Fungal degradation of polyvinyl acetate.

Certain Aspergillus and Penicillium strains isolated from soil grow well and degrade a commercial sample of polyvinyl acetate (PVA, 4.5 g liter-1) when it is used as the only carbon source. These strains showed an increase in dry weight after 11 days of incubation, along with a depletion of carbohydrates, protein, and deoxyribonucleic acid. This was interpreted as an active turnover of the above metabolites during the degradation. This effect was greatly enhanced by equilibrating the carbon:nitrogen ratio by addition of yeast extract in the original culture. The increase in esterase activity and the loss of viscosity were also considered evidence of the fungal degradation. Isolation of the enzyme was attempted, but unsuccessful.