Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Humic Acids on Biofilm Formation on Polyethylene Surface and Its Biodegradation by Soil Bacteria

  • SOIL BIOLOGY
  • Published:
Eurasian Soil Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of humic acids on the formation of multispecies biofilms on the surface of high-pressure polyethylene and on the initial stages of its biocorrosion has been studied. The ability to form biofilms on the polyethylene surface and the initial stages of its biodegradation have been analyzed for two bacterial communities (binary and multispecies) isolated from the surface of polyethylene incubated in the topsoil (0–5-cm layer) in Myanmar during 180 days. Polyethylene samples were transported under sterile conditions to a laboratory (Moscow) and placed in vials with liquid medium (LB diluted 50 times by mineral medium M9 and with 0.1% C11–C16 paraffin solution added as an additional carbon source). Cultures were then disseminated to obtain individual colonies. Humic acids were extracted by alkaline extraction from the upper horizons of ferrallitic soil, in which the polyethylene sample was incubated (Myanmar), and from typical chernozem sampled in Lipetsk oblast (Orthic Acrisol and Haplic Chernozem according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources, 2014). Humic acids were extracted from humate fertilizer Fleksom based on lowland peat. We assessed the formation of biofilms on the polyethylene surface by staining with crystal violet and changes in the polyethylene surface after the removal of biofilms by densitometric method. The stimulating effect of humic acids of a wide concentration range on the biofilm growth on the polyethylene surface and at the initial stage of its biodegradation has been revealed for the first time. The methodological approaches and the results obtained supplement the information on polyethylene biodegradation and can be applied in biotechnologies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. M. V. Zhurina, A. V. Gannesen, S. V. Martyanov, and V. K. Plakunov, “Express method for determining the relation between polyethylene biocorrosion by Chromobacterium violaceum biofilms and their ability to form extracellular matrix,” Microbiology (Moscow) 89, 44–49 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261720010178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. D. S. Orlov, Properties and Functions of Humic Substances. Humic Substances in the Biosphere (Nauka, Moscow, 1993), pp. 16–27.

    Google Scholar 

  3. D. S. Orlov and L. A. Grishina, Practical Manual on Humus Chemistry (Moscow State Univ., Moscow, 1981) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  4. V. K. Plakunov, A. V. Gannesen, S. V. Mart’yanov, and M. V. Zhurina, “Biocorrosion of synthetic plastics: degradation mechanisms and methods of protection,” Microbiology (Moscow) 89, 647–659 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261720060144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. V. K. Plakunov, S. V. Mart’yanov, N. A. Teteneva, and M. V. Zhurina, “A universal method for quantitative characterization of growth and metabolic activity of microbial biofilms in static models,” Microbiology (Moscow) 85, 509–513 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261716040147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. V. V. Tikhonov, A. V. Yakushev, Yu. A. Zavgorodnyaya, B. A. Byzov, and V. V. Demin, “Effects of humic acids on the growth of bacteria,” Eurasian Soil Sci. 43, 305–313 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. D. K. R. Bardají, J. A. S. Moretto, J. P. R. Furlan, and E. G. Stehling, “A mini review: current advances in polyethylene biodegradation,” World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 36, 32 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-020-2808-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. S. Bonhomme, A. Cuer, A.-M. Delort, J. Lemaire, M. Sancelme, and G. Scott, “Environmental biodegradation of polyethylene,” Polym. Degrad. Stab. 81 (3), 441–452 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0141-3910(03)00129-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. O. Drzyzga, “The strengths and weaknesses of Gordonia: a review of an emerging genus with increasing biotechnological potential,” Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 38 (4), 300–316 (2012). https://doi.org/10.3109/1040841X.2012.668134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. T. Fashina, O. Adesanwo, and F. Adebiyi, “Influence of humic acid on biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in oil-contaminated soils,” Energy Sources, Part A 38 (17), 1–11 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2015.1079571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. G. N. Fedotov, S. A. Shoba, M. F. Fedotova, and V. V. Demin, “On the probable nature of biological activity of humic substances,” Eurasian Soil Sci. 51, 1034–1041 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229318090053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J. M. R. Floreza, A. Bassia, and M. R. Thompson, “Microbial degradation and deterioration of polyethylene—A review,” Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad. 88, 83–90 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2013.12.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. N. Gautam and I. Kaur, “Soil burial biodegradation studies of starch grafted polyethylene and identification of Rhizobium meliloti therefrom,” J. Environ. Chem. Ecotoxicol. 5 (6), 147–158 (2013). https://doi.org/10.5897/JECE09.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. J. Gong, T. Kong, Y. Li, Q. Li, Z. Li, and J. Zhang, “Biodegradation of microplastic derived from poly (ethylene terephthalate) with bacterial whole-cell biocatalysts,” Polymers 10 (12), 1326 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10121326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. K. Hiraga, I. Taniguchi, S. Yoshida, Y. Kimura, and K. Oda, “Biodegradation of waste PET,” EMBO Rep. 20 (11), e49365 (2019). https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.201949365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. H. J. Jeon and M. N. Kim. Degradation of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) exposed to UV-irradiation,” Eur. Polym. J. 52, 146–153 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2014.01.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. J.-M. Jeon, S.-J. Park, T.-R. Choi, J.-H. Park, Y.‑H. Yang, and J.-J. Yoon, “Biodegradation of polyethylene and polypropylene by Lysinibacillus species JJY0216 isolated from soil grove,” Polym. Degrad. Stab. 191, 109662 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2021.109662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. C. E. Jin and M. N. Kim, “Change of bacterial community in oil-polluted soil after enrichment cultivation with low-molecular-weight polyethylene,” Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad. 118, 27–33 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2017.01.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. M. Klavins and O. Purmalis, “Properties and structure of raised bog peat humic acids,” J. Mol. Struct. 1050, 103–113 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2013.07.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. S. Kumar and S. Raut, “Microbial degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE): a review,” J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 3 (1), 462–473 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2015.01.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. E. Lipczynska-Kochany, “Humic substances, their microbial interactions and effects on biological transformations of organic pollutants in water and soil: a review,” Chemosphere 202, 420–437 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. E. Lipczynska-Kochany and J. Kochany, “Effect of humic substances on the Fenton treatment of wastewater at acidic and neutral pH,” Chemosphere 73, 745–750 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.06.028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. S. Nardi, M. Schiavon, and O. Francioso, “Chemical structure and biological activity of humic substances define their role as plant growth promoters,” Molecules 26, 2256 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26082256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Y. A. Nikolaev, E. V. Demkina, I. A. Borzenkov, A. E. Ivanova, T. A. Kanapatsky, A. I. Konstantinov, A. B. Volikov, I. V. Perminova, and G. I. El-Registan, “Role of the structure of humic substances in increasing bacterial survival,” Open Access J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 5 (4), 000174 (2020). https://doi.org/10.23880/oajmb-16000174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. B. M. Nkem, N. Halimoon, F. M. Yusoff, W. L. W. Johari, M. P. Zakaria, S. R. Medipally, and N. Kannan, “Isolation, identification and diesel-oil biodegradation capacities of indigenous hydrocarbon-degrading strains of Cellulosimicrobium cellulans and Acinetobacter baumannii from tarball at Terengganu beach, Malaysia,” Mar. Pollut. Bull. 107 (1), 261–268 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.03.060

