Degradation studies on plastic food packaging by using immobilized Mycelia of Pleurotus Ostreatus

Abstract

Million tons of plastic food packaging was end up in a landfill every day. This situation contributes to lack of place for waste disposal and environment were effected with plastic pollution. In this study, Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) remarkable abilities to degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) was studies based on its physical and chemical changes. The process was monitored by using mechanical testing, weight loss, scanning electron microscopic (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). There were three types of condition such as abiotic, biotic, and combination applied in this experiment. In biotic condition, P. ostreatus was used as biodegrade agent via adsorption of immobilized mycelia. After degradation process, the wdeight reduction for PP was by original copyright 45.87 %, 45.87 %, dan 55.59 % in abiotic, biotic, and combination conditions respectively. For weight reduction of PS, 25.4 %, 25.4 %, and 29.49 % after degradation process in abiotic, biotic, and combination conditions. While for LDPE the weight reduction was 15.9 %, 15.9 %, and 26.74 % after degradation process in abiotic, biotic, and combination conditions. Furthermore, after degradation process tensile strength had decreased, while modulus elasticity had increased for sample of LDPE, PP, and PS. The percent of tensile reduction was higher in combination condition which were 14.95%, 21.58 %, dan 15.96 % for samples of PS, PP, and LDPE. Moreover, the intensity of functional groups in the FTIR spectra increased since surface properties were changed because of the degradation occur. As conclusion, plastic food packaging was effectively degraded in combination condition compare to biotic and abiotic condition.