Biodegradation of Organic Compounds and Plastics: A Review (original) (raw)
Related papers
A Review on Biodegradations of Polymers and its Effect on Environment
Journal of Composites and Biodegradable Polymers, 2016
Biodegradation refers to the chemical dissolution of materials by microorganisms or other biological means. Biodegradability of a material refers to the ability of that material to be decomposed by biological agents, especially bacteria. Carbon dioxide and water are produced during aerobic biodegradation and carbon-dioxide, water and methane are produced during anaerobic biodegradation. The process of degradation induces changes in polymer properties resulting in bond scission, chemical transformation and formation of new functional groups. Most of the polymers are non-degradable and some are degraded after longtime and causes environmental pollution. Biodegradation of polymers have both positive and negative impact on environment but the negative impacts are more remarkable. Because some polymeric materials take about million year to degrade in environment. Disposal problem will be introduced from these materials and finally destroy our ecological balance. To protect the environmen...
Usage of Potential Micro-organisms for Degradation of Plastics
Open Journal of Environmental Biology, 2019
Plastics are high molecular weight organic source materials. It is necessary to devise systems to decompose plastic polymers because their disruptive effects are threatening the ecosystem. Biotic and abiotic strategies are being employed to convert plastics into monomers. The objective of both techniques is to reduce polymers to monomers. Microbes act on monomers for their degradation by releasing enzymes on polymers. The rate of microbial degradation is affected by both the environmental conditions as well as by polymer characteristics. Different methods are used to check the rate of biological degradation However, some plastics oppose microbial action. The environment condition and polymer characteristics affect the rate of degradation. Different approaches are used to check the rate of biological degradation. The need of the time is to generate bio based plastics material which can be degraded effi ciently. These polymers can be recycled by degradation to monomers and then convert back to petrochemical products. This will contribute to fulfi ll the increasing demand of organic fuels and may serve as next generation fuel. There is no effective technique that can degrade plastics with effi cacy, so scientists are struggling to develop techniques which not only degrade these polymers but also results into benefi cial products. This review is an attempt to organize some of the most common strategies for degradation of various types of polymers along with a list of potential microbes capable of feeding on them.
Biodegradation and Bioremediation Microbial Bioremediation Bernabas Seyoum Asres
Abstract Bioremediation is a process in which microorganisms metabolize contaminants either through oxidative or reductive processes. Under favorable conditions, microorganisms can oxidative degrade organic contaminants completely into non-toxic by-products such as carbon dioxide and water or organic acids and methane. Due to rapid industrialization and large-scale anthropogenic activities, the pollution level is increasing at a rapid rate, which is a major concern. Microorganisms are readily available, rapidly characterized, highly diverse, omnipresent, and can use many noxious elements as their nutrient source. They can be applied in both in situ and ex situ conditions; in addition, many extreme environmental conditions can be cleaned by such entities by microorganism mediated transformation or degradation of contaminants into nonhazardous or less hazardous substances. For contaminants to be degraded, microbes need favorable conditions in which they use it as source of carbon and energy to increase their cell growth. Bioremediation, both in situ and ex situ have also enjoyed strong scientific growth, in part due to the increased use of natural attenuation, since most natural attenuation is due to biodegradation. Bioremediation and natural attenuation are also seen as a solution for emerging contaminant problems, e.g. endocrine disrupters, landfill stabilization, mixed waste biotreatment and biological carbon sequestration. Microbes are very helpful to remediate the contaminated environment. Number of microbes including aerobes, anaerobes and fungi are involved in bioremediation process. Keywords: Bioremediation, Biotechnology, Microbes
The Biodegradation of Organic Pollutants
2021
A rise in environmental pollution in today's environment is a significant concern. Organic compounds may be controlled through physical and chemical methods but these procedures are harmful and not eco-friendly, as their finished output will stay hazardous until the very end. Biological methods would also be an acceptable solution to bioremediation activities, not just cost-effective but also eco-friendly. In comparison, the end result is less harmful than most methods. Microorganisms and plants (bioremediation) are used to fix contaminated conditions and have become an enticing and growing area in environmental biotechnology. In addition to the usage of all cell microorganisms, the use of their enzymes extracellular and/or cell-free is suggested as a creative emission control strategy. Extracellular enzymes have many benefits over the usage of entire microbial cells for the elimination of toxins. In the present paper several issues relevant to both cell-present and cell free ex...
