Studies on biological degradation of polystyrene by pure fungal cultures

The present investigation discusses the capacity of Cephalosporium species (sp.) and Mucor species (sp.) to degrade polystyrene. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were carried out to analyze the degradation of polystyrene with fungal cultures. Shifting in the position of peaks after fungal treatment was observed by FTIR analysis. Changes in the surface texture from smooth to the rough surface were visualized by SEM analysis. The decrease in the thermal stability was showed by TGA when 95% weight reduction is chosen as a point of comparison. Further results were interpreted in terms of various parameters like pH, total dissolved solid (TDS), and conductivity. The pH of mineral salt media decreases while the value of TDS and conductivity increases after incubation with fungal cultures. Eight-week incubation of polystyrene with Cephalosporium sp. showed a weight loss of 2.17 +/- 0.16% and 1.81 +/- 0.13% with Mucor sp. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and gel permeation chromatography analysis were carried out to determine the by-products and molecular weight of samples.