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Degradation of plastics and plastic-degrading bacteria in cold marine habitats
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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.
Synthetic plastics present in everyday materials constitute the main anthropogenic debris entering the Earth’s oceans. The oceans provide important and valuable resources such as food, energy, and water. They are also the main way of international trade and the main stabilizer of the climate. Hence, changes in the marine ecosystem caused by anthropogenic influences such as plastic pollution can have a dramatic impact on a global scale. Although the problem of plastics still remains unsolved, different ways are being considered to reduce their impact on the environment. One of them is to use microorganisms capable of degradation of plastic. A particularly interesting area is the application of microorganisms isolated from cold regions in view of their unique characteristics. Nevertheless, the interactions between plastic and microorganisms are still poorly known. Here, we present a review of current knowledge on plastic degradation and plastic-microorganism interactions in cold marine habitats. Moreover, we highlight the advantages of microorganisms isolated from this environment for eliminating plastic waste from ecosystems.
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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.
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Researchers isolated psychrophilic bacteria from Greenland snow and used multi-omics analysis to identify their genetic capacity for breaking down biodegradable and compostable plastics at near-freezing temperatures. This matters because biodegradable plastics are increasingly promoted as an environmental solution, yet their actual fate in cold polar environments — where much plastic pollution ends up — is poorly understood.
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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.