EN
Polystyrene is considered stable to biological degradation. Lantinus tigrinus isolated from wood sample produced esterase in growth medium under normal conditions. However, acidic medium, 37°C temperature, presence of tween 80; and urea and yeast extract in mineral salt medium enhance the production of esterase and specific activity. Purified esterase was active at broad pH range and 45°C. FTIR analysis confirmed that esterase produced by Lantinus tigrinus effectively degraded polystyrene film and broke macromolecules down to non-toxic molecules. This study concludes that the presence of Lantinus tigrinus at dumping sites can be exploited for waste management containing high molecular weight synthetic polymers.