Microbial biodegradation of cellophase

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Cellophane, a cellulose-based material, is often coated, affecting its biodegradability.
• Pure cultures of cellulolytic microorganisms showed limited degradation of untreated cellophane.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the microbial biodegradation of cellophane.
• To determine the impact of coating agents on cellophane degradation rates.
• To assess the potential of the biodegradation end-product as compost.

Main Methods:

• Used mixed cultures of cellulolytic microorganisms (Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Chaetomium sp., Sclerotium rolfsii, actinomycetes).
• Compared degradation rates of untreated cellophane with cellophane treated with tetrahydrofuran to remove coating agents.
• Analyzed the composition of the biodegradation end-product.

Main Results:

• Untreated cellophane exhibited a slow biodegradation rate with a lag phase of 37 days.
• Tetrahydrofuran extraction of coating agents initiated biodegradation within 10 days.
• Achieved 85% biodegradation in 52 days, yielding an end-product with 30% protein.

Conclusions:

• Cellophane's coating agents significantly inhibit microbial biodegradation.
• Removing coating agents enhances biodegradation efficiency.
• The protein-rich end-product shows potential for use as compost.