Microbial decomposition of biodegradable plastics on the deep-sea floor

Microbes can decompose biodegradable plastics on land, rivers and seashore. However, it is unclear whether deep-sea microbes can degrade biodegradable plastics in the extreme environmental conditions of the seafloor. Here, we report microbial decomposition of representative biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable polyesters, and polysaccharide esters) at diverse deep-sea floor locations ranging in depth from 757 to 5552 m. The degradation of samples was evaluated in terms of weight loss, reduction in material thickness, and surface morphological changes. Poly(L-lactic acid) did not degrade at either shore or deep-sea sites, while other biodegradable polyesters, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and…

• UO
  University of Tokyo
• NB
  National Brain Research Centre
• CF
  Council for Science, Technology and Innovation
• JA
  Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• MR
  Moonshot Research and Development Program

  Award: JPNP18016