Ex Situ Bioremediation Technology for Plastic Degradation

Abstract

The transportation of the plastic waste from the generating sites/dumping sites to other places for degradation under controlled condition, is referred to as ex situ remediation. The ex situ degradation involves landfilling, incineration, and composting. The ex situ environment can be managed according to the requirement. There are several reports for the ex situ degradation of plastic with the addition of different chemicals which enhance the degradation. In the composting technology, the carbon source like starch and cellulose can be added which favors the degradation of plastic as the microbes remain alive. In the present chapter, an attempt was made to discuss and highlight the case studies of ex situ degradation of the plastic. We have also attempted ex situ degradation of plastic in the field of Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, using pot experiment. The pots were filled with sterilized soil and were inoculated with different polythene-degrading microbes (reported by us previously) except for the control. All the polythene strips were buried in the soil. After 45 days of incubation in the soil, the polythene strips were harvested, washed, and dried, and degradation of the polythene was determined in terms of percent weight loss of the polythene. We reported degradation of the polythene at ex situ level using the microbes studied.