Studying the Effect of Glycerol and UV irradiation on Microbial Degradation of LDPE

Abstract

The degradation of plastic using microbes has emerged as a key environmental friendly and cost-effective approach. Besides utilizing specific microbial strains, the breakdown of plastic can be further enhanced by incorporating degradation enhancers and pre-treating the plastic before degradation. Both methods are anticipated to significantly improve degradation rates. This study focused on examining the effects of these two factors on the microbial degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Pre-treatment with Glycerol, in varying concentrations and UV exposure at different time intervals was assessed for the impact on LDPE degradation Following these treatments, all plastic samples were collected from the media and tested for degradation improvement compared to the untreated control sample. FTIR, FESEM and SEM-EDS analysis showed oxidative degradation of LDPE. The results will be useful to develop a standard protocol and media composition to maximize plastic degradation with minimal resources and time. Once optimal conditions and media composition are established, a large-scale degradation setup can be implemented to help reduce plastic pollution in the environment.