Optimum conditions for the biodegradation of waste low-density polyethylene strips by bacteria isolated from parts of north central Nigeria
1 Department of Microbiology, Nasarawa State University, P.M.B 1022, Keffi, Nigeria.
2 Department of Microbiology, Veritas University Abuja, Nigeria.
Research Article
Open Access Research Journal of Science and Technology, 2023, 08(02), 001–009.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjst.2023.8.2.0039
Publication history:
Received on 16 June 2023; revised on 01 August 2023; accepted on 04 August 2023
Abstract:
Optimum conditions (Temperature, pH and incubation time) were studied for selected bacterial isolates Pseudomonas aeruginosa1(PA1), Pseudomonas aeruginosa2 (PA2), Bacillus megaterium, Providencia stuarti, Alcaligenes faecalis, Enterobacter hormaechei, Klebsiella pneumonia and Proteus vulgaris to biodegrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) waste by using Basal Salts Medium (BSM) containing 0.500g LDPE strips (1 cm by 5 cm each) using changes in mechanical properties and weight loss of the strips as indicators for ability of these microorganisms to degrade LDPE. The results revealed that four of the eight bacterial isolates, Pseudomonas aeruginosa1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa2, Bacillus megaterium, and Providencia stuarti showed high ability to degrade the LDPE strips after 8 weeks of incubation in liquid Basal Salts Medium at pH 6.5 -7.5 and 32oC. The tensile strength of the LDPE strips was reduced by 0.047±0.41 MN/M2 (47%) for P. aeruginosa1, 0.040±0.30 MN/M2 (40%) for P. aeruginosa2, Bacillus megaterium, 0.033±0.61 MN/M2 (33%), and Providencia stuarti, 0.027±0.41 MN/M2 (27%). The weight loss of the LDPE recorded for Pseudomonas aeruginosa1 was 19.80±0.04 %, for Pseudomonas aeruginosa2 19.40±0.08 %, 13.40±0.10 %, for Bacillus megaterium and 19.20±0.42 % for Providencia stuarti respectively. There was significant difference in the weight loss of the LDPE strips at pH 6.5 for Bacillus megaterium, Providencia stuarti, Alcaligenes faecalis and Enterobacter hormaechei and at 30-32 oC for Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus megaterium, Klebsiella pneumonia and Proteus vulgaris(P>0.05 %).
Keywords:
LDPE Biodegradation; Optimum conditions; Tensile Strength; Weight Loss
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