Plastic decomposing bacteria isolated
Tests revealed that plastic carry bags, blood bags and plastic granules were completely degraded by the bacteria. The six strains namely, Cronobacter muytjensii mbg5, Cronobacter muytjensii mbg6, C. sakazakii mbg1, C. sakazakii mbg3, Enterobacter clocae mbg2 and Ohrobactrum intermedium mgb4 have capable of breaking down plastics into biodegradable polymers. These bacterias were also found to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of biodegradable polymers that could substitute synthetic plastics. In the presence high carbon sources or nutritions like nitrogen, phosporous, sulphur, oxygen and magnesium PHAs are synthesized by the bacteria as intracellular carbon and accumulate as granules in the cytoplasm, the jellylike material lining inside of a cell. Biochemical tests and molecular analysis were used to identify the bacteria and confirm the production of PHA. With properties similar to polyethylene, polypropylene, PHAs emerged as an environmental friendly alternative to petrochemical based plastic.
Source: R. B. Smitha, Scientist, MBGIPS, Kozhikode.
