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Potential accelerated biotransformation of petrochemical plastic surfaces by anaerobic digester sludge microorganisms
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Researchers investigated biotransformation of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene plastic surfaces by anaerobic digestion sludge microorganisms over a 50-day mesophilic incubation, finding statistically significant mass loss only in PVC (average 1.1 mg reduction) with Raman spectroscopy confirming surface chemical changes, suggesting differential microbial degradation susceptibility among plastic polymers.
Abstract This study investigated the biotransformation of three different plastic surfaces, polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE), by anaerobic digestion (AD) system microorganisms under mesophilic conditions. For that, a laboratory-scale AD system was established and plastics were immersed in the sludge for a 50-day incubation period, measured for any significant mass loss. Statistical analysis showed a significant mass loss (p < 0.05) in PVC pieces with a 1.1 ± 0.16 mg average reduction, while PP and PE didn’t show any significant mass loss. Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed temporarily increasing novel peaks in PVC at 1729 cm − 1 corresponding to C = O stretching vibrations. This was considered significant and compared against an unchanged marker of PVC, revealing a newly identified peak that has not been documented in prior studies of this material. PP also revealed temporarily increasing novel peaks in the spectral range of C = C stretching vibrations in the region of 1512 cm − 1 . Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis of PVC showed a reduction in average roughness amplitude from 100 nm to 90 nm in 30 days and 65nm to 50 days revealing surface biotransformation. Phase-contrast microscopy further confirmed surface embrittlement across all plastics. Four bacterial species that were associated with plastic biotransformation were isolated and characterized using 16s rRNA molecular marker gene based identifications as Pseudomonas fluvialis , Bacillus cereus , Proteus mirabilis and Gottfriedia luciferensis . In conclusion, this study suggests that, the changes to overall surface of the plastics and newly observed biodegradation of PVC suggesting a biotransformation leading to biodeterioration, by AD system microorganisms.
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A controlled batch study found that polystyrene, PET, and HDPE microplastics moderately inhibit methane production in anaerobic digesters, with HDPE causing up to a 24% reduction, while the microbial community showed overall resilience with HDPE being the notable exception. This is significant for microplastic pollution research because anaerobic digestion is a primary wastewater sludge treatment pathway, and microplastic interference threatens both energy recovery efficiency and the fate of plastics in biosolids applied to agricultural land.
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