Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium
Polystyrene (PS) and microplastic production pose persistent threats to the ecosystem. Even the pristine Antarctic, which is widely believed to be pollution-free, was also affected by the presence of microplastics. Therefore, it is important to comprehend the extent to which biological agents such a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
2023
|
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/1/polymers-15-01841.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848864993335836672 |
|---|---|
| author | Tang, Pui Mun Habib, Syahir Abd Shukor, Mohd Yunus Alias, Siti Aisyah Smykla, Jerzy Yasid, Nur Adeela |
| author_facet | Tang, Pui Mun Habib, Syahir Abd Shukor, Mohd Yunus Alias, Siti Aisyah Smykla, Jerzy Yasid, Nur Adeela |
| author_sort | Tang, Pui Mun |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Polystyrene (PS) and microplastic production pose persistent threats to the ecosystem. Even the pristine Antarctic, which is widely believed to be pollution-free, was also affected by the presence of microplastics. Therefore, it is important to comprehend the extent to which biological agents such as bacteria utilise PS microplastics as a carbon source. In this study, four soil bacteria from Greenwich Island, Antarctica, were isolated. A preliminary screening of the isolates for PS microplastics utilisation in the Bushnell Haas broth was conducted with the shake-flask method. The isolate AYDL1 identified as Brevundimonas sp. was found to be the most efficient in utilising PS microplastics. An assay on PS microplastics utilisation showed that the strain AYDL1 tolerated PS microplastics well under prolonged exposure with a weight loss percentage of 19.3% after the first interval (10 days of incubation). Infrared spectroscopy showed that the bacteria altered the chemical structure of PS while a deformation of the surface morphology of PS microplastics was observed via scanning electron microscopy after being incubated for 40 days. The obtained results may essentially indicate the utilisation of liable polymer additives or “leachates” and thus, validate the mechanistic approach for a typical initiation process of PS microplastics biodeterioration by the bacteria (AYDL1)—the biotic process. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:57:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-107796 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:57:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1077962024-10-30T03:51:12Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/ Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium Tang, Pui Mun Habib, Syahir Abd Shukor, Mohd Yunus Alias, Siti Aisyah Smykla, Jerzy Yasid, Nur Adeela Polystyrene (PS) and microplastic production pose persistent threats to the ecosystem. Even the pristine Antarctic, which is widely believed to be pollution-free, was also affected by the presence of microplastics. Therefore, it is important to comprehend the extent to which biological agents such as bacteria utilise PS microplastics as a carbon source. In this study, four soil bacteria from Greenwich Island, Antarctica, were isolated. A preliminary screening of the isolates for PS microplastics utilisation in the Bushnell Haas broth was conducted with the shake-flask method. The isolate AYDL1 identified as Brevundimonas sp. was found to be the most efficient in utilising PS microplastics. An assay on PS microplastics utilisation showed that the strain AYDL1 tolerated PS microplastics well under prolonged exposure with a weight loss percentage of 19.3% after the first interval (10 days of incubation). Infrared spectroscopy showed that the bacteria altered the chemical structure of PS while a deformation of the surface morphology of PS microplastics was observed via scanning electron microscopy after being incubated for 40 days. The obtained results may essentially indicate the utilisation of liable polymer additives or “leachates” and thus, validate the mechanistic approach for a typical initiation process of PS microplastics biodeterioration by the bacteria (AYDL1)—the biotic process. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2023-04-11 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_4 http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/1/polymers-15-01841.pdf Tang, Pui Mun and Habib, Syahir and Abd Shukor, Mohd Yunus and Alias, Siti Aisyah and Smykla, Jerzy and Yasid, Nur Adeela (2023) Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium. Polymers, 15 (8). pp. 1841-1855. ISSN 2073-4360 https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/8/1841 10.3390/polym15081841 |
| spellingShingle | Tang, Pui Mun Habib, Syahir Abd Shukor, Mohd Yunus Alias, Siti Aisyah Smykla, Jerzy Yasid, Nur Adeela Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium |
| title | Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium |
| title_full | Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium |
| title_short | Evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium |
| title_sort | evaluation of the deterioration of untreated commercial polystyrene by psychrotrophic antarctic bacterium |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107796/1/polymers-15-01841.pdf |