Biodegradation of UV Treated LDPE by Penicillium Isolated from Dumpsite Soil

Synthetic polymers are widely used both in food or commercial industry. Plastic one of its products is known to be expanding with changing life styles and increasing population. Plastics are polymeric material that has the capability of being moulded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure. However, they have an undesirable influence on the environment and cause problems with waste deposition and utilization. In the present study, biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) have been performed using Penicillium. The fungal strain adhered to the LDPE strip was used for biodegradation. Fungal growth was observed on the surface of the polyethylene when cultured on potato dextrose agar medium. Degradation was carried out using UV treated polyethylene, Degradation is monitored by observing weight loss, the Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which showed the hyphal penetration and degradation on the surface of polyethylene. Atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis showed increased surface roughness after the treatment with fungal isolate. A network of hyphae formation was observed on the surface of polyethylene strips. These results show that the Penicilliumis potential in biological degradation of polyethylene.