degradation was confirmed through their weight loss, increasing fragmentations and changes of surface area against control experiments (microplastic without isolates) also confirms degrading efficiency of isolated bacterial strains through non-changes in their weight and surface area. The highest degradation of PP and PE were observed in BP (78.99 ± 0.005%), and BC (63.08 ± 0.009%) in single approach, while in combined approach BC & BP recorded the highest degradation in both PP (78.62 ± 2.16%), and PE (72.50 ± 20.53%). The formation of new functional groups is confirming the biofilm formation in the surface area of microplastics by isolates and proving their efficiency in degrade the microplastics. The degradation of microplastic experiments should be cost effective and zero waste which is helpful to save the environment and the present findings could reveal the way to degrade the microplastics and prevent the microplastic pollution in aquatic environment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alaribe FO, Agamuthu P (2015) Assessment of phytoremediation potentials of Lantana camara in Pb impacted soil with organic waste additives. Ecol Eng 83:513–520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albertsson AC, Andersson SO, Karlsson S (1987) The mechanism of biodegradation of polyethylene. Polym Degrad Stab 18:73–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alomar C, Estarellas F, Deudero S (2016) Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size. Mar Environ Res 115:1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andrady AL (2011) Microplastics in the marine environment. Mar Pollut Bull 62:1596–1605

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asmita K, Shubhamsingh T, Tejashree S (2015) Isolation of plastic degrading micro-organisms from soil samples collected at various locations in Mumbai, India. Int Res J Environ Sci 4(3):77–85

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Auta HS, Emenike CU, Fauziah SH (2017a) Distribution and importance of microplastics in the marine environment: a review of the sources, fate, effects and potential solutions. Environ Int 102:165–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Auta HS, Emenike CU, Fauziah SH (2017b) Screening of Bacillus strains isolated from mangrove ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia for microplastic degradation. Environ Pollut 231:1552–1559

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Batel A, Linti F, Scherer M, Braunbeck T (2016) The transfer of benzo(a)pyrene from microplastics to Artemianauplii and further to zebra fish via trophic food web experiment- CYP1A induction and visual tracking of persistent organic pollutants. Environ Toxicol Chem 35:1656–1666

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhardwaj H, Gupta R, Tiwari A (2012) Microbial population associated with plastic degradation. Sci Rep 5:272–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennecke D, Duarte B, Paiva F, Cacador I, Canning-Clode J (2016) Microplasticsas vectors for heavy metalcontamination from the marine environment. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 178:189–195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Browne MA, Crump P, Niven SJ, Teuten E, Tonkin A, Galloway T et al (2011) Accumulation of microplastic on shorelines woldwide: sources and sinks. Environ Sci Technol 45:9175–9179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Delacuvellerie A, Cyriaque V, Gobert S, Benali S, Wattiez R (2019) The plastisphere in marine ecosystem hosts potential specific microbial degraders including Alcanivorax borkumensis as a key player for the low-density polyethylene degradation. J Haz Mat 380:120899

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Emerson D, Agulto L, Liu H, Liu L (2008) Identifying and characterizing bacteria in an era of genomics and proteomics. Bioscience 58(10):925–936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esmaeili A, Pourbabaee AA, Alikhani HA, Shabani F, Esmaeili E (2013) Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by mixed culture of Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus and Aspergillus niger in soil. PLoS ONE 8:71720

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fossi MC, Marsili L, Baini M, Giannetti M, Coppola D, Guarranti C, Caliani I, Minutoli R, Lauriano G, Finoia MG, Rubegni F, Panigada S, Berube M, Ramirez JU, Panti C (2016) Fin whales and microplastics: the MediterraneanSea and the Sea of Cortez scenarios. Environ Pollut 209:68–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harshvardhan K, Jha B (2013) Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by marine bacteria from pelagic waters, Arabian Sea, India. Mar Pollut Bull 77:100–106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helen AS, Uche EC, Hamid FS (2017a) Screening for polypropylene degradation potential of bacteria isolated from mangrove ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia. Int J Biosci Biochem Bioinform 7:245–251

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helen SA, Chijioke Uche E, Shahul Hamid F (2017b) Screening for polypropylene degradation potential of bacteria isolated from mangrove ecosystems in peninsular Malaysia. Int J Biosci Biochem Bioinform 7:245–251

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hemjinda S, Krzan A, Chiellini E, Miertus S (2007) EDP: environmentally degradable polymeric materials and plastics: guidelines to standards and testing practices. United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS-UNIDO), Italy, 28 pp

  • Kannahi M, Sudha P (2013) Screening of polyethylene and plastic degrading microbes from Muthupet mangrovesoil. J Chem Pharm Res 5:122–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane DJ (1991) 16S/23S rRNA sequencing. In: Stackebrandt E, Goodfellow M (eds) Nucleic acid techniques in bacterial systematic. Wiley, New York, pp 115–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Lönnstedt OM, Eklöv P (2016) Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic particles influence larvalfish ecology. Ecotoxicol Science 352:1213–1216

