Optimizing Eco-Friendly Degradation of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Plastic Using Environmental Strains of Species and .

Worldwide, huge amounts of plastics are being introduced into the ecosystem, causing environmental pollution. Generally, plastic biodegradation in the ecosystem takes hundreds of years. Hence, the isolation of plastic-biodegrading microorganisms and finding optimum conditions for their action is crucial. The aim of the current study is to isolate plastic-biodegrading fungi and explore optimum conditions for their action. Soil samples were gathered from landfill sites; 18 isolates were able to grow on SDA. Only 10 isolates were able to the degrade polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer. Four isolates displayed promising depolymerase activity. Molecular identification revealed that three isolates belong to genus , and one isolate was sp. Three isolates showed superior PVC-biodegrading activity (-2, -3 and ) using weight reduction analysis and SEM. Two strains and showed optimum growth at 40 °C, while the last strain grew better at 30 °C. Two isolates grew better at pH 8-9, and the other two isolates grow better at pH 4. Maximal depolymerase activity was monitored at 50 °C, and at slightly acidic pH in most isolates, FeCl significantly enhanced depolymerase activity in two isolates. In conclusion, the isolated fungi have promising potential to degrade PVC and can contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution in eco-friendly way.