Biodegradation of Waste Plastic by Bacterial Consortium from Contaminated Soil and Cow Dung

The growing issue of plastic pollution on a global scale is need of attention which cannot be handled with conventional waste management. Bioremediation presents itself as a promising environmentally friendly method that can make a difference in fighting the causes of plastic pollution. The large-scale accumulation of plastic) within the Panskura municipality has become a potential risk to the environment and public health. In this research, the biodegradation of plastic municipal wasteswas using microbial consortia derived from plastic contaminated soil and cow dung. The microbial isolates, Pseudomonas spp, Bacillus spp, Stenotrophomonas spp, and Paenibacillus spp, were screened for plastic degrading activities with 51 degradation tests. The isolates were then assessed via weight loss measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Results exhibited up to 36% weight loss in polypropylene (PP) after thirty days, with the consortia doing better than single strain actions. SEM showed evidence of surface erosion. These microbes’ consortia, just like those sourced from the Panskura plastic waste dump site are useful for overcoming the challenges of municipal plastic waste through biological means.