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A novel bacterial combination for efficient degradation of polystyrene microplastics
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Researchers tested three bacterial species, alone and in combinations, for their ability to break down polystyrene microplastics used as the sole food source. The combination of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Bacillus velezensis achieved the most impressive results, degrading 43.5 percent of the polystyrene in 60 days. The study suggests that carefully selected bacterial partnerships, rather than single species, may be more effective for biological degradation of plastic waste.
This study aimed to investigate the combined decomposition of polystyrene (PS) microplastics using three bacterial cultures: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Bacillus velezensis, and Acinetobacter radioresistens. The ability of all three strains to grow on medium containing PS (Mn 90,000 Da, Mw 241,200 Da) microplastics as the sole carbon source was examined. After 60 days of A. radioresistens treatment, the maximum weight loss of the PS microplastics was found to be 16.7 ± 0.6% (half-life 251.1 d). After 60 days of treatment with S. maltophilia and B. velezensis, the maximum weight loss of PS microplastics was 43.5 ± 0.8% (half-life 74.9 d). After 60 days of treatment with S. maltophilia, B. velezensis, and A. radioresistens, the weight loss of the PS microplastics was 17.0 ± 0.2% (half-life 224.2 d). The S. maltophilia and B. velezensis treatment showed a more significant degradation effect after 60 days. This result was attributed to interspecific assistance and interspecific competition. Biodegradation of PS microplastics was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle, high-temperature gel chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. This study is the first to explore the degradation ability of different bacterial combinations on PS microplastics, providing a reference for future research on the biodegradation technology of mixed bacteria.
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Researchers isolated bacteria from a wastewater treatment plant that can break down common plastics including polyethylene and polystyrene, some of the hardest plastics to recycle. The microbial communities worked together to degrade the plastics more effectively than individual bacterial strains. While biological plastic degradation is still slow compared to the scale of pollution, identifying these bacteria is a step toward developing biotechnology solutions for plastic waste cleanup.
Microbial biodegradation of polypropylene microplastics: a comparative assessment of single- and dual-species models
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Scientists found that certain bacteria can break down polypropylene—a common plastic used in food containers and packaging that sheds tiny "microplastic" particles into our environment and bodies. When two types of bacteria worked together, they broke down the plastic much faster than any single strain alone (up to 49% weight loss versus 28% or less). This research points toward a promising future tool—using bacterial teams to clean up microplastic pollution—which matters because these particles are increasingly found in our food, water, and even human tissue, with still-unclear health effects.
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Researchers isolated microbial consortia from Jakarta Bay that demonstrated the ability to degrade polystyrene microplastics. The bacterial communities, sourced from biofilm-covered plastic waste in the bay, showed measurable degradation of polystyrene over the study period. The findings suggest that naturally occurring marine microorganisms in polluted environments may have evolved capabilities that could be harnessed for bioremediation of plastic waste.
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