Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faculty Publications Article Faculty Publications -Articles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Palanna, Arpana Pallavi; Sayantan, D. Title A name given to the resource Enhancing Biodegradability and Ecological Impact: Treatment of Low-Density Polyethylene for Sustainable Plastic Management with Eudrilus eugeniae Earthworms Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 01-01-2025 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Indian Journal of Environmental Protection;Volume;45;Issue;3;pp.212-221 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105002168461?origin=resultslist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105002168461?origin=resultslist</a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Palanna A.P., Christ University, Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560 029, India; Sayantan D., Christ University, Department of Life Sciences, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560 029, India Description An account of the resource Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) is widely used in food packaging and agricultural mulching, but its disposal creates harmful macro-, meso- and microplastics. To address this, LDPE has been treated to become biodegradable. The treatment involved dissolving LDPE in trichloroethylene and treating it with starch, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and acetic acid, reducing its crystallinity from 48.48% to 32.98% through Single (T), double (TT) and triple (TTT) treatments. This 15.5% decrease in crystallinity enhanced polymer degradation. When LDPE microplastics with 40.02% crystallinity (TT) were tested on Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms, they showed a lower mortality rate compared to other treated and untreated LDPE. The 40.02% crystallinity LDPE exhibited hydroxyl and carboxylic functional groups. Treated LDPE (TT) introduced to earthworm casts showed microbiota, including Mycobacterium and Rozellomycota, known for Polyethylene degradation. Additionally, microbial examination of treated LDPE revealed Aeromonas and Pyrenochaetopsis leptospora in the earthworm gut, potential LDPE degraders. X-ray differaction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated distinct degradation patterns. After 21 days with Eudrilus eugeniae, treated LDPE's crystallinity decreased from 40.02% to 22.84%. This study highlights the significance of oxidized treated LDPE for microbial colonization and degradation, supporting Eudrilus eugeniae survival and improving soil biota health. 2025 - Kalpana Corporation. Subject The topic of the resource Cast gut microflora; Eudrilus eugeniae; Low-density Polyethylene; Thermo-oxidative reaction Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Kalpana Corporation Relation A related resource ISSN: 2537141; CODEN: IJEPD Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Article Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource online