European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

BIODEGRADATION ABILITY OF BACTERIA ON PLASTIC AND THERMOCOL CUPS

Sikha Dey, Ashok Kumar Singh and Gauri Singh*

ABSTRACT

The use of plastic and thermocol is increasing day by day but its degradation is becoming a great ecological threat. Most ecofriendly and acceptable method of plastic and thermocol degradation is by using microbes The present study includes collection of sample, isolation, identification, screening and degradation of pretreated plastics and thermocols cups by microbes in laboratory and soil condition. Only four isolates showed positive results and identified as Bacillus sp. (S2), Staphylococcus sp. (S6), Pseudomonas sp. (S8), Pseudomonas sp (S9). Four isolates and one consortium prepared from these were used. Degradation was done at different time intervals i.e. 20, 30 and 40 days. it is observed that degradation is increase with the increase in the time interval hence effective observation was recovered after 40 days interval. In plastic cups, maximum degradation was shown by Consortium (S) which is 22.7 percent and in thermocols 35 percent was degraded by S2 isolates (Bacillus sp). under laboratory condition. This work also reveals that thermocol degrade faster as compared to plastics.

Keywords: Bacteria, Biodegradation, Plastics, Thermocols.