Isolation and Identification of Plastic Degrading Fungi from Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Plastic is one of the most widely used raw materials across industries worldwide.However, it poses a significant environmental threat due to its slow decomposition rate, taking 100 to 1000 years to break down.Plastic waste contributes to climate change, fills landfills, and releases harmful pollutants such as CO and dioxins, worsening environmental degradation.To address this crisis, scientists are exploring biodegradation methods, particularly using microbes, which have the ability to break down both organic and inorganic materials.Fungi, known for their enzymatic capabilities, have shown promise in degrading plastic components.This study focuses on identifying fungal species from plastics dump yards and waste sites to analyze their potential in plastic degradation.The research utilized serial dilution, spread plating, cotton blue staining, and light microscopy for fungal identification.A total of 12 fungal species were isolated from soil samples, including Penicillium, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma, Verticillium, Cladophialophora, Chaetomium, Epicoccum, Colletotrichum, and Aspergillus terreus.Among these, Penicillium, Aspergillus niger, and Trichoderma were the most dominant species.These fungi have demonstrated the potential to degrade plastic waste in landfills and dump sites across India, offering an eco-friendly alternative to plastic disposal and contributing to sustainable waste management.