Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Jun;26(18):18509-18519. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-05038-9. Epub 2019 May 2.
Polyethylene (PE) is one of the major persistent plastic that is not biodegradable at considerable rates in most environments, and is the major source of unceasing environmental pollution. Recently, biodegradation of plastic wastes through waxworms and mealworms were reported. The present study focuses on the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) degradation capabilities of the larvae of Achroia grisella (lesser waxworm) and its ability to complete its life cycle when fed with HDPE. Effects of added nutrition on PE degradation were assessed, providing wax comb as co-feed (PE-WC). The egested frass of the waxworm fed on waxcomb (WC), PE, and PE-WC were studied by analyzing the changes in physiochemical properties through FTIR and H NMR techniques in addition to weight loss percentage of PE and survival rates of the tested lesser waxworms. The post-degradation studies of WC and PE showed 90.5 ± 1.2% and 43.3 ± 1.6% weight loss, respectively, by a group of 100 lesser waxworms. Over an 8-day period, PE consumption increased with an ingestion of 1.83 mg of PE per day per larvae. Supplementing the PE feed of lesser waxworms with WC facilitated enhanced PE degradation showing 69.6 ± 3.2% weight loss. Twenty-eight day survival rates for lesser waxworms fed on WC, PE, and PE-WC were 91.3 ± 1.01%, 74.6 ± 2.9%, and 86 ± 1.4%, respectively. The FTIR and H NMR analysis of egested frass indicated formation of new functional organic groups, supporting biodegradation of PE in lesser waxworms. The frass of the lesser waxworm fed on PE samples shows the presence of new carbonyl and alcoholic groups with increase in unsaturated hydrocarbon indicating formation of biodegraded intermediates. Lesser waxworms fed with WC, PE, and PE-WC completed all life cycle stages (larvae, pupae, moth, and egg) developing into a second generation. The second generation of PE-WC fed larvae of A. grisella efficiently degrades PE at par with first generation counterparts.
聚乙烯（PE）是一种主要的持久性塑料，在大多数环境中，其生物降解速度相当缓慢，是持续环境污染的主要来源。最近，有报道称蜡虫和粉虫可以生物降解塑料废物。本研究重点研究了小眼灰蝶幼虫（少蜡虫）对高密度聚乙烯（HDPE）的降解能力及其在以 HDPE 为食时完成生命周期的能力。评估了添加营养物质对 PE 降解的影响，提供了蜡巢作为共饲料（PE-WC）。通过分析 FTIR 和 H NMR 技术理化性质的变化，以及 PE 的失重率和测试少蜡虫的存活率，研究了蜡虫幼虫取食蜡巢（WC）、PE 和 PE-WC 的粪便。WC 和 PE 的降解后研究表明，100 只少蜡虫组分别有 90.5±1.2%和 43.3±1.6%的重量损失。在 8 天的时间里，PE 的消耗量随着幼虫每天摄入 1.83 毫克的 PE 而增加。在少蜡虫的 PE 饲料中添加 WC 可促进 PE 的降解，使其失重率达到 69.6±3.2%。以 WC、PE 和 PE-WC 为食的少蜡虫 28 天存活率分别为 91.3±1.01%、74.6±2.9%和 86±1.4%。对少蜡虫粪便的 FTIR 和 H NMR 分析表明，形成了新的有机功能基团，支持了少蜡虫体内的 PE 生物降解。以 PE 样品为食的少蜡虫粪便中存在新的羰基和醇基，不饱和烃增加，表明形成了生物降解的中间产物。以 WC、PE 和 PE-WC 为食的少蜡虫完成了所有的生命周期阶段（幼虫、蛹、蛾和卵），并发育成第二代。第二代以 PE-WC 为食的 A. grisella 幼虫能够高效地降解 PE，与第一代幼虫相当。
