Table Of ContentMohd. Shahnawaz
Manisha K. Sangale · Avinash B. Ade
Bioremediation
Technology for
Plastic Waste
Bioremediation Technology for Plastic Waste
(cid:129)
Mohd. Shahnawaz Manisha K. Sangale
Avinash B. Ade
Bioremediation
Technology for Plastic
Waste
Mohd.Shahnawaz ManishaK.Sangale
DepartmentofBotany DepartmentofBotany
SavitribaiPhulePuneUniversity SavitribaiPhulePuneUniversity
Pune,Maharashtra,India Pune,Maharashtra,India
PlantBiotechnologyDivision
CSIR-IndianInstituteofIntegrativeMedicine
Jammu,JammuandKashmir,India
AvinashB.Ade
DepartmentofBotany
SavitribaiPhulePuneUniversity
Pune,Maharashtra,India
ISBN978-981-13-7491-3 ISBN978-981-13-7492-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7492-0
#SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2019
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpartofthe
materialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation,
broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,andtransmissionorinformation
storageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilarmethodology
nowknownorhereafterdeveloped.
Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication
doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant
protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
The publisher, the authors, and the editorsare safeto assume that the adviceand informationin this
bookarebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsor
theeditorsgiveawarranty,expressorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforany
errorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardtojurisdictional
claimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations.
ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.
The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721,
Singapore
All the authors dedicate this book to their
respective parents
Preface
Plasticisoneofthemostfamousandhighlyusedpolymersthroughouttheworld.It
isusedinourday-to-daylifeforseveralactivities.Itservesasabetterreplacementof
other materials on this Earth like metals. In the past, before the discovery of
plasticsynthesis,humanswereusingstones,woods,glasses,andmetalstoproduce
goodsandutensils.However,therewerevariousproblemsinusingthosetraditional
materials:forexample,stonescanbebrokenduetostroke,woodenmaterialsarealso
breakable,glassesareauniqueexampleofabrittlematerial,andmetalsarealteredin
theirshapesandsizesduetostrokes.Theweight ofthosetraditionalmaterials was
also one of the important factors which made the handling difficult, leading to
maximumbreakage.Inviewofthis,plastic,whichwasproducedaccidentally,was
superiorover these materials. Plasticcan be retained for a longer time without any
damage. Furthermore, it is comparatively lightweight, making it easier to handle.
Plastic is also hydrophobic in nature; therefore, it is routinely used in situations
where water contact needs to be avoided, e.g., lamination of documents, etc.
Moreover, even the food materials packed in plastics (waterproof) remain free
from any microbial attacks, increasing the stability of food against degradation.
Forfurnitureorevenvehicles,Tefloncoatingcansolvetheproblemofdamagingthe
paints over it. The damage is otherwise caused by sunlight, rainwater, moisture,
harmful radiations, pollution, etc. Plastic material is the ultimate solution.
Depending on the requirement, plastic can be molded and converted into stronger
and durable substances by adding a certain material in it e.g. plasticisers. Due to
thesefinequalities,theuseofplastichasreachedanalarminglevelworldwide.Asit
is not breakable and more durable, there is a problem regarding its disposal and
decomposition.Iftheproductionrateofplasticisnotbalancedwiththedecomposi-
tionrate,thennaturallythereisagreataccumulationofplasticthroughouttheworld.
Afterusingvariouskindsofplastic,itgoestothegarbagewhichfurtherfindsitsway
tomixwiththewater,andthroughthewaterstreamsandrivers,itultimatelyreaches
theoceans.Itisdepositedatthebottomoftheseaandformsahugelayerlikethatof
thematerialoftheEarth’scrust.Ifitisdone,thereleaseofthetoxicsubstanceswill
gradually occur, which then contaminates the living organisms (both aquatic and
terrestrial)onthisEarth.Inviewofthis,thereisaneedfornovelideasandconcepts
for the proper handling of plastic waste. We have started the research work on the
bioremediation of plastic with the polymer polythene, in which we found the
vii
viii Preface
considerable contribution of the microbes for the polythene degradation. In this
book, we tried to incorporate our results. There are other books also in the market
thatdiscussplasticwastemanagement,butthesearethesuperficialandintroductory
typewhichonlyhighlightstheconcept.Weintendedtowriteabookthatshowsthe
realityinthemanagementofplasticwastewithrespecttothecomparisonofdifferent
strategies for handling and selection of bioremediation as a sustainable strategy
basedonourownexperienceswithplastic.
