Abstract:
A natural rubber degrading bacteria Paenibacillus
lautus was isolated from soil samples of a rubber plantation in Sri
Lanka. The strain was able to decompose natural rubber latex by
adhesively growing on its surface using NR latex as the sole
carbon source. The staining test performed using Schiff's reagent
confirmed the degradation of NR latex. The Fourier Transform
Infrared Spectroscopy further verified the result by showing the
reduction of C=C double bonds and the presence of carboxylic
acids and ketones in the polymer chain. The surface erosion
images of the latex overlay surfaces obtained from scanning
electron microscopy also validated the degradation process.
Citation:
S. N. S. Hapuarachchi, S. R. Kariyapper, M. B. D. M. D. Gunawardana, S. Egodage and T. U. Ariyadasa, "Biodegradation of natural rubber latex by a novel bacterial species isolated from soil," 2016 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon), 2016, pp. 293-296, doi: 10.1109/MERCon.2016.7480156.