Biodegradation of Synthetic and Natural Plastic by Microorganisms
Plastic disposal is one of the greatest problems facing the environment today, as vast amounts of synthetic plastic remain non degradable. A number of microorganisms have the ability to degrade different types of plastic under suitable conditions, but due to the hardness of these polymers and their non-solubility in water, biological decomposition is a slow process. Natural plastics are made from plant and animal sources, or produced by a range of microorganisms, must be introduced. Some bacterial strains can produce and store bioplastics using carbon sources under suitable fermentation conditions. Such biomaterials are called polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or biological polyester. They are safe, have no toxic by-products and can be degraded easily by microorganisms.
Review, 2020
Plastics are polymers of higher molecular mass of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used as inputs for industries. Over the last few years, the need for biodegradable plastics has led to extended significance due to the extreme use of plastics and increasing pressure being positioned on to be had capacities for plastic waste disposal. Lack of degradability and the closing of landfill sites as well as growing water and land pollutant problems have caused the situation about plastics. Plastics are causing great difficulty in environmental problems and consequently, this desires manufacturers to synthesize materials that do not have an impact on the environment. The use of microorganisms in the surrounding to metabolize the molecular shape of plastic materials to produce an inert humus-like material and this is much less dangerous to the surroundings, furthermore, expertise their interaction and the biochemical adjustments they undergo are tremendously essential. In addition, the use of bio-active compounds coated with swelling materials ensures that once it is far mixed, with heat and moisture, they make bigger the plastics molecular structure and permit the bio-lively compounds to metabolize and neutralize the plastic. Thus, this overview article is revised to inspire and make an impact on the importance of microorganisms on biodegradation plastic substances.
TIMBOU-AFRICA ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, 2021
Polythene and Plastic wastes range in types including pure water sachets, cellophane bags, plastic packaging of confectioneries, bakery products, toiletries, laminating materials, soft drinks, pieces of plastic buckets, plates, cups, wrappings etc. They are found in household wastes, refuse dump sites, municipal drainage system, street refuse collections, where they constitute menace; where they constitute serious pollution, health hazard and endangerment to the environment. Removal of these pollutants by bioremediation using viable microorganisms is the crux of this research. The ability of Bacillus mycoides and Bacillus subtilis to biodegrade polyethylene was studied. Low density polyethylene and high density polyethylene films were exposed outdoor for 24 weeks. The two isolates were able to grow on polyethylene (PE) forming visible biofilms. The mean heterotrophic bacterial counts in the soil sample ranged between 2.311 X 105-3.20 X 108 CFU/g. The rate of degradation was determined by measurement of the residual weight of the PE films. Biodegradation in Erlenmeyer flasks by the bacteria after 60 days of incubation ranged between 8.41%-23.15%. The result showed that certain Bacillus sp. indigenous to the Niger Delta soil are capable of growing on PE films and biodegrade them, after an initial abiotic degradation. Bioremediation processes using the test bacteria is strongly recommended to be incorporated into waste disposal systems for a clean and healthy environment.
Biological degradation of plastics: a comprehensive review
Biotechnology Advances, 2008
Lack of degradability and the closing of landfill sites as well as growing water and land pollution problems have led to concern about plastics. With the excessive use of plastics and increasing pressure being placed on capacities available for plastic waste disposal, the need for biodegradable plastics and biodegradation of plastic wastes has assumed increasing importance in the last few years. Awareness of the waste problem and its impact on the environment has awakened new interest in the area of degradable polymers. The interest in environmental issues is growing and there are increasing demands to develop material which do not burden the environment significantly. Biodegradation is necessary for water-soluble or water-immiscible polymers because they eventually enter streams which can neither be recycled nor incinerated. It is important to consider the microbial degradation of natural and synthetic polymers in order to understand what is necessary for biodegradation and the mechanisms involved. This requires understanding of the interactions between materials and microorganisms and the biochemical changes involved. Widespread studies on the biodegradation of plastics have been carried out in order to overcome the environmental problems associated with synthetic plastic waste. This paper reviews the current research on the biodegradation of biodegradable and also the conventional synthetic plastics and also use of various techniques for the analysis of degradation in vitro.