Thisbookisanattempttodiscusstheimpact ofplastic onourlivesindifferent
aspects.Italsosuggestscertainstrategiestomanageplasticwaste.Thepresentbook
is comprised of 12 chapters that discuss the different angles of plastic. Chapter 1
provides a general introduction related to the synthesis, uses, and properties of
plastics.Chapter2overviewedtheresearchupdatesaboutmicroplasticcomposition,
differenttypesofplastics,andtheirimpactontheenvironment.Chapter3discusses
the different possible methods to handle plastic pollution. Chapter 4 is concerned
withplasticdisposalbymicrobialdegradation.Chapter5highlightsourexperiences
of measuring the potential of bacteria for plastic bioremediation. Chapter 6 is
concerned with the role of fungi in plastic degradation. Chapter 7 emphasizes the
methods that are possibly useful, i.e., on-site and off-site methods in remediation
technologyfor plastic degradation.Chapter8discusses thesocialawareness ofthe
threatscausedbyplasticwastetohumanbeingandtherestofthebiota.Chapters9
and 10 are concerned with the fate of polythene after degradation that can be
analyzed by the critical assessment of the products formed and the toxic effects of
these products on the living organisms. Chapter 11 briefed the policies and
legislations/regulations adopted by different countries throughout the globe to
handle plastic waste. Overall, this book emphasizes the bioremediation of
plastic.Finally,Chapter12concludesandsuggestsfuturepracticesforthebioreme-
diationoftheplasticwasteinasustainableway.Suggestionsarewelcome,fromthe
readerstohelpintheimprovementofideasandproficiencyintheimplementationof
the regulations to minimize the generation of plastic waste and in identifying the
alternativesoftheplastic.
Jammu,India Mohd.Shahnawaz
Pune,India ManishaK.Sangale
Pune,India AvinashB.Ade
Acknowledgment
We bow our heads before the Almighty Allah, the most beneficent and most
merciful, for his endless blessings on all of us. We are thankful to the Director of
theBoardofCollegeand University Development(BCUD),SavitribaiPhulePune
University (SPPU), Pune, for their financial assistance. We are highly indebted to
Prof. N. P. Malpathak, Head, and Former Heads (Prof. S.S. Bhargava, Prof. S. S.
Deokule, Prof. V. R. Gunale, and Prof. B. B. Chaugule) of the Department of
Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, for providing us the necessary facilities.
WearethankfultoDr.MarieHelenelundandDr.MinnaHakkarainen,Department
ofFibreandPolymerTechnology,KTHRoyalInstituteofTechnology,Stockholm,
Sweden, and Prof. Dr. K. Kathiresan, Director, CASMB, Annamalai University,
Parangipettai, TN, India, for sharing their research with us. We would like to
acknowledge the authorities of Central Instrumentation Facility, SPPU, for
providing access to SEM, FTIR, and GC-MS facility. The help of Dutech India
Laboratories, Pune, India, for testing tensile strength of polythene strips is also
acknowledged. The Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle, Pune-411008, is
acknowledged for the identification and authentication of sample specimen of the
Avicennia marina and for availing library facility. We are also thankful to our
M. Sc. student (2015 batch) Mr. Rajkumar Damodhar Kherdekar for his extended
effortstomakethechapter7possible.WearehighlyindebtedtoDr.R.Deopurkar,
Former Head and Professor, Department of Microbiology, SPPU, Pune, for
providing us with departmental facilities. First author is thankful to SPPU, UGC-
BSR,UGC-MANF,andDST-SERBN.PDFforprovidingfellowshipsfromtimeto
time.ThesecondauthorisalsothankfultoUGC-BSRfortheirfinancialassistancein
theformoffellowship.
The permission granted by Springer Nature publishing house to reproduce our
own published data (Order Number: 4473771230998 and Order Number:
4473770885933), exclusively in Chapters 5, 9, and 10, is dully acknowledged. It
isofimmensepleasuretoacknowledgethehelpandsupporttenderedbytheeditorial
ix
x Acknowledgment
andproductionteam(especiallyDr.SawhneyBhavikandMr.JohnRamKumar)of
SpringerNature,NewDelhi,India.
Lastbutnotleast,wearethankfultoourrespectiveparentsfortheirtrust,loveand
supportthroughoutthiswork.
MohdShahnawaz(Khakii)
ManishaK.Sangale
AvinashB.Ade
Contents
1 GeneralIntroduction. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. 1
1.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Bioremediation:NaturalorInduced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 PurposeofBioremediation.. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. 4
1.4 TypesofEnvironmentalWaste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 DiscoveryofPlasticSynthesis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.6 AdvantagesofthePlastic. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. 6
1.7 LacunaeintheLiterature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.8 NeedofthePresentBook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Microplastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 PrimaryMicroplastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3 SecondaryMicroplastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4 SourcesofMicroplastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4.1 CityDust. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4.2 MarineCoatings. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 14
2.4.3 PersonalCareProducts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4.4 PlasticPellets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.4.5 RoadMarkings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.4.6 SyntheticTextiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.4.7 Tyres. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.5 PotentialImpactsofMicroplastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.6 Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3 PlasticWasteDisposalandReuseofPlasticWaste. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.2 MostDangerousEnvironmentalWaste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.3 PercentageofPlasticinTotalEnvironmentalWaste
atGlobalLevel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.4 FactorsAffectingDegradabilityofthePlastic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.4.1 ChemicalComposition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
xi
