2.3 Qualitative assay for PLA degradation To further confirm the degradation potential, the isolates were inoculated in basal medium (Kim and Park, 2010) containing emulsified PLA. The emulsified PLA agar plates were prepared by dissolving 1g PLA in 0.1ml of detergent (Polysurf 210G). PLA agar plates were incubated at 37°C. To prevent the plates from drying, they were placed in a plastic box. The formation of clear zone around the bacterial colony, as a result of hydrolysis of PLA, was measured to verify the degradation potential of the isolate.