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Biodeterioration of Compost-Pretreated Polyvinyl Chloride Films by Microorganisms Isolated From Weathered Plastics
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Researchers developed a two-stage biodegradation approach for polyvinyl chloride film, combining composting pretreatment with subsequent attack by newly isolated fungal and bacterial strains under solid-state fermentation conditions. The combined process improved PVC degradation compared to single-stage methods, demonstrating potential for managing this recalcitrant halogenated plastic.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a petroleum-based plastic used in various applications, polluting the environment because of its recalcitrance, large content of additives, and the presence of halogen. In our case study, a new, two-stage biodegradation technology that combined composting process used for PVC pretreatment with a subsequent PVC attack by newly-isolated fungal and bacterial strains under SSF conditions was used for biodegradation of commercial PVC films. The novelty consisted in a combined effect of the two biodegradation processes and the use for augmentation of microbial strains isolated from plastic-polluted environments. First, the ability of the newly-isolated strains to deteriorate PVC was tested in individual, liquid-medium- and SSF cultures. Higher mass-reductions of PVC films were obtained in the former cultures, probably due to a better mass transfer in liquid phase. Using the two-stage biodegradation technology the highest cumulative mass-reductions of 29.3 and 33.2% of PVC films were obtained after 110 days with Trichoderma hamatum and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens applied in the second stage in the SSF culture, respectively. However, FTIR analysis showed that the mass-reductions obtained represented removal of significant amounts of additives but the PVC polymer chain was not degraded.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.