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Biodeterioration of Untreated Polypropylene Microplastic Particles by Antarctic Bacteria
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Researchers isolated Antarctic bacteria and tested their ability to degrade untreated polypropylene microplastics over a 40-day incubation period. They found that several bacterial strains caused measurable physical and chemical changes to the microplastic surfaces, indicating early-stage biodegradation. The study suggests that cold-adapted microorganisms from extreme environments may hold potential for biological approaches to plastic pollution remediation.
Microplastic pollution is globally recognised as a serious environmental threat due to its ubiquitous presence related primarily to improper dumping of plastic wastes. While most studies have focused on microplastic contamination in the marine ecosystem, microplastic pollution in the soil environment is generally little understood and often overlooked. The presence of microplastics affects the soil ecosystem by disrupting the soil fertility and quality, degrading the food web, and subsequently influencing both food security and human health. This study evaluates the growth and biodegradation potential of the Antarctic soil bacteria Pseudomonas sp. ADL15 and Rhodococcus sp. ADL36 on the polypropylene (PP) microplastics in Bushnell Haas (BH) medium for 40 days. The degradation was monitored based on the weight loss of PP microplastics, removal rate constant per day (K), and their half-life. The validity of the PP microplastics' biodegradation was assessed through structural changes via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. The weight loss percentage of the PP microplastics by ADL15 and ADL36 after 40 days was 17.3% and 7.3%, respectively. The optimal growth in the BH media infused with PP microplastics was on the 40th and 30th day for ADL15 and ADL36, respectively. The infrared spectroscopic analysis revealed significant changes in the PP microplastics' functional groups following the incubation with Antarctic strains.
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Isolation and Characterisation of Polypropylene Microplastic-Utilising Bacterium from the Antarctic Soil
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A polypropylene microplastic-degrading bacterium was isolated from Antarctic soil, a region increasingly affected by microplastic pollution despite its remoteness from direct contamination sources. The study characterized the isolate's ability to colonize and degrade PP microplastics in the cold terrestrial Antarctic environment.
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Researchers reviewed how bacteria in cold marine environments — including polar oceans — can break down synthetic plastics, highlighting the unique advantages of cold-adapted microbes for plastic remediation. While plastic degradation in cold habitats is still poorly understood, these microorganisms represent a promising avenue for cleaning up ocean plastic pollution.
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Researchers screened marine bacteria from two coastal regions in India for their ability to break down polypropylene microplastics. They identified several bacterial strains that caused measurable weight loss and structural changes in polypropylene particles over a 60-day period. The study suggests that naturally occurring marine bacteria could potentially be harnessed for biological approaches to reducing microplastic pollution in ocean environments.
Low Temperature Polyethylene Biodeterioration by Freshwater Microplastics-Associated Bacteria
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Fourteen bacterial strains isolated from a boreal lake and glacier-fed river were tested for their ability to biodegrade low-density polyethylene at cold temperatures, with several strains removing up to 25% of LDPE mass, suggesting cold-adapted freshwater bacteria have biodegradation potential.
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Researchers isolated psychrotrophic bacteria from Antarctic soil and evaluated their ability to deteriorate untreated commercial polystyrene, demonstrating that polar microorganisms can utilize polystyrene microplastics as a carbon source for biodegradation.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.