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Bio-Based Degradation of Plastics and Microplastic for Sustainable Environment
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This review summarizes research on special bacteria, enzymes, and plant-based plastics that can break down plastic waste into harmless substances like water and CO2. Since plastic and microplastic pollution can enter our food, water, and bodies, these biological cleanup tools could help reduce our long-term exposure while also easing environmental damage.
Abstract The escalating proliferation of plastic and microplastic pollutants in the environment has emerged as major ecological and toxicological challenge due to the intrinsic recalcitrance of synthetic polymers. Bio-based degradation emerges as a sustainable paradigm, employing metabolically versatile microorganisms, catalytic enzymes, and renewable biopolymers to facilitate the depolymerization and mineralization of plastics into benign metabolites such as CO2, H2O, and microbial biomass. Enzymatic systems particularly PETase, MHETase, and lipases derived from Ideonella sakaiensis, Pseudomonas putida, and Aspergillus niger exemplify the biochemical precision required for polymer disintegration. At the same time, bioengineered polymers including polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) signify an evolution toward inherently degradable materials. Despite challenges associated with slow degradation rates, polymer crystallinity, and process scalability, advancements in synthetic biology, enzyme engineering, and nano-biocatalyst integration demonstrate significant potential for enhancing plastic biodegradation efficiency. Therefore, bio-based plastic degradation offers a promising biotechnological strategy for achieving a circular, carbon-neutral, and environmentally resilient future.
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Mechanisms of Biological Degradation of Microplastics in the Environment
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This review paper rounds up what scientists currently know about using bacteria and other microbes to break down microplastics in the environment, including how special microbial enzymes attack different plastic types. While this research focuses on cleaning up plastic pollution rather than direct health effects, it matters to us because microplastics have been found in our food, water, and even our bodies—so finding better ways to break them down in nature could ultimately reduce our long-term exposure to them.
Microplastic biodegradation and environmental safety: From microbial mechanisms to engineered systems and circular bio-based implementation.
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This research review summarizes what scientists know about using bacteria and enzymes to break down microplastics—tiny plastic particles smaller than 5mm that contaminate our water, soil, and air. While these biological approaches show promise for removing dangerous plastic pollution from the environment, the methods don't always work completely and may create new harmful byproducts. The findings matter because microplastics can enter our food chain and bodies, so we need safe and effective ways to remove them without creating new health risks.
Biodegradation of Microplastic: A Sustainable Approach
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This review examines biological approaches to microplastic degradation, covering microorganisms and enzymes capable of breaking down common plastic polymers such as PET and polyethylene. Biodegradation could offer a sustainable path to reducing microplastic accumulation in soil, water, and marine environments.
Harnessing Microorganisms for Microplastic Degradation: A Sustainable Approach to Mitigating Environmental Pollution
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This review surveys microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and other taxa—capable of degrading microplastics, examining the enzymes, metabolic pathways, and environmental conditions involved, and assessing the practical potential of harnessing these organisms for bioremediation of plastic pollution.
Biological Degradation of Plastics and Microplastics: A Recent Perspective on Associated Mechanisms and Influencing Factors
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This review looks at how bacteria and their enzymes can break down different types of plastics and microplastics through biological processes. Understanding these natural degradation pathways is important because they could be harnessed to reduce the amount of persistent microplastic pollution that accumulates in the environment and eventually enters the human food chain.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.