Biodegradation of synthetic and natural plastic by. The microorgan isms that are respon sible for biod egradation differ from each other a nd have their own. However, considering their abundance in the environment and their specificity in attacking plastics, biodegradation of plastics by microorganisms and enzymes seems to be the most effective process. Microorganism s such as bacteria and fu ngi are involved in the degradation of plastics. Pdf biodegradation of plastics using microorganisms. Plastic disposal is one of the greatest problems facing the environment today, as vast amounts of synthetic plastic remain non degradable. Anaerobic microorganisms in the absence of oxygen utilize other sources as their electron acceptor such as nitrate, sulphate, iron, manganese and carbon dioxide for biodegradation 51 cpolymer. Biodegradation, plastics, bacteria, breakdown, degradation introduction he use of plastics has transformed our life in many ways. The mechanism of biodegradation of plastic involves biodeterioration, biofragmentation, assimilation and mineralization. A biodegradable fibre is a special type of synthetic fibre made from a biodegradable plastic which decomposes into water and carbon dioxide by virtue of the action of natural microorganisms.
Microorganisms that produce and store pha under nutrient limited. A number of microorganisms have the ability to degrade different types of plastic under suitable conditions. Biodegradation of plastics using nonconventional methods promises a future free of accumulation of commodity plastics used in packaging and commercial polymers, which are the most abundant form of plastic wastes. A number of microorganisms have the ability to degrade. Pdf biodegradation of synthetic and natural plastic by. Plastics are usually biodegraded aerobically in nature, anaerobically in sediments and landfills and partly aerobically in compost and soil.
Biodegradable plastics offer a lot of advantages such as increased soil fertility, low accumulation of bulky plastic materials in the environment which invariably will minimize injuries to wild animals, and reduction in the cost of waste management. Microbial degradation of plastics means breaking down plastic polymers into its monomers and oligomers by microorganisms. For instance, polyhydroxyalkanoates pha and lactic acid raw materials for pla can be produced by fermentative biotechnological processes using agricultural products and microorganisms. Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes are involved in the degradation of both natural and synthetic plastics.