Center for Environment and Energy Research and Studies (CEERS)
Abstract
The accumulation of dry waste containing synthetic polymers due to
their resistance to microorganisms and other environmental factors has
posed some serious problems to the environment in recent years. On the
other hand, plastics constitute the foundations of economy as they are
widely used in agriculture, constructions, packaging, health care and
also medicine. The aim of this research was to investigate the role of
different isolated fungi in the degradation of polycarbonate polymers.
For this purpose, sampling was done using the garden soil and waste
leachate from Isfahan Waste Management Organization. Samples were
enriched in the liquid mineral salt medium supplemented with
polycarbonate and then were transferred to the same medium solidified
with agar to isolate and identify different fungi. Finally, their
biodegradation activity was investigated with the help of clear- zone
and atomic force microscopic (AFM) techniques, and also lipase and
amylase production was tested. Among 15 isolated genera of mold fungi,
Fusarium , Ulocladium , Chrysosporium and Penicillium showed
biodegradation activity. According to the diameter of clear zone around
the fungal colonies and also AFM results, the highest rate of
degradation was related to Fusarium. Lipase activity of all isolated
fungi was positive, but amylase activity of Ulocladium was negative. It
can be concluded that some fungal strains such as Fusarium can be used
for the biodegrada- tion of plastic materials as it leads to a very
eco-friendly biodegradation process
