The emerging accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in global waters is of increasing concern and it is posing great health risks to both humans and aquatic species, yet suitable technologies to remove MPs are lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate activated sludge as a source of promising biocatalysts for the removal of MPs in water. Bacterial communities in activated sludge were first screened for their potential to degrade hydrolyzable plastics from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pre‐treated at 100°C for 1 hour. The consortium grew on a mineral medium with PET MPs as the sole carbon and energy source. To further assess its degrading potential, the consortium was put through a standardized CO₂ evolution test at a temperature of 30°C, pH 7‐7.5, reactor residence time 168 days, and PET concentration of 2.63 g/L. The biodegradation extent was further validated through assessment of morphological/structural changes on the PET by means of SEM, DSC, FTIR, and viscometry analyses. Upon incubation, the consortium degraded 17% of PET. The molecular weight remained unchanged, reflecting a degradation via surface erosion. Furthermore, the biodegradation was significantly enhanced at high oxygen flow rates. Two bacterial strains within the consortium were isolated and identified as Bacillus cereus SEHD031MH and Agromyces mediolanus PNP3. Both strains thrived when individually cultured with PET while only B. cereus showed enzymatic activity during a clear‐zone test. The examined bacterial strains possess a promising PET‐degrading activity that can be further investigated and applied to the elimination of MPs water/wastewater through innovative and effective technologies.

中文翻译：

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活性污泥中细菌群落对聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯微塑料的生物降解作用

在全球水域中出现的微塑料（MPs）的积累越来越引起人们的关注，它对人类和水生物种均构成巨大的健康风险，但目前尚缺乏合适的去除MPs的技术。这项研究的目的是研究活性污泥作为有前途的生物催化剂的来源，用于去除水中的MP。首先对活性污泥中的细菌群落进行筛选，以评估其在100°C预处理1小时的条件下从聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）降解可水解塑料的潜力。该财团在矿物介质上生长，而PET MPs是唯一的碳和能源。为了进一步评估其降解潜力，该财团通过了标准化的CO ₂评估。在30°C，pH 7-7.5，反应器停留时间168天，PET浓度为2.63 g / L的条件下进行析出试验。通过SEM，DSC，FTIR和粘度分析对PET的形态/结构变化进行评估，进一步验证了生物降解程度。孵育后，财团降解了17％的PET。分子量保持不变，反映出由于表面侵蚀而降解。此外，在高氧气流速下生物降解显着增强。分离出联盟中的两个细菌菌株，并将其鉴定为蜡状芽孢杆菌SEHD031MH和棉农杆菌PNP3。当仅与蜡状芽孢杆菌一起单独培养时，两种菌株均繁殖。在透明区域测试中显示出酶活性。被检查的细菌菌株具有良好的PET降解活性，可以通过创新有效的技术对其进行进一步研究并将其用于消除MPs水/废水。