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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

The Polyvinyl Alcohol Sponge Model Implantation
Published on: April 18, 2012
Biodegradation analysis of polyvinyl alcohol during the compost burial course
Yalan Liu1, Yiling Deng1, Ping Chen1
1School of Biology, Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract:
To discuss the microbial structure that develops during the course of compost burials of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based material and analyze the effect of the degree of PVA alcoholysis on the PVA-degrading ability of each strain. Two bacterial strains exhibiting a high level of PVA-degrading ability and two mixed cultures were isolated from compost loaded with PVA-based material. The rod-shaped Gram-positive bacterium DG22 was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing analysis as Bacillus sp. DG22, and the rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium DG14 was identified as Paenibacillus sp. DG14. Biodegradation rates were determined by iodometric analysis within 8 days of culturing on selective media. The biodegradation rates for PVA1799 by DG22, DG14, T1 (mixed culture from a 36-month burial), and T2 (mixed culture from a 24-month burial) were 54.47, 46.59, 69.62, and 79.04%, respectively, and those of PVA1788 were 74.99, 67.27, 54.43, and 50.76%, respectively. DG22 and DG14 are the first known Bacillus sp. and Paenibacillus sp. able to utilize PVA solely. However, the higher degree of PVA alcoholysis (AD) had a negative effect on the biodegradation of PVA.
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