title: Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by marine bacteria from pelagic waters, Arabian Sea, India.
abstract: Sixty marine bacteria isolated from pelagic waters were screened for their ability to degrade low-density polyethylene; among them, three were positive and able to grow in a medium containing polythene as the sole carbon source. The positive isolates were identified as Kocuria palustris M16, Bacillus pumilus M27 and Bacillus subtilis H1584 based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence homology. The weight loss of polyethylene was 1%, 1.5% and 1.75% after 30 days of incubation with the M16, M27 and H1584 isolates, respectively. The maximum (32%) cell surface hydrophobicity was observed in M16, followed by the H1584 and M27 isolates. The viability of the isolates growing on the polyethylene surface was confirmed using a triphenyltetrazolium chloride reduction test. The viability was also correlated with a concomitant increase in the protein density of the biomass. Polyethylene biodegradation was further confirmed by an increase in the Keto Carbonyl Bond Index, the Ester Carbonyl Bond Index and the Vinyl Bond Index, which were calculated from FT-IR spectra.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, GB Marg, Bhavnagar 364002, Gujarat, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Kumar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harshvardhan
authors.forename: Bhavanath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jha
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D007194:India; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D020959:Polyethylene
keywords: Biodegradation; Biomass; Pelagic marine bacteria; Polyethylene