Can fungus grow on plasticized with fatty acid esters(PVC) formulations; polyolefin, PTFE, polyesters and some polyethers; plastics that contain organic fillers of laminating materials; paints and metal (alloy, copper, aluminum, nickel, stainless steel)?
Yes, sure, this is a well know problem. Fungi feed on plastics, not because they can digest them, but because most plasticizers are esters of fatty acids, and therefore can be eaten by microorganisms. The plastic itself is not damaged (except by the acids produced by the microorganisms) but made brittle because of the extraction of the plasticizers. The surface concentration of plasticizers is renewed by diffusion from the inner part of the material, until the plasticizers completely disappear, leaving a plastic with significantly decreased mechanical properties. This may happen in all media not directly exposed to UV light but in the presence of humidity (thus in water and in soil).
Alain
Fungi can grow almost on a surface of all materials. Biomolecules of fungi membranes allow them to attach on any surfaces and form a biofilm. Fungicidal additives in plastics of antifungal properties of some metals (copper, silver) initiate killing the fungi adsorbed, however 2-nd, 3-rd or i-th layer of fungi start to grow. Living fuctions of fungi cover via substantial quantities of organics in an air.
Is this a fungi? This happens after long storage time inside vacuum plastic bag. Sn is the outermost layer.
I do not know any surface where fungi cannot grow with the exception of stucco containing calcium fluoride.
REgards
Vit
How well a fungus grows on or within a substrate depends on the fungus entering the first few millimeters of the substrate. If the fungus enters and survives its ability to grow and survive longer term increases.
Fungal laccases and peroxidases, typically employed by fungi for lignin degradation, demonstrate efficacy in degrading polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Moreover, esterases, like cutinases and lipases, have been effectively utilized to degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyurethane (PU). Strains of Fusarium, Penicillium, Botryotinia cinerea EN41, Zalerion maritimum and Trichoderma are some examples with a high potential to degrade PU, rubber, and PE. But the degradation efficiency also depends on plastic type.