Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Degradation of low density polyethylene by Bacillus species

Researchers tested the ability of two common Bacillus bacteria species to degrade low-density polyethylene and observed weight losses of about 3.5 and 2.8 percent over 30 days. Surface analysis revealed cracks, pits, and chemical oxidation on the plastic sheets exposed to the bacteria. The study suggests that these widely available microorganisms could potentially be developed as biological agents for polyethylene degradation, though the underlying enzymatic mechanisms require further investigation.

2022 Applied Biological Chemistry 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of LDPE plastic by local strain of Bacillus sp. isolated from dump soil of Pekanbaru, Indonesia

Scientists isolated a local strain of Bacillus bacteria from landfill soil in Indonesia and tested its ability to break down low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic. The bacteria showed measurable ability to degrade LDPE, reducing plastic weight over time. This research supports the potential for using locally sourced soil bacteria in plastic biodegradation efforts.

2021 Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial degradation of virgin polyethylene by bacteria isolated from a landfill site

Researchers isolated bacteria from landfill sites that had been exposed to plastic waste for up to 17 years and tested their ability to break down high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a common plastic used in packaging. The bacterium Bacillus cereus achieved the highest degradation at only 1.78% weight loss, confirming that plastic biodegradation in landfills is an extremely slow process.

2022 SN Applied Sciences 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) using marine bacteria isolated from tropical beaches of megacity Mumbai

Marine bacteria isolated from plastic debris buried in beach sediments at seven Mumbai beaches were able to colonize and partially degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic. Identifying bacteria naturally adapted to plastic-rich marine environments is a step toward developing biological tools for plastic degradation, though the process is currently far too slow to address the scale of ocean plastic pollution without significant enhancement.

2024 Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploitation of bacterial strains for microplastics (LDPE) biodegradation

Researchers tested five bacterial strains for their ability to biodegrade low-density polyethylene microplastics over four months. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the most significant degradation with an 18.2% weight loss, followed by Bacillus subtilis at 16.1%. The study demonstrates that naturally occurring soil bacteria can break down polyethylene microplastics, suggesting a potential biological approach to addressing plastic waste pollution.

2023 Chemosphere 63 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comparative Study of Low-density Polyethylene Shopping Carry Bag Degrading Bacteria Isolated from Marine and Garden Soil

Researchers isolated bacteria from marine and garden soil and tested their ability to degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic bags. Two species — Paenibacillus castanea and Riemerella anatipestifer — achieved up to 7.3% weight loss of LDPE after 35 days, demonstrating that soil bacteria can slowly break down this common plastic. This research is relevant to understanding natural LDPE degradation pathways and the formation of microplastics as larger plastic items fragment in soil and marine environments.

2023 International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH
Article Tier 2

Isolation and characterization of new bacterial strains degrading low-density polyethylene

Researchers isolated and characterized new bacterial strains capable of degrading low-density polyethylene, one of the most common plastic polymers. The strains were found in landfill and compost environments, and the study suggests that biological degradation could be a promising approach for addressing polyethylene waste accumulation.

2024 Chemical and Process Engineering New Frontiers 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid Biodegradation of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Without Pre-Treatment by Bacillus Strains Isolated from Garbage Dumpsites

Researchers isolated five Bacillus strains from garbage dump sites in Bangladesh and demonstrated their ability to degrade untreated low-density polyethylene films without pre-treatment, achieving 16–26% weight loss and surface erosion confirmed by microscopy and FTIR, with two strains representing previously undocumented LDPE degraders.

2026
Article Tier 2

An approach to low-density polyethylene biodegradation by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Researchers isolated two strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens from municipal solid waste soil and demonstrated their capacity to degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films, as measured by dry weight reduction, pH changes, and surface modification via FTIR and SEM analysis. The findings indicate that these bacterial strains have potential for application in LDPE bioremediation.

2014 3 Biotech 239 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation potential of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) using Aspergillus niger and Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Researchers tested two common fungi — Aspergillus niger and Phanerochaete chrysosporium — on low-density polyethylene plastic and found they degraded up to 40% of the material in just 20 days. The findings suggest these fungi could be part of a biological strategy for breaking down one of the world's most common plastic types.

2025 Discover Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microorganism-Based Bioremediation Approach for Plastics and Microplastics Wastes

Soil bacteria were isolated and screened for plastic-degrading capacity, with one of five isolates showing the highest low-density polyethylene (LDPE) degradation, demonstrating that soil-derived actinobacteria and other bacteria can contribute to bioremediation of plastic waste.

2024
Article Tier 2

The escalated potential of the novel isolate Bacillus cereus NJD1 for effective biodegradation of LDPE films without pre-treatment

Researchers isolated a novel Bacillus cereus strain from a plastic waste dump that achieved 43% weight loss of LDPE films without pre-treatment, demonstrating promising potential for direct bacterial biodegradation of polyethylene waste.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of polyethylene: a brief review

This review examines research on biodegradation of polyethylene by microorganisms, summarizing the physico-chemical changes observed and noting that while promising bacterial strains have been identified, complete biodegradation under ambient conditions has not been achieved.