    Google Scholar 

  • Li WC, Tse HF, Fok L (2016) Plastic waste in the marine environment: a review of sources, occurrence and effects. Sci Total Environ 566–567:333–349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu Y, Zhang Y, Deng Y, Jiang W, Zhao Y, Geng J, Ding L, Ren H (2016) Uptake and accumulation of polystyrenemicroplastics in zebra fish (Danio rerio) and toxic effects in liver. Environ Sci Technol 50:4054–4060

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas N, Bienaime C, Belloy C, Queneudec M, Silvestre F, Nava-Saucedo J (2008) Polymer biodegradation: mechanisms and estimation techniques. Chemosphere 73:429–442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luna GM, Dell Anno A, Danovaro R (2006) DNA extraction procedure: a critical issue for bacterial assessment in marine sediments. Environ Microbiol 8:308–320

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma Q, Zou Y, Lu Y, Song H, Yuan Y (2014) Comparative proteomic analysis of experimental evolution of theBacillus cereus- ketogulonicigenium vulgare coculture. PLoS One 9:e91789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mallika S, Umamaheswari R, Krishnamoorthy S (2017) Physico-chemical parameters and bacteriological study of Vaigai River Water Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. Int J Fish Aquat Stud 5:42–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng EL, Huerta Lwanga E, Eldridge SM, Johnston P, Hu HW, Geissen V et al (2018) An overview of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in agro-ecosystems. Sci Total Environ 627:1377–1388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Okpokwasili GC, Nweke CO (2005) Microbial growth and substrate utilization kinetics. African J Biotechnol 5:305–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Plastics Europe, Plastics—the facts (2017) https://doi.org/10.1016/jmarpolbul.2013.01.015

  • Rajasabapathy R, Mohandass C, Bettencourt R, Colaco A, Goulart J, Meena RM (2018) Bacterial diversity at a shallow-water hydrothermal vent (Espalamaca) in Azores Island. Current Sci 115:2110–2121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sekhar VC, Nampoothiria KM, Mohana AJ, Naira NR, Bhaskarb T, Pandey A (2016) Microbial degradation of high impact polystyrene (HIPS), an e-plastic with deca bromodiphenyl oxide and antimony trioxide. J Hazard Mater 318:347–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shah AA, Hasan F, Hameed A, Ahmed S (2008) Biological degradation of plastics: a comprehensive review. Biotechnol Adv 26:246–265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma S, Chatterjee S (2017) Microplastic pollution, a threat to marine ecosystem and human health: a short review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:21530–21547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sowmya HV, Ramalingappa KM, Thippeswamy B (2014) Biodegradation of polyethylene by Bacillus cereus. Adv Polym Sci Technol Int J 4:28–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Syranidou E, Karkanorachaki K, Amorotti F, Avgeropoulos A, Kolvenbach B, Zhou NY, Fava F, Corvini FXP, Kalogerakis N (2019) Biodegradation of mixture of plastic films by tailored marine consortia. J Haz Mat 375:33–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkes RA, Aristilde L (2017) Degradation and metabolism of synthetic plastics and associated products by Pseudomonas sp. capabilities and challenges. J Appl Microbiol 123:582–593

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodall LC, Sanchez-vidal A, Paterson GLJ, Coppock R, Sleight V, Calafat A, Rogers AD, Narayanaswamy BE, Thompson RC (2014) The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris. R Soc Open Sci 1:140371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida S, Hiraga K, Takehana T, Taniguchi I, Yamaji H, Maeda Y, Toyohara K, Miyamoto K, Kimura Y, Oda K (2016) A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly (ethylene terephthalate). Science 351:1196–1199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zettler ER, Mincer TJ, Amaral-Zettler LA (2013) Life in the “Plastisphere”: microbial communities on plastics marine debris. Environ Sci Technol 47:7137–7146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Bharathidasan University for providing the necessary facilities to carry out the work and to the University Grants Commission, New Delhi for its financial assistance through the Dr. D. S. Kothari Post-Doctoral Fellowship Scheme (UGC Ref No. F.4-2/2006 (BSR)/BL/17-18/0243 dt: 03/04/2018). One of the authors (SDK) thanks the UGC, New Delhi, for providing Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Ref. No. F./31-1/2017/PDFSS-2017- -TAM-13681 dated 19.06.2017).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Planktonology and Aquaculture Lab, Department of Marine Science, School of Marine Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, 620 024, India

    K. Nanthini Devi, P. Raju, P. Santhanam, S. Dinesh Kumar, N. Krishnaveni & P. Perumal

  2. PG & Research Department of Zoology, Nirmala College for Women (Autonomous), Red Fields, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 018, India

    J. Roopavathy

Authors
  1. K. Nanthini Devi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Raju
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Santhanam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Dinesh Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. N. Krishnaveni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. Roopavathy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. P. Perumal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

KND: conceptualization, methodology, resources, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing. PR: formal analysis. PS: conceptualization, methodology, writing—review and editing. SDK: formal analysis, writing—review and editing. NK: formal analysis. JR: writing—review and editing. PP: writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Santhanam.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared that no conflict of interest found in this work.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 1662 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nanthini Devi, K., Raju, P., Santhanam, P. et al. Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene and polypropylene by microbes isolated from Vaigai River, Madurai, India. Arch Microbiol 203, 6253–6265 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-021-02592-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-021-02592-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation