Papers

Exploring biodegradative efficiency: a systematic review on the main microplastic-degrading bacteria

This systematic review identified bacteria that can break down microplastics in the environment. Some bacterial species show promising ability to degrade common plastics like polyethylene and polystyrene, offering a potential biological approach to reducing plastic pollution.

Biotechnological methods to remove microplastics: a review

This review examines biotechnological approaches to removing microplastics from the environment, including using algae, fungi, and bacteria that can break down plastic particles. The paper also discusses cutting-edge methods like gene editing to enhance microbial degradation abilities, which could eventually help reduce the amount of microplastics that accumulate in food and water sources.

Micro and nanoplastics pollution: Sources, distribution, uptake in plants, toxicological effects, and innovative remediation strategies for environmental sustainability

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics enter plants through roots, disrupt growth and photosynthesis, and cause oxidative stress that reduces crop yields. Because these plastic particles can move through plant tissues and into edible parts, they represent a potential pathway for microplastics to enter the human food supply.

Impact of climate change and natural disasters on fungal infections

Researchers reviewed how climate change and natural disasters are making fungal infections more dangerous, as rising temperatures help fungi adapt to the human body's heat and spread into new geographic regions. Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, and the authors call for more research, funding, and policy attention to this growing but overlooked health threat.

Insights into Microbial Enzymatic Biodegradation of Plastics and Microplastics: Technological Updates

This review covers the latest advances in using microbial enzymes and biotechnology to break down plastic and microplastic waste. While some bacteria and fungi can partially degrade certain plastics, the process is slow and limited by factors like the plastic's chemical structure and crystallinity. The research points toward genetic engineering and genome editing as potential tools to speed up plastic degradation, though practical large-scale solutions are still in development.

Decoding the interactions between microplastics, polyfluoroalkyl substances, and endocrine disruptors: sorption kinetics and toxicity

Bioremediation of microplastic pollution: A systematic review on mechanism, analytical methods, innovations, and omics approaches

Researchers systematically reviewed how bacteria, fungi, and algae can break down microplastics through enzymes and biofilms, and how cutting-edge tools like genomics and genetically engineered microbes are improving biodegradation efficiency. While microbial bioremediation is a promising sustainable approach to microplastic pollution, challenges around scalability and varying degradation rates in real environments still need to be overcome.

Water Pollution: The Problems and Solutions

This review provides a broad overview of water pollution sources and solutions, covering industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and urban wastewater as major contributors to water contamination. The article examines both traditional and innovative approaches to cleaning up polluted water, including emerging contaminants like microplastics. Understanding the full scope of water pollution is important because microplastics often interact with other pollutants, making their combined health effects potentially worse.

Microplastics and biobased polymers to combat plastics waste

This review covers the health risks of microplastics and examines how biobased polymers like polylactic acid and other plant-derived plastics could help reduce plastic pollution. While these alternatives show promise for replacing conventional plastics, the review notes that some bioplastics still produce microplastics as they break down. The takeaway is that switching to biobased materials is part of the solution, but it will not eliminate microplastic pollution entirely.

A Review on Crop Responses to Nanofertilizers for Mitigation of Multiple Environmental Stresses

This review examines how nanoscale fertilizers can help crops survive environmental stresses like drought, salt, and pollution by improving nutrient delivery at the cellular level. While focused on agricultural benefits, the research is relevant to microplastics because nanofertilizers may help plants cope with microplastic-contaminated soil. However, the authors caution that widespread use of nanoparticles in farming raises its own questions about potential effects on the environment and human health.

Microplastics in landfill leachate: Occurrence, health concerns, and removal strategies

This review examines how microplastics form and accumulate in landfill leachate, the liquid that drains from waste sites. As plastic waste breaks down in landfills, it releases microplastic particles that can contaminate surrounding soil and water. The authors assess health concerns from leachate-borne microplastics and evaluate removal strategies, highlighting an often-overlooked pathway for microplastic pollution.

Microplastic contaminants in the aqueous environment, fate, toxicity consequences, and remediation strategies

This review covers the sources, fate, and toxic effects of microplastic contaminants in aquatic environments, along with current remediation strategies for removing them. Researchers found that microplastics cause various health problems in aquatic organisms and can enter the human food chain through contaminated seafood and water. The study emphasizes the urgent need for improved waste management and novel cleanup technologies to address microplastic pollution in water systems.