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. M. E. Parent, PhD Thesis (Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, 2006).

  27. Plastics—The Facts 2020. An Analysis of European Plastics Production, Demand and Waste Data (Association of Plastics Manufactures, Brussels, 2020).

  28. M. Pukalchik, K. Kydralieva, O. Yakimenko, E. Fedoseeva, and V. Terekhova, “Outlining the potential role of humic products in modifying biological properties of the soil—A review,” Front. Environ. Sci. 7, 80 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. L. Ren, L. Men, Z. Zhang, F. Guan, J. Tian, B. Wang, J. Wang, Y. Zhang, and W. Zhang, “Biodegradation of polyethylene by Enterobacter sp. D1 from the guts of wax moth Galleria mellonella,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health 11, 1941 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16111941

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. J. Ritchie and M. Perdue, “Analytical constraints on acidic functional groups in humic substances,” Org. Geochem. 39 (6), 783–799 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2008.03.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. X. Jia, C. Qin, T. Friedberger, Z. Guan, and Z. Huang, “Efficient and selective degradation of polyethylenes into liquid fuels and waxes under mild conditions,” Sci. Adv. 2 (6), e1501591 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1501591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Z. Hong, W. Chen, X. Rong, P. Cai, W. Tan, and Q. Huang, “Effects of humic acid on adhesion of Bacillus subtilis to phyllosilicates and goethite,” Chem. Geol. 416, 19–27 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.10.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to Fleksom company for providing organomineral fertilizer based on peat humic acids.

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 18–29–05048.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    K. I. Bogdanov & N. V. Kostina

  2. Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117312, Moscow, Russia

    V. K. Plakunov & M. V. Zhurina

Authors
  1. K. I. Bogdanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. V. Kostina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. V. K. Plakunov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. V. Zhurina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. I. Bogdanov.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Translated by I. Bel’chenko

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bogdanov, K.I., Kostina, N.V., Plakunov, V.K. et al. Effect of Humic Acids on Biofilm Formation on Polyethylene Surface and Its Biodegradation by Soil Bacteria. Eurasian Soil Sc. 55, 474–484 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229322040056

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229322040056

Keywords:

Search

Navigation