12/01/2025
Plasticizers, which are added to plastics and personal care products, can be absorbed through the skin.
Besides plastics, the amount of carcinogenic plasticizers in the environment is increasing at an alarming rate. Plasticizers are chemicals added to plastics and personal care products to enhance flexibility and shine, and are commonly found in items such as baby toys, shampoos, soaps, and food containers. Plasticizers can be absorbed through the skin, making them a direct threat to human health.
A team of researchers headed by Dr. Pravindra Kumar, Professor at the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Roorkee has successfully used an enzyme — esterase enzyme — produced by soil bacteria Sulfobacillus acidophilus to break down diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) plasticizer. While a Chinese team had characterised this enzyme to degrade low molecular weight phthalate diester plasticizers, which can be degraded by several reported esterase enzymes, the IIT Roorkee team has identified its actual potential and used it for degrading difficult to degrade high molecular weight phthalate plasticizers. The research was funded by THDC India Limited, Rishikesh, and the results were published recently in the journal Structure. The group has also discovered that the esterase enzyme can bind to molecules similar to polypropylene used in plastics, making it a potential tool for extracting polypropylene from contaminated water sources.
IIT Roorkee researchers use esterase enzyme to break down carcinogenic plasticizers, paving the way for a plastic-free future.
