| Popis: |
Large amounts of discarded plastics in the environment, as a consequence of human globalization and development and poor waste management, are directly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors within ecosystems resulting in the formation of plastic particles smaller than 5 mm defined as microplastics [1]. These particles cannot be easily detected, identified and removed from the environment, and due to their toxic effects they can have detrimental effects on ecosystem components as well as on ecological balance. Bioremediation and biodegradation are ones of the most commonly used methods for removing microplastics from the environment, and in order to be highly effective, it is necessary to optimize significant process parameters. The biological degradation of microplastics depends on their physical and chemical properties and on the properties of the microorganisms themselves [2]. In this study, biodegradation of polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) by bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, and Delftia acidovarans was investigated. During 57 days of the experiment, pH-value, temperature, concentration of dissolved oxygen, colony forming units (CFU), total organic carbon (TOC), inorganic carbon (IC), ionic composition and HPLC analysis of aquatic phase were monitored. Functional groups in the PE and PS structures were analyzed by ATR-FTIR analysis. The obtained results show that tested bacterial culture have the ability to degrade PE and PS. |
