Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Sustainable Use of the Fungus Aspergillus sp. to Simultaneously Generate Electricity and Reduce Plastic through Microbial Fuel Cells

Researchers investigated using the fungus Aspergillus sp. as a substrate in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to simultaneously generate electricity and degrade polyethylene plastic over 45 days. The MFCs reached peak values of 0.572 V and 3.608 mA on day 31, achieved 73.77% chemical oxygen demand reduction, and FTIR analysis showed a measurable reduction in characteristic polyethylene C-H peaks alongside visible surface perforations in the plastic.

2024 Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Use of the Fungus Trichoderma sp. as a Plastic-Reducing Agent and Electricity Generator in Microbial Fuel Cells

This study investigated whether the fungus Trichoderma sp. could reduce plastic mass and generate electricity in a microbial fuel cell system. Results indicated the fungus has limited plastic-degrading ability but shows potential as a bio-electrochemical component.

2024 Processes 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Using dual chamber microbial fuel cells for coupled microplastic biodegradation and bioelectricity production: assessing the effect of substrate

Researchers investigated using dual-chamber microbial fuel cells to simultaneously biodegrade PET microplastics and generate bioelectricity. The study found that microbial consortia in the fuel cell setup could break down microplastics while producing usable electrical energy, offering a potentially sustainable approach to microplastic remediation in wastewater treatment.

2026 Microbial Cell Factories
Article Tier 2

Harnessing fungal bio-electricity: a promising path to a cleaner environment

This review explores the integration of fungi into fuel cell systems for simultaneous energy generation and environmental pollutant degradation. The study suggests that fungal bio-electricity, particularly through constructed wetland fuel cells, represents a promising and eco-friendly approach to addressing pollution challenges.

2024 Frontiers in Microbiology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The Exploitation of Single-Chambered Microbial Fuel Cells for PET Removal in Water

Researchers investigated microbial fuel cells for simultaneous PET degradation and electricity generation, finding that co-cultures of Ideonella sakaiensis with either Geobacter sulfurreducens or activated sludge in single-chamber systems achieved measurable reductions in PET particle size and mass while producing bioelectricity.

2025 Microorganisms
Article Tier 2

Electricity generation and oxidoreductase potential during dye discoloration by laccase-producing Ganoderma gibbosum in fungal fuel cell

Researchers used a fungus called Ganoderma gibbosum to simultaneously break down toxic dye wastewater and generate electricity in a fungal fuel cell, achieving up to 14.18 mW/m² of power. This approach offers an eco-friendly way to treat industrial dye pollution while also producing usable energy, eliminating the need for harsh chemicals.

2023 Microbial Cell Factories 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of e-waste microplastics by Penicillium brevicompactum

Scientists found that the fungus Penicillium brevicompactum can partially break down microplastics from electronic waste circuit boards over 28 days, reducing their mass and altering their surface structure. This biological approach to degrading e-waste plastics could help address a growing pollution source, though more work is needed to scale up the process and assess whether breakdown products are safe.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of Penicillium brevicompactum in bioprocessing plastic and metals from printed circuit boards

Researchers assessed the potential of the fungus Penicillium brevicompactum to simultaneously biodegrade plastics and leach metals from printed circuit board particles over 7 and 28 days, exploring integrated bioprocessing as an approach to the complex recycling challenges posed by electronic waste.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Fuel cell and electrolyzer using plastic waste directly as fuel

Researchers demonstrated an electrochemical cell that converts solid plastic waste directly into electricity or hydrogen gas without incineration or gasification, using an acidic solution to dissolve polyurethane at 100–200 °C and oxidize it at a porous carbon anode.

2019 Waste Management 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the influence of polystyrene microplastics in wastewater on anode biofilm viability and electron transfer in microbial fuel cells performance

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics in wastewater reduce the electricity-generating ability of microbial fuel cells — devices that use bacteria to turn waste into power — by disrupting the bacterial biofilms that transfer electrons to electrodes. Carbon-based electrodes were more resistant to microplastic interference than metal ones, suggesting material choice matters when designing systems treating microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating Microplastic Effects on Performance and Electrochemistry of Microbial Fuel Cells for Wastewater Treatment

Researchers evaluated how microplastics affect the performance of microbial fuel cells used for wastewater treatment. They found that low concentrations of microplastics actually improved chemical oxygen demand reduction and power production compared to wastewater without microplastics. However, at higher concentrations the beneficial effects diminished, suggesting that microplastic levels in wastewater could influence the efficiency of bioelectrochemical treatment systems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Fungal potential for the degradation of petroleum-based polymers: An overview of macro- and microplastics biodegradation

This review examines the potential of fungi to break down petroleum-based plastics, highlighting their unique ability to produce enzymes capable of degrading complex polymers. Researchers found that certain fungal species can use plastic materials as their sole carbon and energy source, offering a promising biological approach to plastic waste remediation. The study calls for further research on novel fungal isolates and molecular techniques to enhance plastic biodegradation processes.

