Plastic Biodegradation by Peseudomonas aeruginosa UKMCC1011 Using A Modified Winogradsky Column

Abstract

The use of plastic as a packaging has been increased in the market. Plastics was polymers that difficult to degrade in nature which to be a source of environmental damage. This study was conducted to see the potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa UKM1011 and natural bacteria to degrade plastics using modified Winogradsky columns. The natural substrate used as soil, sand, and water were taken from Tasik Kejuruteraan UKM Bangi, Selangor. Modified Winogradsky columns using 600ml mineral bottles filled with 300 gr of soil or sand as a substrate and 300 ml of water mixed with medium salt as nutrients. The degradation process carried out for 60 days with parameters were the measurement of optical density (OD) at 600nm, pH conditions, and percent weight loss every 15 days. The results show P. aeruginosa were able to utilize plastics as the carbon source in modified Winogradsky column. The highest plastic degradation was black plastic on the sand substrate by the added P. Aeruginosa was 1.6684% followed by OD600was 0.599 and pH 8.2. While the high test degradation of yellow plastic on the sand substrate was 1.2302% followed by OD600was 0.593 and pH 7.9