| dc.description.abstract | Plastic pollution is becoming a pressing environmental issue. Plastic polymers are accumulating in waste landfills and oceans creating the great Pacific garbage patch. Its versatility, strength, and durability make it hard to completely degrade, making them very persistent in nature. In the last 50 years, researchers showed interest in the biodegradation potential of microbes. In this context, I isolated 45 bacterial strains from a waste dump in Norway and performed phenotypic characterization and DNA extraction using two different methods. Out of the 45 bacterial strains, 17 were selected based on their phenotypic characteristics and tested for their potential to degrade untreated Low-Density-Polyethylene (LDPE) powder. Strains PSG7 and ZZ7 showed viability in degrading the plastic over a 31-day period. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the biodegradation process and optimize it.
Keywords: Plastic pollution, biodegradation, LDPE, plastic degrading microbes | |