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Harnessing microbial consortia for microplastic degradation in soil–plant systems
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This review summarizes existing research on soil microbes that break down six common plastic types. Of 18 microbial systems examined, only 4 showed clear evidence of plastic actually being consumed or broken down by microbes, while most studies only measured weight loss or surface changes, which do not confirm true breakdown.
Microplastics are persistent pollutants in aquatic and terrestrial environments, impacting habitats, transporting co-contaminants, and influencing microbial, animal, and plant functions. This review critically examines the microbial degradation of six key polymer groups—polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly(vinyl chloride), with a focus on microbial communities and their roles in soil–plant systems. Of 18 microbial systems assessed, only 4 showed direct evidence of polymer-derived carbon uptake or mineralization via stable-isotope tracing or utilization of polymer monomers. Most research relied on mass loss, microscopy, or spectroscopy, which suggest polymer alteration but does not definitively confirm biodegradation. Studies reported up to 21.81% mass loss for high-density polyethylene and 26.3% for low-density polyethylene, but these are not directly comparable due to variations in polymer properties, pretreatment, and experimental setups. Five functional consortium types were identified: initiator–processor, cross-kingdom, sequential degradation–detoxification, habitat-adapted, and process-coupled or rhizosphere-integrated systems. Rhizosphere-associated consortia show promise for soil remediation in agriculture, but field application requires precise carbon measurements, thorough characterization and toxicity assessment of degradation products, and long-term monitoring of consortium stability and ecological effects. Future research should combine soil and rhizosphere metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics with whole-genome sequencing of consortium members. When paired with stable-isotope probing, these methods can identify active microbes and pathways involved in polymer-carbon assimilation in soil-plant systems.
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This review examines how microplastics and soil microorganisms interact: microplastics disrupt soil structure, reduce water retention, and impede plant root growth, while certain bacteria and fungi can colonize and partially degrade plastic particles through a multi-step process involving colonization, fragmentation, assimilation, and mineralization. Different polymer types (PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET) attract different microbial communities, and factors like temperature, moisture, and plastic additives affect degradation rates. Understanding these interactions is key to assessing long-term soil health impacts and developing microbial strategies to reduce plastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
[Interaction between microplastics and microorganisms in soil environment: a review].
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This review examines how microplastics alter soil microbial community structure and diversity, and how microorganisms in turn colonize plastic surfaces and degrade them through extracellular enzymes — with degradation efficiency dependent on polymer properties and environmental conditions.
The Role of Soil Microorganisms in Microplastic Biodegradation: Mechanisms, Carbon Preferences, and Ecological Impacts
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This review examines how soil microorganisms interact with microplastics and attempt to biodegrade them, finding that despite plastics being carbon-based, their unique chemical structures prevent microbes from using them the same way they use natural organic matter. Soil carbon availability affects which microbes preferentially colonize and partially break down plastic particles, but full assimilation remains limited. Understanding microbial degradation pathways is important for assessing how long microplastics persist in soils and for developing bioremediation strategies.
Microplastic accumulation in soils: Unlocking the mechanism and biodegradation pathway
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in soil and break down biologically, finding that certain microorganisms can form biofilms on plastic surfaces and use enzymes to slowly degrade the polymers — though conditions like pH, temperature, and moisture must be optimized and new plastic-degrading microbes need to be identified before this approach can be widely applied.
Effect of microplastics on soil microbial community and microbial degradation of microplastics in soil: A review
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This review examines how microplastics affect soil microbial communities and the potential for microbes to degrade plastic particles in soil environments. The study highlights that soil acts as a major sink for microplastics from sources like sewage sludge, agricultural mulch, and wastewater, and identifies key knowledge gaps including the need for better monitoring of microplastic sources and exploration of microbial biodegradation potential.
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