Exploitation of Enterobacter hormaechei for biodegradation of multiple plastics

The escalating problem of environmental ecological pollution caused by plastics presents a significant challenge, which makes the management of plastic waste urgent nowadays. In this study, a bacterium named WX-2 was isolated and screened for its potential in polymer degradation. Through standard microbiological techniques and 16SrDNA gene sequencing, it was identified as Enterobacter hormaechei. To assess its biodegradability potential, various plastics including High density polyethylene, Polypropylene, Linear low density polyethylene, Poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) and Polyvinyl chloride were subjected to the study. The biodegradability of the plastics was evaluated using multiphase approaches involving techniques such as Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Mass loss, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Water contact angle, and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results indicated that WX-2 possesses the capability to utilize diverse plastic polymers as sole carbon sources, displaying distinct biodegradation capacities. Notably, PBAT exhibited heightened susceptibility to degradation by the screened bacterial population.