Hydrolase and plastic-degrading microbiota explain degradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics during high-temperature composting

Xiaoxiao Li; Xinxin Liu; Junren Zhang; Fu Chen; Muhammad Khalid; Jieqi Ye; Martin Romantschuk; Nan Hui

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130108

Hydrolase and plastic-degrading microbiota explain degradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics during high-temperature composting

Bioresour Technol. 2024 Feb:393:130108. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130108. Epub 2023 Nov 29.

Authors

Xiaoxiao Li¹, Xinxin Liu², Junren Zhang³, Fu Chen⁴, Muhammad Khalid⁵, Jieqi Ye⁶, Martin Romantschuk⁷, Nan Hui⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. Electronic address: lixiaoxiao1995@sjtu.edu.cn.
² School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. Electronic address: xinxin.liu@sjtu.edu.cn.
³ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
⁴ School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China. Electronic address: chenfu@hhu.edu.cn.
⁵ College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou 325060, China.
⁶ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. Electronic address: yejieqi@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁷ Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Niemenkatu 73, Lahti 15140, Finland. Electronic address: martin.romantschuk@helsinki.fi.
⁸ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Niemenkatu 73, Lahti 15140, Finland; Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Eco-Environmental Change and Management Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, 800 Dongchuan Rd., 200240, Shanghai; Shanghai Urban Forest Ecosystem Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, 800 Dongchuan Rd., 200240, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: nan.hui@sjtu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38040305
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130108

Abstract

This research aims to explore the degradation properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by PET hydrolase (WCCG) in high-temperature composting and its impact on microbial communities. PET degradation, composting parameters and microbial communities were assessed in 220 L sludge composters with PET and WCCG using high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that WCCG addition led to a deceleration of the humification process and a reduction in the relative abundance of thermophilic genera. Potential PET degrading microbiota, e.g. Acinetobacter, Bacillus, were enriched in the plastisphere in the composters where PET reduced by 26 % without WCCG addition. The external introduction of the WCCG enzyme to compost predominantly instigates a chemical reaction with PET, concurently curtailing the proliferation of plastic-degrading bacteria, leading to a 35 % degradation of PET. Both the WCCG enzyme and the microbiota associated with plastic-degradation showed the potential for reducing PET, offering a novel method for mitigating pollution caused by environmental microplastics.

Keywords: Biodegradation; Compost maturity; Microbial community; Microbiota associated with plastic-degradation; Plastisphere.

MeSH terms

Composting*
Hydrolases
Microbiota*
Microplastics
Plastics
Polyethylene
Polyethylene Terephthalates
Temperature

Substances

Polyethylene Terephthalates
Microplastics
Plastics
Hydrolases
Polyethylene