Abstract:

With the development of modern industry and agriculture,polyethylene plastic products are widely used due to their excellent properties. Because of their large molecular weight,strong surface hydrophobicity,low surface energy,and lack of functional groups that can be used by microbial enzyme systems,their degradation in natural environments is very slow,thus causing serious environmental problems. In this study,a strain LB-1 capable of degrading polyethylene was isolated from the intestinal tract of larvae of Indian loquat（Plodia interpunctella（Hübener））. It was identified Enterobacter hormaecheipartial sequence” by combining morphological,physiological and biochemical characteristics and molecular biological measurements. After the strain was cultured in a medium with a polyethylene film as the sole carbon source for 60 d,the analysis were conducted by a contact angle tester,a scanning electron microscope（SEM）,a Fourier transform infrared spectrum（FTIR）,and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer（GC-MS）. And results showed that the surface of polyethylene became less hydrophobic,the surface morphology changed,the surface was oxidized to have -C= O-functional groups,the weight of polyethylene film was loss,and the soluble products were generated,all these proved that LB-1 degraded polyethylene. This study provides a theoretical basis for the degradation of polyethylene by E. hormaecheipartial sequence” and a green way for polyethylene pollution.

Key words: Plodia interpunctella（Hübener）, biodegradable, polyethylene, Enterobacter hormaecheipartial sequence”