Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Biodegradation of Microplastics in Water Treatment
EPA Grant Number: SU840153Title: Biodegradation of Microplastics in Water Treatment
Investigators: Lin, Xiaoxia “Nina”
Institution: University of Michigan
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021 (Extended to November 30, 2023)
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Objective:
Our objective is to investigate the potential for the biodegradation of plastics as a method to prevent or remediate plastic pollution. We have been developing replicable methodologies to investigate the microbial biodegradation of nonhydrolyzable plastics, by examining the polystyrene (PS)-biodegrading microbiome of the mealworm Tenebrio molitor. We will also summarize our knowledge on the feasibility of plastic biodegradation in wastewater treatment plants in a critical review paper.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
We developed a DNA extraction protocol to investigate the plastic-biodegrading microbiome of mealworms. We conducted a full factorial experiment to test the effects of different diets (polystyrene, bran, polystyrene and bran, and starve) on mealworm gut microbial communities. Currently we are analyzing the microbial community composition of individual mealworms. We have found that while microbial community membership among individual mealworms is similar, the relative abundance of each community member varies among individuals. Certain operational taxonomic units, such as Klebsiella were elevated in mealworms in a polystyrene diet.
Conclusions:
Plastic biodegradation is a promising strategy for managing plastic waste; however, research is limited by bottlenecks in screening for, enriching for, and characterizing plastic-biodegrading microbes and enzymes. Polystyrene-biodegrading microbial communities in the guts of insect larvae may be a good model system for both developing tools to study PS biodegradation and characterizing mechanisms of PS biodegradation.
Supplemental Keywords:
Plastic biodegradation, Tenebrio molitor, mealworms, microbial consortiaProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.