Plastic Degradation Essay

764 Words4 Pages
A. Rationale Tremendous increases in the manufacture and consumption of plastics over recent decades have led to numerous ecological and economic concerns (Strobel, 2011). The biodegradation of plastics proceeds actively under different soil conditions according to their properties, because the microorganisms responsible for the degradation differ from each other and they have their own optimal growth conditions (V. Mahalakshmi, 2012). Plastic is one of the major problems earth has been facing for so many years. Because of its characteristics, plastics are widely used all over the globe. The number of plastics is increasing every year which makes the world suffer more. These synthetic polymers accumulate in the environment due to the lack of proper and safe disposal of this kind of…show more content…
Biodegradation of plastics Enzymes from fungi isolates adhere to the polyethylene substrate and then catalyze a hydrolic cleavage. Intracellular and extracellular depolymerizes in fungi degrade the polyethylene by cleaving the ester bond. Biodegradation Analysis The polymer degradation will be analyzed by measuring the weight loss, change in pH, CO2 evolution test, SEM analysis and FTIR analysis. a) Weight Reduction Dry weight of the residual polyethylene will be determined by dipping the fungi-treated films with aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate solution for 4 hours and with distilled water. The washed polymer will be placed at a filter paper overnight at 60 degrees. b) Change in pH The change in pH level will be measured using the pH meter or indicator during the microbial activity every 10 days for 60 days. c) CO2 Evolution Test Biodegradation of polymer chain leads to production of carbon dioxide which will be measured by Sturm test using a carbon dioxide (CO2) meter. d) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

More about Plastic Degradation Essay

Open Document