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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Biocatalytic strategies for the degradation of emerging micropollutants: From nanoplastics to pharmaceuticals
ClearBiocatalytic strategies for the degradation of emerging micropollutants: From nanoplastics to pharmaceuticals
Researchers demonstrated that specific bacteria can break down both nanoplastics and common pharmaceuticals such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, which frequently contaminate waterways. Encasing these bacteria in alginate beads improved their stability and reusability, pointing toward practical bioremediation tools for tackling multiple classes of emerging pollutants simultaneously.
Microbes as Biocatalysts of Marine Micropollutants
This review examines how marine microorganisms can serve as biocatalysts to break down micropollutants including industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics in ocean environments. The study highlights advances in synthetic biology and genomics that are improving microbial efficiency for targeted bioremediation, while noting the need for cooperation among scientists, policymakers, and industry to address implementation challenges.
Characterization of microplastics and their interaction with antibiotics in wastewater
Researchers characterized microplastics in wastewater and investigated their interactions with antibiotics, examining how microplastic surfaces adsorb antibiotic compounds and the implications for antibiotic transport and dissemination in wastewater treatment systems.
Microbial–Enzymatic Combinatorial Approach to Capture and Release Microplastics
Researchers developed a microbial-enzymatic approach using evolved Pseudomonas aeruginosa to aggregate microplastics via biofilm formation for removal from polluted waters, then employed protease treatment to release captured plastics for downstream recovery.
Biodegradation and bioaugmentation of the co-contamination of chloramphenicol and microplastics by Exiguobacterium sp. CAP4 isolated from a contaminated plastisphere
Scientists isolated a bacterium called Exiguobacterium sp. CAP4 that can break down both microplastics and the antibiotic chloramphenicol at the same time in contaminated wastewater. This is significant because microplastics and antibiotics often pollute water together, and finding organisms that can degrade both could help clean up water supplies that people depend on.
Interactive effects of micro/nanoplastics and nanomaterials/pharmaceuticals: Their ecotoxicological consequences in the aquatic systems
Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics interact with co-occurring nanomaterials and pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments, finding that plastics act as vectors that can either amplify or attenuate the bioavailability and toxicity of these contaminants depending on species, trophic level, and environmental conditions.
Micro(nano)plastics as a vector of pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystem: Historical review and future trends
This systematic review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics in water can absorb and carry pharmaceutical drugs, creating a combined pollution threat. When medications attach to tiny plastic particles in rivers and oceans, they may become more harmful to aquatic life and potentially to humans who consume contaminated seafood or water. The research traces how this emerging double-threat has grown since 2018 and identifies key knowledge gaps.
Enzyme-immobilized hierarchically porous covalent organic framework biocomposite for catalytic degradation of broad-range emerging pollutants in water
Researchers developed an enzyme-immobilized covalent organic framework biocomposite that achieved high enzyme loading with minimal leaching, enabling efficient catalytic degradation of a broad range of emerging water pollutants including microplastics and pharmaceuticals.
Nanophotocatalytic synergistic degradation of antibiotics and microplastics: Mechanisms, material design, and environmental applications
This review examines how microplastics and antibiotics interact in water during photocatalytic treatment, finding that microplastics can both help (by shuttling electrons) and hinder (by shielding light or hosting biofilms) the degradation process, depending on conditions. Aged microplastics — which have more surface oxygen groups — adsorb more antibiotics, making them tougher composite targets for treatment systems. Understanding these interactions is essential for designing water purification systems that can handle the combined pollution reality of modern waterways.
Determination of the pharmaceuticals–nano/microplastics in aquatic systems by analytical and instrumental methods
Researchers reviewed analytical and instrumental methods for detecting pharmaceutical compounds associated with nano- and microplastic particles in aquatic systems. They examined how pharmaceuticals bind to plastic particles and the combined environmental risks these mixtures pose to water sources and marine life. The study identifies gaps in current detection capabilities and calls for improved methods to assess the combined impact of these co-occurring pollutants.
Developing an Efficient Model for Microplastic Removal in Wastewater: Integrating Advanced Filtration, Nanotechnology, and Bioremediation
Researchers developed an integrated model for microplastic removal from wastewater combining bio-based filtration with chitosan and alginate beads, carbon nanotube nanotechnology, and bioremediation techniques. The study suggests that this synergistic approach addresses key limitations of conventional treatment methods, including insufficient removal efficiency, low adsorption capacity, and inadequate selectivity for different microplastic types.
Microbial degradation of contaminants of emerging concern: metabolic, genetic and omics insights for enhanced bioremediation
This review covers how microorganisms have evolved the ability to break down emerging pollutants including plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides, turning them into less harmful substances. Understanding the genes, enzymes, and metabolic pathways these microbes use could lead to cost-effective, eco-friendly cleanup methods for removing persistent contaminants -- including plastic-derived chemicals -- from the environment before they reach people.
Synergistic Microbial Degradation of Microplastics and Toxic Dyes Showing Potential Reuse of the Degraded Dye Metabolites
Researchers isolated bacteria from textile dyeing wastewater capable of degrading both polyethylene microplastics and toxic dyes simultaneously, demonstrating a synergistic microbial approach to treating combined plastic and textile effluent pollution.
Synergistic Pollution: Interactions Among Polyethylene, Surfactants, and Antibiotics in an Aquatic Environment
Researchers investigated synergistic pollution effects among polyethylene microplastics, surfactants, and antibiotics in aquatic systems, finding that co-presence enhanced the environmental persistence and bioavailability of antibiotics beyond what microplastics or surfactants caused individually.
Microplastics and associated emerging contaminants in the environment: Analysis, sorption mechanisms and effects of co-exposure
Researchers reviewed how microplastics act as carriers for other environmental pollutants — including antibiotics, PFAS, and triclosan — absorbing them from surrounding water and potentially delivering higher doses to organisms that ingest the plastic, with combined toxicity effects that can be either amplified or reduced depending on the combination.
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.
Toward sustainable plastic bioremediation using bacterial consortia from aquatic environments.
This study explored the biotechnological potential of native bacteria from diverse aquatic environments to biodegrade synthetic plastics and microplastics. Bacterial consortia isolated from contaminated sites showed promising plastic-degrading capabilities, pointing toward bioremediation strategies for plastic pollution.
Challenges and opportunities in bioremediation of micro-nano plastics: A review.
This review examines biological approaches to removing micro- and nanoplastics from the environment, focusing on microbial degradation and bioremediation strategies. While bioremediation holds promise, challenges remain in identifying microbes capable of degrading common plastic types and scaling these processes for practical environmental cleanup.
Interactive toxicity effects of metronidazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and differently functionalized nanoplastics on marine algae Chlorella sp.
Researchers examined the combined toxicity of common pharmaceutical drugs and nanoplastics with different surface coatings on marine algae. They found that the interaction between drugs and nanoplastics produced effects ranging from additive to synergistic, depending on the specific combination, with amine-coated nanoplastics generally causing more harm. The study highlights that real-world mixtures of pharmaceutical and plastic pollutants in oceans may pose greater risks to marine life than either contaminant alone.
Enzyme_Metal‐Organic Framework Composites as Novel Approach for Microplastic Degradation
Researchers developed a new approach to breaking down microplastics by embedding a plastic-degrading enzyme inside a metal-organic framework, a porous crystalline material. The combined system eliminated 37% of a common plastic degradation product from contaminated water within 24 hours through both enzymatic breakdown and adsorption. The method could potentially be reused across multiple treatment cycles, offering a more practical and cost-effective strategy for cleaning microplastic pollution from water.