ABSTRACT: Plastic has high
potency to become material that much threats human living in this earth,
because made from chemical which cannot degraded by microbes in environment.
The successful production and marketing of biodegradable plastics will help
alleviate the problem of environmental pollution. One of biodegradable plastic
that used in our live is polyethylene. This research reveals that local
microbes capable to degrading of polyethylene. Biodegradation test was carried
out by using bacteria in soil which was obtained from Gunung Tugel disposal
center, Banyumas regency. Kind of polyethylene is LDPE (Low Density
Polyethylene) which was obtained from Setiakawan Plastic Factory, Kalibogor,
Purwokerto formed to thin film. Characterization of the polyethylene used
weight loss percentage method, melting point determination and FTIR. Soil
bacteria isolated from Gunung Tugel disposal center, Banyumas regency, obtained
5 single colonies, which coded GT. Bacteria isolate which have highest activity
in degrading polyethylene was GT 3, with increasing the time of incubation.
Weight loss percentage up to 2.33% in 1 month. Melting point of polyethylene
after biodegradation was decreased that initially 210-220 °C into 210-213 °C.
FTIR spectrophotometer result of polyethylene after biodegradation showed
intensity for methylene and methyl cluster was decreased.
Keywords: biodegradable,
polyethylene, bacteria
Penulis: Zusfahair, Puji
Lestari, Dian Riana Ningsih, Senny Widyaningsih
Kode Jurnal: jpkimiadd070012
Artikel Terkait :