Unveiling the ecotoxicological impact of microplastics on organisms - the persistent organic pollutant (POP): A comprehensive review

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics act as persistent organic pollutants that spread through food chains, water, soil, and air. The review highlights a newly identified disease called "Plasticosis," which causes permanent scarring and chronic inflammation in the digestive systems of seabirds exposed to microplastics. These findings raise concerns that similar inflammatory damage could occur in humans who regularly consume microplastics through food and water.

Microbial Bioremediation Technology for Sustainable Treatment and Management of Synthetic Microfiber Waste

Quantification and characterization of airborne microplastics and their possible hazards: a case study from an urban sprawl in eastern India

Researchers measured airborne microplastic deposition in Malda City, India, and found daily deposition rates of 122 to 387 particles per square meter. The most common types were polyethylene, PVC, and PET fragments and films, mostly very small (50 to 100 micrometers). The study found that human activity and commercial areas were the main drivers of microplastic distribution, and that these airborne particles pose ecological risks when they settle into soil and water.

Water Pollutants: Sources and Impact on the Environment and Human Health

Bioaccumulation and toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics on marine and terrestrial organisms with possible remediation strategies: A review

Researchers reviewed how polystyrene nanoplastics — tiny plastic fragments from food containers, packaging, and insulation — accumulate in both marine and land animals through skin, breathing, and digestion, causing toxic effects across ecosystems. The review also evaluated promising cleanup strategies including biochar adsorption, photocatalysis, and filtration membranes that could help remove polystyrene nanoplastics from contaminated environments.

Forecasting global plastic production and microplastic emission using advanced optimised discrete grey model

Researchers used advanced mathematical models to forecast future global plastic production and microplastic emissions. Their projections suggest that both production and emissions will continue rising significantly in the coming decades if current trends hold. The study provides policymakers with quantitative predictions that could help guide strategies for reducing plastic pollution.

Microbes in Plastic Degradation

This review examines how microorganisms can break down common plastics like polyethylene and PET through enzymatic processes. Researchers summarized the key bacterial and fungal species capable of degrading plastics and the conditions that affect degradation rates. The study highlights that while microbial plastic degradation is promising, natural breakdown is slow and more research is needed to make biological solutions practical at scale.

Ecotoxic effects of microplastics and contaminated microplastics – Emerging evidence and perspective

This review examined the ecotoxic effects of microplastics alone and when contaminated with other environmental pollutants. Researchers analyzed how microplastics' small size, surface properties, and hydrophobicity contribute to their environmental persistence and tendency to bind other contaminants. The study suggests that contaminated microplastics may pose greater ecological risks than pristine particles due to combined toxic effects.

The Peril of Plastics: Atmospheric Microplastics in Outdoor, Indoor, and Remote Environments

This review surveys the current state of knowledge about microplastics suspended in the atmosphere, covering outdoor, indoor, and remote environments. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are far more widespread than previously recognized, with fibers from textiles and vehicle tire wear being major sources. The study highlights that atmospheric transport can carry microplastics to even the most remote locations on Earth, and that inhaling these particles poses potential health concerns.

Exploring Microbial-Based Green Nanobiotechnology for Wastewater Remediation: A Sustainable Strategy

This review examines how microbial-based green nanotechnology can serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional wastewater treatment methods. Researchers found that nanoparticles synthesized using microorganisms offer a cost-effective, eco-friendly approach to removing a broad range of water contaminants. The study compares the performance of these green nanomaterials against traditional treatment methods across factors like reusability, efficiency, and scalability.

The urgent need for microbiology literacy in society

This paper argues that society urgently needs better microbiology literacy to make informed decisions about issues ranging from public health to environmental management. Researchers highlight that microbes underpin critical functions in ecosystems, human health, and the biosphere, yet public understanding of microbiology remains extremely limited. The study calls for integrating microbiology education into broader scientific literacy efforts to help individuals and policymakers make better evidence-based decisions.

Exploitation of bacterial strains for microplastics (LDPE) biodegradation

Researchers tested five bacterial strains for their ability to biodegrade low-density polyethylene microplastics over four months. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the most significant degradation with an 18.2% weight loss, followed by Bacillus subtilis at 16.1%. The study demonstrates that naturally occurring soil bacteria can break down polyethylene microplastics, suggesting a potential biological approach to addressing plastic waste pollution.