Characterization of microbial consortia isolated from the surface of low density polyethylene films

Abstract

The ability of microorganisms to transform or detoxify organic compounds is a well-known fact that promotes the development of environmental decontamination biotechnologies. The aim of this work is the characterization of the microbial consortium isolated from the surface of low density polyethylene films. LDPE films extracted from the soil were cultivated in liquid mineral salt media (MSM) with various composition and acidity. The microbial consortia isolated from MSM pH 5.5 and MSM pH 6.5 had a mixed composition. The analysis of the LDPE films by the FTIR method showed that the microorganisms, which populated the surface of the LDPE samples, cause chemical changes, observed on the absorption spectra of the films, such as the appearance of some absorption bands, or their splitting.