Influencing Factors and Process on in Situ Degradation of Poly(Butylene Succinate) Film by Strain Bionectria ochroleuca BFM-X1 in Soil

Xueli Mei, Chengming Tian, Qian Dong, Yingmei Liang

College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Museum of Beijing Forestry University, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.

DOI: 10.4236/jep.2012.36063                

Abstract

This is the first report on the PBS film degraded by any Bionectria ochroleuca fungal strain. The fungal strain BFM-X1 was isolated from an air environment on a vegetable field and was capable of degrading poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). The taxonomic identity of the strain BFM-X1 was confirmed to be Bionectria ochroleuca (showing a 99% similarity to B. ochroleuca in a BLAST search) through an ITS rRNA analysis. The bio-degradation of the PBS film by strain BFM-X1 was studied. Approximately 97.9% of the PBS film was degraded after strain BFM-X1 was inoculated at 28?C for 14 days. The degradation efficiency of BFM-X1 against PBS film under different soil environmental conditions was characterized. The results indicated that 62.78% of the PBS film loss was recorded in a 30-d experimental run in a sterile soil environment indoors. On adding strain BFM-X1 to a soil sample, the PBS degradation rate accelerated approximately fivefold. Furthermore, both temperature and humidity influenced the in situ degradation of the PBS by strain BFM-X1, and temperature may be the major regulating factor. The degradation was particularly effective in the warm season, with 90% of weight loss occurring in July and August. Scanning electron microscope observations showed surface changes to the film during the degradation process, which suggested that strain BFM-X1preferentially degraded an amorphous part of the film from the surface. These results suggested that the strain B. ochroleuca BFM-X1 was a new resource for degrading PBS film and has high potential in the bioremediation of PBS-plastic-contaminated soil environment

Keywords

Poly(Butylene Succinate) (PBS); In Situ Biodegradation; Strain B. ochroleuca BFM-X1; Temperature; Humidity

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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