• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.247-251
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• 2008

Degradation behavior in the seawater of Tongyeong, Incheon, Kunsan and Hongsung was explored for Mater-Bi$^{(R)}$, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy valerate) (PHBV), poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) which can eventually be used for various fishery tools. Acinetobacter lwoffu/junii and Shewanella algae/putrefaciens inhabited all the seawater samples. Eikenella corrodens was also detected in all the seawater samples, although identified with poor confidence by VITEK system. Mater-Bi$^{(R)}$ was degraded faster than PHBV, PBSA and PCL in the seawater in contradiction to the degradation behavior in soil environment. The seawater retrieved from Incheon exhibited the most elevated activity for the plastic degradation, which may be partly ascribed to the largest number of total viable counts.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.299-305
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• 2000

Degradation behavior of the three commercial biodegradable polymers, namely poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) Sky-Green/sup R/ (SG) and Mater-Bi/sup R/ (MB) was investigated using bacteria isolated from activated sludge and farm soil. Three PHB degrading bacteria, three SG degrading bacteria and one MB degrading bacteria were isolated. The PHB degrading bacteria were identified to be Flavimonas oryzihabitans, Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum and Micrococcus diversus, while Pseudomonas vesicuraris, Pasteurlla multocida and Flavobacterium odoratum were identified as SG degrading bacteria. As for MB, Pseudomonas vesicuraris was isolated. The shake flask test for 28 days indicated that the rate of biodegradation of PHB, SG and MB in terms of weight loss were about 44∼69% 25∼32% and 29% respectively. The surface morphology of PHB, SG andMB films before and after degradation by microorganisms in an activated sludge soil was observed under SEM, demonstrating that the film surface had a very porous structure, and that microorganisms colonized heavily on the film surface. TOC and pH variation as a result of abiotic hydrolysis, or microbial growth in the absence of the polymers were compared to those due to degradation by F. oryzihabitans. Abiotic hydrolysis of PHB was three times as fast as that of SG and MB. Addition of yeast extract to the basal liquid medium accelerated the biodegradation of the polymers. Biodegradation of PHB was always faster than that of SG and MB irrespectively of the presence of yeast extract in the basal liquid medium.