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Towards a Novel Bioremediation System for Microplastic Contaminated Soils
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This study reviewed existing bioremediation systems for removing PET microplastics from contaminated soils, evaluating the potential of microbial and enzymatic approaches. Researchers found that while several bacteria and enzymes can degrade PET, scaling these approaches to real-world soil remediation remains a major challenge.
The proliferation of plastic, more specifically poly(ethylene) terephthalate (PET) as a durable, long-lasting material has also led to the polymer becoming an unprecedented environmental pollutant. Despite the technology that facilitated the growth of plastic production, the means of disposing the plastic has further negative impacts to the surrounding environment. Various researchers have explored the development potential of different bioremediation systems capable of removing different plastic polymers from the environment by biological degradation. Since the discovery of the PET hydrolysing enzyme, PETase in 2016, the bioremediation of PET is much more plausible. In this study we address a novel approach to remove microplastic pollution from terrestrial ecosystems. The model organism, Dictyostelium discoideum, was selected due to their ecological niche and fully established molecular tool kit. This study aimed to produce a model organism capable of secreting the PETase enzyme into their surrounding environment. The generation of a D. discoideum compatible vector plasmids containing the PETase gene was faced with a multitude of hurdles linked to the repeat content and A/T richness of the D. discoideum genome. Transformation of D. discoideum with the PETase gene was perceived as successful, and provided justification for further work towards the creation of a suitable bioremediation system.
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Researchers reviewed emerging bioremediation strategies for removing microplastics from contaminated soil, highlighting the roles of plants, root-zone microbes, soil animals like earthworms, and specialized bacteria and fungi that can use enzymes to break down plastic polymers into harmless compounds. While genetic engineering of microbes shows promise for accelerating degradation, the review notes that real-world application at scale still requires significant research and development.
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Researchers developed a new tool using biochar combined with a plastic-eating enzyme to break down PET microplastics in soil. The approach achieved nearly 30% weight loss of PET particles and helped restore healthy nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in the soil by shifting microbial communities, offering a promising strategy for addressing microplastic contamination in agricultural land.
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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.
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