Bio-degradable plastic production by bacteria isolated from marine environment and organic-waste

Abstract

Bioplastics are biomass based biodegradable plastics which can be derived from corn starch, pea starch, vegetable fats and oils as well as microorganisms like bacteria, algae etc. They may be used for packaging purposes and catering items like bowls, pots, straws, cutlery etc., for making bottles for soft drinks, bags, trays etc. Plastic is one of the major pollutants at present time around the world, which is used for daily use like packaging materials, carry bags, manufacturing of different types of materials etc. So, to replace the use of synthetic plastic as well as to reduce the increasing environmental pollution an alternative must be developed. This need of synthetic plastic can be fulfilled by use of bioplastics. Polyhydroxyalkanoates are polymers produced by bacteria among which Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is one major group. The property of PHB is similar to synthetic plastics. So, it can be used as a suitable alternative to the present day conventional practices for sustainability. Several bacterial species likeActinobacillus, Azotobacter, Agrobacterium, Rhodobacter, and Sphaerotiliushave been under focus for their ability of converting organic waste to bacterial PHA.For industrial production of PHB, some bacterial species like Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp.,Aeromonasspp.,Cupriavidusspp. have been extensively used for their potential to produce PHB. Since the production of bio-plastic is expensive many techniques have been adopted for large scale production. But, to obtain PHB in large amount the selection of proper strains of bacteria, capable of producing or accumulating PHB is necessary. Marine ecosystem is one of the largest ecosystems on Earth and still required to be explored. So in this study, comparison of the production of PHB (Bio- Plastic) in Marine and Soil bacteria has been done to find out which one has the potency to accumulate more PHB.