Microbial Consortia – Mediated Degradation of Polyurethane from Landfill Leachate
Satishwaran V Rajeswaran, Amira Farzana Samat, Adilah Anuar, Thevanthini Nadaraja, Khairunissa Syairah Ahmad Sohaimi, Norhidayah Abd Aziz, Noor Hasyierah Mohd Salleh, Noor Ainee Zainol
Abstract. This study investigates the biodegradation of polyurethane (PU) using microbial consortia (MC) sourced from landfill leachate, aiming to enhance degradation efficiency compared to pure cultures. It involved incubating PU samples with enriched MC for 30 days and 60 days, during which various metrics were assessed: gravimetric weight loss, cell growth, enzymatic activity, and structural changes. Results indicated that microbial cell counts in the MSM+PU+MC cultures increased significantly over time, with a weight loss of 2.96 % after 60 days, surpassing the results from the 30 days cultures. FTIR analysis confirmed substantial degradation of urethane and ester bonds in PU after 60 days in the presence of MC. SEM images revealed significant surface breakdown and weakening of the polymer structure due to prolonged incubation. TGA shows that MC did promote partial degradation, primarily affecting the weaker segments of the polymer. The hard segments of PU, however, largely remained intact and degraded only at higher temperatures. Overall, these findings demonstrate that landfill leachate-derived microbial consortia possess significant potential for PU biodegradation, offering a promising foundation for developing sustainable strategies to mitigate plastic waste accumulation.
Keywords
Microbial Consortia, Plastic Waste Management, Polyurethane Biodegradation
Published online 1/15/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Satishwaran V Rajeswaran, Amira Farzana Samat, Adilah Anuar, Thevanthini Nadaraja, Khairunissa Syairah Ahmad Sohaimi, Norhidayah Abd Aziz, Noor Hasyierah Mohd Salleh, Noor Ainee Zainol, Microbial Consortia – Mediated Degradation of Polyurethane from Landfill Leachate, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 60, pp 34-41, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903971-5
The article was published as article 5 of the book Frontiers of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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