NOVEL BIOREMEDIATION ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES FOR PLASTIC-DEGRADING MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

Background: The persistence of synthetic polymers in land and water ecosystems has resulted in plastic pollution becoming a major environmental concern. Landfilling and incineration, common methods for plastic waste disposal, are limited in terms of sustainability, and they produce secondary pollutants. Microbial bioremediation has emerged as a promising eco-friendly strategy for the degradation of plastic waste by virtue of enzymatic and metabolic activities.
Objective: This study will explore new bioremediation engineering techniques using engineered plastic-degrading microbial communities to enhance the degradation efficiency of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS).
Methodology: Microbial strains were isolated from environmental samples contaminated with plastic. CRISPR-based metabolic optimization was used to engineer microbial consortia, which were subsequently grown in controlled bioreactor systems. The plastic degradation efficiency was analyzed by weight loss analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, SEMmimaging and enzyme activity assays.
Results: The engineered microbial communities obtained enhanced biodegradation performances. The degradation efficiencies of PET, PE, PP, and PS were 68%, 49%, 41%, and 35% under the optimized conditions, respectively. The increased enzyme activity and the enhanced biofilm formation greatly improved the polymer degradation rate.
Conclusion: The study affirms engineered microbial bioremediation systems as an effective and sustainable approach for large-scale plastic waste degradation and environmental remediation.