2020 Applied Biological Chemistry 520 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioremediation of MP-polluted Waters Using Bacteria Bacillus licheniformis, Lysinibacillus massiliensis, and Mixed Culture of Bacillus sp. and Delftia acidovorans

Researchers evaluated the biodegradation of low-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics by pure strains of Bacillus licheniformis, Lysinibacillus massiliensis, and a mixed culture of Delftia acidovorans and Bacillus sp., assessing degradation efficiency and mechanisms for bioremediation of plastic-polluted environments.

2021 Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of LDPE Using the Winogradsky Column Containing OtteriDumpsite Soil: Prediction of Mechanism and Metabolites Determination

Researchers used a soil microbial community system (Winogradsky column) to degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic, the material used in grocery bags. The bacterial community broke down the plastic and produced identifiable metabolites, suggesting that soil microbes can slowly but measurably attack LDPE. This matters for understanding how plastic waste might naturally degrade in landfills and why microplastics form and persist in the environment.

2023 Current Analytical Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Kinetics and Potential Mechanisms of LDPE and PBAT Microplastics Biodeterioration by Soil Bacteria Bacillus cereus L6

Scientists isolated a strain of Bacillus cereus from long-term microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil and found it could cause measurable mass loss in both LDPE (0.99% over 28 days) and biodegradable PBAT (3.58% over 28 days) agricultural film microplastics, with genome sequencing revealing the biochemical pathways involved. The faster degradation of PBAT confirms its greater biodegradability, while the LDPE results suggest even conventional polyethylene films can be partially broken down by native soil bacteria. These findings have implications for understanding how microplastics from agricultural films persist in or are gradually processed within soil ecosystems.

2026 Microorganisms
Article Tier 2

Phenotypic and Genomic Characterization of Polyethylene-Degrading Bacillus cereus PE-1 Enriched from Landfill Microbial Consortium

Scientists found a bacteria called Bacillus cereus PE-1 in landfill soil that can actually eat and break down plastic bags and containers (polyethylene). The bacteria damaged the plastic's surface and reduced its weight by about 5% in just 30 days, suggesting it could potentially help clean up plastic pollution in the environment. While this research is still early and needs more testing, it offers hope for using natural bacteria to tackle the growing problem of plastic waste that threatens our ecosystems and food chain.

2026 Polymers
Article Tier 2

Cladosporium cladosporioides (strain Clc/1): a candidate for low-density polyethylene degradation

Researchers isolated 47 fungal strains from plastic debris collected in the field and tested their ability to break down low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic, finding that only one strain, Cladosporium cladosporioides, visibly degraded the plastic surface after 90 days. Using a combination of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, they confirmed early-stage chemical breakdown of the plastic, suggesting this common environmental fungus has potential for biological plastic degradation.

2023 Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm development of Bacillus siamensis ATKU1 on pristine short chain low-density polyethylene: A case study on microbe-microplastics interaction

Researchers isolated a low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-degrading bacterial strain, Bacillus siamensis ATKU1, from a plastic dumping site and studied its biofilm formation on LDPE microplastics as the sole carbon source. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed biofilm development with measurable changes to surface mechanical properties, providing evidence for microbial utilisation of LDPE microplastics.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation and detoxification of low-density polyethylene by an indigenous strain Bacillus licheniformis SARR1

Researchers found that an indigenous Bacillus licheniformis strain (SARR1) could biodegrade low-density polyethylene strips at a rate of 0.069 g/day with a half-life of approximately 335 days, reducing crystallinity from 71.7% to 50.8% and producing eco-friendly metabolic byproducts confirmed by GC-MS.

2022 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics: Environmental and Biotechnological Perspectives on Microbial Degradation

This review explores the environmental challenges of plastic accumulation and the potential for microorganisms to degrade various types of plastics. Researchers summarized recent discoveries of bacteria and fungi capable of breaking down common plastics like polyethylene and PET, though degradation rates remain slow. The study highlights microbial degradation as a promising but still developing biotechnological approach to addressing plastic pollution.

2019 Applied and Environmental Microbiology 821 citations
Article Tier 2

Introducing the LDPE degrading microbes of sedimentary systems: from dumpsite to laboratory

This study identified and characterized low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-degrading microbes from dumpsite sedimentary systems, isolating bacteria capable of utilizing LDPE as a carbon source—providing a starting point for developing biological solutions to plastic pollution remediation.

2025 Environmental Science Advances 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxodegradable Polyethylene Biodegradation Using Lactobacillus casei

Researchers investigated the capability of Lactobacillus casei, a lactic acid bacterium, to biodegrade oxodegradable polyethylene, finding 27.92% degradation over 28 days without preheating at optimal conditions of 26°C and pH 5, with preheated polyethylene showing lower degradation of 9.65%.

2024 El-Hayah Jurnal Biologi
Article Tier 2

Polycarbonate biodegradation by newly isolated Bacillus strains

Researchers isolated Bacillus strains capable of biodegrading polycarbonate from buried plastic films, demonstrating measurable polymer degradation through enzymatic activity including lipase and amylase production over the screening period.

2023 Archives of Environmental Protection 32 citations