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<p>Plastics are widely utilized across various industries, but their persistent accumulation in the environment has become a major ecological concern. Biodegradable alternatives offer a potential solution to plastic pollution; however, their degradation behavior under environmentally relevant conditions remains underexplored. This study evaluates the aerobic biodegradation of four polymer materials: starch, commercial thermoplastic starch of polyester origin (TPS1), linear low-density polyethylene&#xa0;(LLDPE), and a co-polyester thermoplastic starch (TPS2), over 180 days at 25&#xa0;°C in a compost-soil matrix using the&#xa0;testing protocols of ASTM D5988-18 for carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) evolution. Microbial community dynamics were profiled using 16S rRNA and ITS2 amplicon sequencing. TPS2 reached complete mineralization (~ 100%) in 28 days, followed by starch at 71.1% by day 180. TPS1 showed partial mineralization of 38.6%, while LLDPE showed minimal mineralization (21.9%)&#xa0;as expected. Alpha diversity revealed higher bacterial richness in starch treatments and a marked reduction in fungal diversity in TPS1 and LLDPE. Differential abundance testing revealed significant microbial shifts between treatments. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) identified polymer-specific microbial biomarkers, including <i>Paenibacillus</i> and <i>Botryotrichum</i> for starch, <i>Acrophialophora</i> and <i>Mycothermus</i> for TPS2, and the <i>Mycobacterium</i> for LLDPE. Subgroup 10 Acidobacteria was uniquely enriched in TPS2-treated samples. These taxa reflect substrate-driven microbial selection. Coupling CO<sub>2</sub> mineralization with microbial profiling offers a practical framework to evaluate polymer biodegradability and guide the design of soil-degradable bioplastics. Overall, these findings demonstrate that polymer composition significantly influences microbial community structure and mineralization performance under mesophilic conditions.</p>

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Substrate-specific microbial community shifts during mesophilic biodegradation of polymers in compost amended soil

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月29日

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  • Mohamed Kishk,
  • Rita Rahmeh,
  • Fahad Asiri,
  • Hajar Karam,
  • Kawther Al-Muhanna,
  • Ahmad Ben Hejji,
  • Anisha Shajan,
  • Sultan M. Al-Salem

摘要

Plastics are widely utilized across various industries, but their persistent accumulation in the environment has become a major ecological concern. Biodegradable alternatives offer a potential solution to plastic pollution; however, their degradation behavior under environmentally relevant conditions remains underexplored. This study evaluates the aerobic biodegradation of four polymer materials: starch, commercial thermoplastic starch of polyester origin (TPS1), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and a co-polyester thermoplastic starch (TPS2), over 180 days at 25 °C in a compost-soil matrix using the testing protocols of ASTM D5988-18 for carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution. Microbial community dynamics were profiled using 16S rRNA and ITS2 amplicon sequencing. TPS2 reached complete mineralization (~ 100%) in 28 days, followed by starch at 71.1% by day 180. TPS1 showed partial mineralization of 38.6%, while LLDPE showed minimal mineralization (21.9%) as expected. Alpha diversity revealed higher bacterial richness in starch treatments and a marked reduction in fungal diversity in TPS1 and LLDPE. Differential abundance testing revealed significant microbial shifts between treatments. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) identified polymer-specific microbial biomarkers, including Paenibacillus and Botryotrichum for starch, Acrophialophora and Mycothermus for TPS2, and the Mycobacterium for LLDPE. Subgroup 10 Acidobacteria was uniquely enriched in TPS2-treated samples. These taxa reflect substrate-driven microbial selection. Coupling CO2 mineralization with microbial profiling offers a practical framework to evaluate polymer biodegradability and guide the design of soil-degradable bioplastics. Overall, these findings demonstrate that polymer composition significantly influences microbial community structure and mineralization performance under mesophilic conditions.