ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND IDENTIFICATION OF PLASTIC DEGRADING BACTERIA FROM LANDFILL SITES IN SURAT, GUJARAT

Plastic pollution remains a critical environmental challenge due to the recalcitrant nature of synthetic polymers. This study aimed to isolate and identify indigenous bacterial strains capable of degrading plastics from three dumping sites in Surat, Gujarat: Khajod (Site-1 & 2), and Althan (Site-3). A total of 18 bacterial isolates were screened using Polyethylene Glycol (PEG-400 and PEG-1500) as a sole carbon source. Quantitative analysis via weight loss and spectrophotometric methods (OD 600nm) was conducted over a 37-day period using Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Five potential isolates; PDBK-3, PDBK-5, PDBKC-14, PDBA-15, and PDBA-18 showed significant degradation capabilities. Isolate PDBA-15 (Pseudomonas sp.) emerged as the most potent isolate, representing a weight loss of 8.70%. Morphological and biochemical characterization identified these potential degraders as species of Klebsiella, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Proteus. These findings suggest that indigenous landfill bacteria possess significant potential for the bioremediation of plastic waste.