Biodegradation activities of Phanerochaete

chrysosporium fungus and the bacteria Pseudomonas putida and Sphingomonas

macrogoltabidus on pretreated HDPE plastic

Anne Richards, Cara Broshkevitch, Ong Kim Yao, and Poh Yong Rui

HDPE plastic: used in food packaging, plastic bags, plastic bottles, recycled plastic lumber, toiletry and liquid containers, outdoor furniture, and piping

Takes over 100 years to degrade in a landfill-discarded plastics filling up landfills (Sivan, 2011)

Detrimental environmental effects: Water and air cannot enter soil – deplete

underground water resource Disrupts degradation of other substances In the ocean, plastic chokes and entangles marine life

Background

Other ways of disposal can not be used: Burning plastics at high temperatures

produces toxic irritants that are human carcinogens

Past research: biodegradation with bacteria or fungi, UV radiation, and thermal radiation have been separately investigated All three organisms have been shown to

degrade polyethylene plastic separately

Background continued

Academy of ScienceHypothesis:The following factors affect the rate of biodegradation of HDPE plastic mass:

Ratios of different microorganisms

P. Chrysosporium fungus

P. Putida bacteria S. Macrogoltabidus

bacteria

Hwa Chong Institution

Hypothesis: The following factors affect the rate of biodegradation of HDPE plastic mass:

Environmental conditions for biodegradation

Exposure time to UV radiation

PurposeTo determine the optimum treatment of HDPE plastic for maximum biodegradation.

Academy of Science

Independent variables Ratios of P.

chrysosporium fungus, P. putida bacteria, and S. macrogoltabidus bacteria

Dependent variable Percent change in

dry mass of the HDPE plastic samples

Amount of CO2 gas present

Hwa Chong Institution

Independent variables Environmental conditions

for biodegradation Exposure time to UV

radiation

Dependent variables Percentage change in dry

mass of HDPE samples Amount of CO2 gas

present Temperature of contents

of flask Cell density of bacterial

cultures

Variables:

Academy of ScienceCulture Bacteria and

Fungi

Pre-treat Plastic

Expose Plastic to Individual

Microorganisms

Expose Plastic to different Ratios of 3

Microorganisms

Measure Dependent Variables

Hwa Chong Institution

Culture Bacteria

Prepare Soil Conditions

Pre-treat Plastic

Expose Plastic to Microorganisms

Measure Dependent Variables

Procedure

Bacteria will be cultured in culture test tubes with nutrient broth

Fungi will be cultured in Petri dishes in potato dextrose agar

Microorganism Culture (AOS & HCI)

Erlenmeyer flask with minimal media

Erlenmeyer flask with loamy soil and distilled water

Prepare Soil Conditions (HCI)

Pre-treat HDPE Plastic (AOS & HCI)

HDPE Plastic

Grocery Bags

Exposed to 365nm UV

radiation for 96 hours

Cut into one gram pieces

Exposed to thermal

radiation in the oven at

115°C for 48 hours

Exposed to

365nm UV

radiation for 72, 96, 120 hours

A

OSHCI

Cut into one gram pieces

HDPE Plastic

Grocery Bags

Exposed to thermal

radiation in the oven at

115°C for 48 hours

Academy of Science

Expose plastic to: Individual

microorganisms

P. putida S.

macrogoltabidus

P. chrysosporium

Different ratios of the three microorganisms

Hwa Chong Institution

Expose plastic to:

P. putida in: Minimal

Media Loamy soil

+ Distilled water

Expose Plastic to Microorganisms (AOS & HCI)

Will be used to measure: Percentage change in dry mass of HDPE samples Amount of CO2 gas present Temperature of contents of flask Cell density of bacterial cultures

Measure Dependent Variables (AOS & HCI)

Thermometer

CO2 Probe

Analytical Balance Spectrophotom

eter

AOS

HCI

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