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Microalgae for Plastic Biodegradation and Bioplastics Production

2024
K Jyothi, Prasad M Krishna, Nivedita Sahu, Swetha Sridhar

Summary

This review examines how microalgae biodegrade plastics through enzyme and toxin production while also serving as feedstocks for bioplastic manufacture, exploring both the mechanisms of algal stress from microplastic exposure and the potential of algae-derived biodegradable polymers.

This review highlights plastic biotransformation and bioplastic manufacture by microalgae, to resolve the augmented plastic waste worldwide. Microalgae biotransform the plastic constituents by the toxins structures or enzymes produced by microalgae themselves while exploiting the plastic polymers as sources of carbon. Algae aimed at plastic biodegradation have been reviewed extensively in this chapter to determine the mechanism of algal distress caused by microplastics. Conversely, algae-derived bioplastics have similar features as petroleum-based plastics, while strangely being biotransformable. This review delivers new perceptions into various methods of making algae-based bioplastics (e.g., merging with additional materials and genetic engineering), subsequently the argument on the challenges and additional research direction to enhance their commercial feasibility.

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