Biodegradation of Polyhydroxyalkanoates in Natural Soils
The review reports studies of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biodegradation behavior in natural soils of different climatic zones. Degradation of different types of PHA is strongly inﬂuenced by the temperature, humidity, type of soil, amount of precipitation and the density of microbial populations. Micromycetes are considered to be the most efﬁ cient soil PHA degraders, and Penicillium is the most typical genus. But many bacterial species also participate in biodegradation. In all environments most PHA degrading soil microorganisms degrade short-chain PHAs only. Increasing the degrees of crystallinity of degrading PHAs suggests preferential disintegration of their amorphous phase in the soil as compared with crystalline phase.