Ahmed Momina, Iram Shazia, Tabassum Noshabah, Sajid Mahnoor, Paseutsakoun Kingkham, Aleksza László, Székács András
Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, The Mall, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan.
Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 May 10;17(10):1303. doi: 10.3390/polym17101303.
This study investigates the biodegradation potential of two fungal strains, and , on polyethylene plastic bags, addressing the environmental challenges posed by the resistance of the plastic material to degradation. The fungi were cultivated, and their spore suspensions were tested for polyethylene degradation in both the soil and liquid salt media. Degradation was assessed using weight loss measurements, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After one month in liquid medium, induced a 45.62 ± 0.21% weight loss of polyethylene, while achieved a 36.0 ± 0.21% weight reduction. In soil, weight losses of 9.09 ± 0.08% and 10.00 ± 0.18% were observed after two months, respectively. TGA confirmed that the fungus-treated polyethylene samples were less thermally stable than untreated controls, indicating successful biodegradation. FTIR analysis revealed structural changes in the degraded polyethylene, while SEM images demonstrated significant surface alterations, including pitting, roughening, cracks, holes, and fungal colonization. These findings confirm the enzymatic action of fungi in degrading polyethylene into monomeric forms. The study highlights the potential for fungal biodegradation as an environmentally friendly strategy to mitigate plastic pollution. Future studies should characterize the specific enzymes involved and explore genetic engineering to enhance degradation rates.
本研究调查了两种真菌菌株对聚乙烯塑料袋的生物降解潜力，以应对塑料材料抗降解性所带来的环境挑战。对这两种真菌进行了培养，并在土壤和液态盐培养基中测试了它们的孢子悬浮液对聚乙烯的降解情况。使用重量损失测量、热重分析（TGA）、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）来评估降解情况。在液体培养基中培养一个月后，菌株 使聚乙烯的重量损失达到了45.62±0.21%，而菌株 使重量减少了36.0±0.21%。在土壤中，两个月后分别观察到重量损失为9.09±0.08%和10.00±0.18%。TGA证实，经过真菌处理的聚乙烯样品的热稳定性低于未处理的对照，表明生物降解成功。FTIR分析揭示了降解后聚乙烯的结构变化，而SEM图像显示出明显的表面改变，包括点蚀、粗糙化、裂缝、孔洞和真菌定殖。这些发现证实了真菌将聚乙烯降解为单体形式的酶促作用。该研究强调了真菌生物降解作为一种减轻塑料污染的环境友好策略的潜力。未来的研究应表征所涉及的特定酶，并探索基因工程以提高降解速率。
