Microbiological Characterization of the Biofilms Colonizing Bioplastics in Natural Marine Conditions: A Comparison between PHBV and PLA.

ABSTRACT: Biodegradable polymers offer a potential solution to marine pollution caused by plastic waste. The marine biofilms that formed on the surfaces of poly(lactide acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were studied. Bioplastics were exposed for 6 months to marine conditions in the Mediterranean Sea, and the biofilms that formed on their surfaces were assessed. The presence of specific PLA and PHBV degraders was also studied. PHBV showed extensive areas with microbial accumulations and this led to higher microbial surface densities than PLA (4.75 vs. 5.16 log CFU/cm²). Both polymers' surfaces showed a wide variety of microbial structures, including bacteria, fungi, unicellular algae and choanoflagellates. A high bacterial diversity was observed, with diff

SUBMITTER: Marin A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10304962 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature