Soil as a source of polyethylene degrading microorganisms

Abstract

The presence of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) degrading microorganisms was found in the soils of the Republic of Moldova. Under standard soil conditions the LDPE biodegradation was relatively slow, implying the possibility of long-term negative environmental impacts from soil pollution by LDPE. It was observed that the biodegradation rates could be substantially improved by adding glucose into the soil (0,5%). LDPE biodegradation rates depended on the soil type and on the presence or absence of increased environmental stress for the soil microbial biomass. The highest biodegradation rate was observed in the case of a virgin forest soil sampled from the Orhei region: on day 41 after adding glucose into the soil with introduced LDPE the soil microbial biomass was 6.1% higher than in the control without LDPE, while the extent of LDPE degradation reached 2.3%.