PMID- 31049864
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20190816
LR  - 20190816
IS  - 1614-7499 (Electronic)
IS  - 0944-1344 (Linking)
VI  - 26
IP  - 18
DP  - 2019 Jun
TI  - Efficient biodegradation of polyethylene (HDPE) waste by the plastic-eating 
      lesser waxworm (Achroia grisella).
PG  - 18509-18519
LID - 10.1007/s11356-019-05038-9 [doi]
AB  - Polyethylene (PE) is one of the major persistent plastic that is not 
      biodegradable at considerable rates in most environments, and is the major source 
      of unceasing environmental pollution. Recently, biodegradation of plastic wastes 
      through waxworms and mealworms were reported. The present study focuses on the 
      high-density polyethylene (HDPE) degradation capabilities of the larvae of 
      Achroia grisella (lesser waxworm) and its ability to complete its life cycle when 
      fed with HDPE. Effects of added nutrition on PE degradation were assessed, 
      providing wax comb as co-feed (PE-WC). The egested frass of the waxworm fed on 
      waxcomb (WC), PE, and PE-WC were studied by analyzing the changes in 
      physiochemical properties through FTIR and (1)H NMR techniques in addition to 
      weight loss percentage of PE and survival rates of the tested lesser waxworms. 
      The post-degradation studies of WC and PE showed 90.5 +/- 1.2% and 43.3 +/- 1.6% 
      weight loss, respectively, by a group of 100 lesser waxworms. Over an 8-day 
      period, PE consumption increased with an ingestion of 1.83 mg of PE per day per 
      larvae. Supplementing the PE feed of lesser waxworms with WC facilitated enhanced 
      PE degradation showing 69.6 +/- 3.2% weight loss. Twenty-eight day survival rates 
      for lesser waxworms fed on WC, PE, and PE-WC were 91.3 +/- 1.01%, 74.6 +/- 2.9%, and 
      86 +/- 1.4%, respectively. The FTIR and (1)H NMR analysis of egested frass 
      indicated formation of new functional organic groups, supporting biodegradation 
      of PE in lesser waxworms. The frass of the lesser waxworm fed on PE samples shows 
      the presence of new carbonyl and alcoholic groups with increase in unsaturated 
      hydrocarbon indicating formation of biodegraded intermediates. Lesser waxworms 
      fed with WC, PE, and PE-WC completed all life cycle stages (larvae, pupae, moth, 
      and egg) developing into a second generation. The second generation of PE-WC fed 
      larvae of A. grisella efficiently degrades PE at par with first generation 
      counterparts.
FAU - Kundungal, Harsha
AU  - Kundungal H
AD  - Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, 
      Puducherry, 605014, India.
FAU - Gangarapu, Manjari
AU  - Gangarapu M
AD  - Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, 
      Puducherry, 605014, India.
FAU - Sarangapani, Saran
AU  - Sarangapani S
AD  - Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, 
      Puducherry, 605014, India.
FAU - Patchaiyappan, Arunkumar
AU  - Patchaiyappan A
AD  - Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, 
      Puducherry, 605014, India.
FAU - Devipriya, Suja Purushothaman
AU  - Devipriya SP
AD  - Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, 
      Puducherry, 605014, India. Suja.ees@pondiuni.edu.in.
LA  - eng
GR  - F1-17.1/2015-16 (MANF)/University Grants Commission/
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20190502
PL  - Germany
TA  - Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
JT  - Environmental science and pollution research international
JID - 9441769
RN  - 0 (Waste Products)
RN  - 9002-88-4 (Polyethylene)
MH  - Animals
MH  - Biodegradation, Environmental
MH  - Larva/growth & development/metabolism
MH  - Life Cycle Stages
MH  - Moths/*growth & development/metabolism
MH  - Polyethylene/*analysis
MH  - Waste Products/*analysis
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Achroia grisella
OT  - Biodegradation
OT  - Plastic wastes
OT  - Polyethylene
OT  - Waxworm
EDAT- 2019/05/03 06:00
MHDA- 2019/08/17 06:00
CRDT- 2019/05/04 06:00
PHST- 2018/10/22 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2019/03/29 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2019/05/03 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2019/08/17 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2019/05/04 06:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/s11356-019-05038-9 [pii]
AID - 10.1007/s11356-019-05038-9 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Jun;26(18):18509-18519. doi: 
      10.1007/s11356-019-05038-9. Epub 2019 May 2.