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Potential of insect gut microbiota in biodegradation of polymeric plastics
Summary
Some insects have gut bacteria that can break down plastics like polyethylene and PVC faster than other methods we currently have—this review pulls together over a decade of research on how this works. While this study focuses on environmental cleanup rather than direct human health effects, it matters to you because less plastic waste in the environment means fewer microplastics breaking down into soil, water, and food supplies, which is an ongoing concern for human health. This research could eventually help scientists develop better ways to tackle plastic pollution using nature's own tools.
The role of gut microbiota in invertebrates, particularly insects, has been a topic of intense interest among the scientific community worldwide for the past few years. The reason is the possible role of such microbes in degrading harmful polymeric compounds into harmless substances. Plastics and plastic materials, are difficult to degrade and pose extreme problems in nature. Tons of plastic material accumulate on Earth every year, and therefore one of the major contributors to environmental pollution globally. Recent discoveries have suggested that invertebrates, especially insects, can biodegrade various forms of plastic, such as polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc., at a faster rate than other organisms to a certain extent. The insect gut microbiota reportedly plays a key role in this process. Plastic biodegradation in an open environment by microorganisms is a natural and complex phenomenon and takes a longer period of time. To thoroughly understand the plastic biodegradation capabilities of insect gut microbiota, a comprehensive review of published and relevant works has been carried out. Herein, we present a critical review of papers published over the last 11 years (2014–2024) on plastic biodegradation by insects with the aid of their gut microbiota, summarising the findings of these works. We also highlight the recent advancements in this field to explore potential solutions for this continuously growing global issue.