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Bioprospecting bacteria-associated with Sponge from the Karimunjawa waters with plastic-degrading activity
Summary
Scientists discovered bacteria living on ocean sponges near Karimunjawa Island that can actually break down plastic—a promising natural tool for tackling the plastic pollution flooding our oceans. This matters because plastic waste breaks into tiny microplastics that end up in seafood and drinking water, so finding bacteria that degrade plastic in the environment could eventually help reduce our exposure to these particles. The researchers also found that the specific growth conditions used for the bacteria made a big difference, boosting plastic breakdown from just 20% to 80% effectiveness—showing there's real room to improve this approach with further
Abstract Plastic waste pollution poses a danger to aquatic life, necessitating efforts to remove plastic waste and microplastics from water environments. This study aimed to assess the seawater quality at a sampling site near the port of Karimunjawa Island, isolate bacteria associated with sponges, and evaluate their ability to degrade plastic using two different media: minimal salt medium (MSM) and peptone yeast agar (PYA). This study employed an experimental approach with a true experimental design. The findings revealed that five symbiotic bacterial isolates were successfully extracted from the sponge Dysidea sp. The potential for plastic degradation varied across different media. In MSM media, plastic-degrading activity ranged from 1.72% to 2.61%. In contrast, the percentage of plastic degradation in PYA medium was 1.23%. The bacterial isolate exhibited the highest plastic-degrading activity (80%) when cultivated in MSM medium, compared to only 20% activity in PYA medium. Selecting the appropriate medium can enhance the plastic-degrading activity of bacteria that function as plastic degraders in water.