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Environmental impacts of microplastic and role of plastisphere microbes in the biodegradation and upcycling of microplastic
Summary
This review covers how microplastics in the environment interact with other pollutants and the microbes that colonize plastic surfaces, known as the "plastisphere." While some of these microbes can break down plastics, the biofilms also harbor harmful bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes that can spread to the surrounding environment. This means microplastics serve as floating platforms for dangerous germs, creating additional health risks beyond the plastic particles themselves.
Increasing usage of plastic has led to the deposition of plastic in the environment which later become microplastic, a pollutant of global concern. These polymeric particles affect the ecosystem by increasing ecotoxicity and impeding the biogeochemical cycles. Besides, microplastic particles have been known for their role in aggravating the effect of various other environmental pollutants including organic pollutants and heavy metals. These microplastic surfaces are often colonized by the microbial communities also known as "plastisphere microbes" forming biofilms. These microbes include cyanobacteria like Nostoc, Scytonema, etc., and diatoms like Navicula, Cyclotella, etc. which become the primary colonizer. In addition to the autotrophic microbes, Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria dominate the plastisphere microbial community. These biofilm-forming microbes can efficiently degrade the microplastic in the environment by secreting various catabolic enzymes such as lipase, esterase, hydroxylase, etc. Besides, these microbes have shown great potential for the bioconversion of microplastic to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), an energy efficient and sustainable alternative to the petroleum based plastics. Thus, these microbes can be used for the creation of a circular economy using waste to wealth strategy. This review provides a deeper insight into the distribution, transportation, transformation, and biodegradation of microplastic in the ecosystem. The formation of plastisphere by the biofilm-forming microbes has been described in the article. In addition, the microbial metabolic pathways and genetic regulations involved in the biodegradation have been discussed in detail. The article suggests the microbial bioremediation and upcycling of microplastic along with various other strategies to effectively mitigate the microplastic pollution.