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Biodegradation of plastics waste using fungi: A review
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This review assessed fungal biodegradation of plastic waste, highlighting species such as Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. that produce specific enzymes capable of breaking down synthetic polymers, positioning fungal pathways as a promising biological approach to plastic waste remediation.
Plastics are synthetic polymers that are widely used in every field of life every day. Along with the increasing use of plastic, the amount of plastic waste produced and accumulated to environment will also increase. If the plastic waste is not handled properly, it will pollute the environment and threaten many living things including humans. Biodegradation is a promising method for dealing with plastic waste. This method includes many microbes including fungi such as Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. as its biodegradation agents. Some plastics degrading fungi produce many specific enzymes that catalyze the degradation of plastic polymer into simpler and smaller fragments including oligomer, dimer, and monomer through several steps including biodeterioration, depolymerization, assimilation, and mineralization. The fragmented plastic particles are absorbed and used by plastic degrading fungi as their energy and carbon sources. Biodegradation is the appropriate method to overcome the plastics pollution because this method has no side effects as the conventional methods.
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This review surveys fungi capable of biodegrading various types of plastic polymers, summarizing the enzymatic mechanisms and fungal species most effective at breaking down plastic waste. Researchers highlight fungal biodegradation as a promising but underexplored strategy for addressing plastic pollution, particularly for types of plastic that resist bacterial degradation.
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Researchers reviewed the growing body of evidence showing that fungi can break down common plastics — including polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene — by secreting specialized enzymes that attack and mineralize plastic polymers, with many effective species coming from the Aspergillus and Penicillium families. The review calls for metagenomic approaches to discover more plastic-degrading fungi and develop them into practical bioremediation tools.
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This review examines how fungi can be used for bioremediation of plastic pollution, covering the enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in fungal plastic degradation. Fungal approaches complement bacterial strategies and may offer unique capabilities for breaking down certain types of plastics in contaminated environments.
Fungal Enzymes Involved in Plastics Biodegradation
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Researchers reviewed the current literature on fungal enzymes capable of degrading various types of plastic polymers. The study cataloged different enzyme classes including laccases, peroxidases, and cutinases, describing their characteristics and efficacy against specific plastics. Evidence indicates that fungi offer a promising biological approach to plastic biodegradation due to their diverse array of enzymes specialized in breaking down recalcitrant substances.
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