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BIODEGRADABILITY OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE USING POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE DEPOLYMERASE PRODUCED BY Enterobacter aerogenes BFS8
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Enterobacter aerogenes BFS8 isolated from soil produced a PET depolymerase that caused visible surface degradation of polyethylene terephthalate — including cracking, colony adhesion, and loss of hydroxyl functional groups — over 180 days of incubation. Identifying soil bacteria with PET-degrading enzymes is directly relevant to microplastic research because PET is one of the most abundant plastic polymers found as microplastics in soils and aquatic environments.
Plastic debris in great quantity and its persistence in the surroundings may disrupt ecological balance of the earth because plastics are difficult to degrade. This study was aimed at the isolation, production and application of polyethylene terephthalate depolymerase in polyethylene terephthalate biodegradation. Enterobacter aerogenes BFS8 was isolated from a soil sample and screened using standard methods. Phenotypic and genotypic characterisation was done using microbiological methods. Enterobacter aerogenes BFS8 was used to produce polyethylene terephthalate depolymerase and the enzyme was then used to degrade polyethylene terephthalate samples. The screening method showed that Enterobacter aerogenes BFS8 had the potential to degrade polyethylene terephthalate. The identification methods confirmed Isolate BFS8 as Enterobacter aerogenes BFS8. Sample degradation were analysed after 30 days, 90 days and 180 days using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Microscopy, then compared with control sample. The biodegraded polyethylene terephthalate had cracks, scrapings on the surface, crystals and adhesion of microbial colony. There were changes in functional group and structure of biodegraded polyethylene terephthalate when compared to the control sample. In the infrared range of the test samples, the hydroxyl groups were the major missing peaks. Thus, this study shows that polyethylene terephthalate depolymerase produced by Enterobacter aerogenes BFS8 had a notable part in the biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate and thus can be used in the bioremediation of polyethylene terephthalate polluted environment.
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