Water quality assessment and potential ldpe-degrading thermophiles profiling from Paku Hot Springs, Bau, Sarawak.

Khairul, Sabrina Rancang (2023) Water quality assessment and potential ldpe-degrading thermophiles profiling from Paku Hot Springs, Bau, Sarawak. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

Text lp FSPP 2023 15.pdf Download (2MB)

Abstract

Plastic pollution has become a major concern during the Anthropocene era. Therefore, it is important to prepare a solution to cure current and future plastic pollution. Hot springs are beneficial to humanity in terms of relaxation and health improvement. Despite several reports on plastic pollution, there are limited data regarding plastic breakdown by applying the thermophilic microorganisms from the recreational hot spring in Malaysia. The study aimed to analyze the water physicochemical parameters of Paku hot spring water and isolate the potential low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-degrading thermophiles and their effectiveness in the biodegradation process. The physicochemical quality of water was assessed, and bacterial isolation was conducted to identify potential LDPE-degrading thermophiles and develop a sustainable biodegradation process. All thermophiles were screened using the BATH test, clear zone, Gram staining, and GTG5-PCR fingerprinting. A total of 96 thermophiles were retrieved and isolated. The results showed that only three isolates fulfilled the optimum screening criteria: SPK(W)M1(1), SPK(SD)P1(2), and SPK(SD)P1(3). These three isolates underwent biodegradation for 30 days and reported changes in pH, bacterial growth, and weight loss. For pH changes, the reading ranged from pH 6.32-6.66 from the initial pH (pH 7). Furthermore, the optical density was used to measure the current growth of the bacteria, and the results showed that SPK(SD)P1(3) had the highest OD600 reading of 0.1. The percentage of weight loss for SPK(SD)P1(2) and SPK(SD)P1(3) was 2%, whereas that for SPK(W)M1(1) was 10%, indicated a high percent of weight loss. From this research, it shows that further investigation into the biodegradation process is needed to meet significant results.

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences
Depositing User:	Mr. Azman Mohamad
Date Deposited:	07 Feb 2024 07:22
Last Modified:	07 Feb 2024 07:22
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1624

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