2019 Biotechnology Advances 442 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Conversion Of Plastic Waste Into Sustainable Biofuels: A Comprehensive Review Of Microbial Degradation Approaches

This review examines recent advances in converting plastic waste into sustainable biofuels via microbial degradation, covering the enzymatic and metabolic processes used by bacteria and fungi to break down plastics and the potential of these approaches to address plastic pollution.

2024 IOSR Journal of Environmental Science Toxicology and Food Technology
Article Tier 2

An overview on role of fungi in systematic plastic degradation

This review examines the role of fungi in plastic degradation, surveying fungal species and enzymes capable of breaking down common polymers and discussing their potential for sustainable bioremediation of plastic pollution in the environment.

2022 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Fungal Bioremediation of Microplastics

This review examines how fungi can be used for bioremediation of plastic pollution, covering the enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in fungal plastic degradation. Fungal approaches complement bacterial strategies and may offer unique capabilities for breaking down certain types of plastics in contaminated environments.

2022 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Fungal Bioremediation: A Sustainable Strategy for Microplastic Removal from Polluted Water

This review covers fungal bioremediation of microplastic pollution in water, examining how various fungal species degrade plastic polymers, the mechanisms involved (enzymatic oxidation, biofilm formation), and the feasibility of scaling these biological approaches for water treatment applications.

2025 Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries
Review Tier 2

The Role of Marine Fungi in Degradation of Microplastic and Plastics – a Review

This review examines the role of marine fungi in the biodegradation of microplastics and bulk plastics, synthesising literature on over 400 known plastic-degrading microorganism species and highlighting the most significant fungal groups capable of decomposing plastic materials in marine environments.

2024
Article Tier 2

From Waste to Watts: Updates on Key Applications of Microbial Fuel Cells in Wastewater Treatment and Energy Production

This review summarizes advances in microbial fuel cell technology for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation, highlighting improvements in electrode materials, reactor designs, and microbial communities that have increased power output and treatment efficiency.

2022 Sustainability 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Microorganisms: Promising approach to quench plastic pollution

This review surveys the range of bacteria and fungi — including Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and several fungal phyla — that are capable of degrading plastics including polyethylene, the world's most produced plastic. Microbial biodegradation is presented as a promising complement to physical and chemical recycling methods, with the potential to address plastic pollution already dispersed in the environment. Harnessing these organisms could eventually provide biological tools to break down plastic waste that has entered soils, waterways, and the ocean.

2023 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
Article Tier 2

Microbe‐mediated biodegradation of microplastics from wastes

Researchers examined microbe-mediated biodegradation of microplastics from waste, reviewing bacterial and fungal species capable of breaking down various plastic polymers and discussing enzymatic mechanisms that could be harnessed for bioremediation strategies.

2023 Water and Environment Journal 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Myco-remediation of plastic pollution: current knowledge and future prospects

Researchers reviewed the growing body of evidence showing that fungi can break down common plastics — including polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene — by secreting specialized enzymes that attack and mineralize plastic polymers, with many effective species coming from the Aspergillus and Penicillium families. The review calls for metagenomic approaches to discover more plastic-degrading fungi and develop them into practical bioremediation tools.

2023 Biodegradation 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic-Eating Microbes: a New Potential Solution to Waste Mitigation?

This review examines the potential of plastic-eating microbes — bacteria and fungi — to help solve the global plastic waste problem. While several organisms can break down PET and other plastics under lab conditions, significant challenges remain in scaling these processes for industrial waste treatment. The author concludes that microbial biodegradation is a promising but not yet sufficient solution to plastic pollution on its own.

2021 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Prospection of marine filamentous fungi in the biodegradation of microplastic

This Brazilian study examined whether marine filamentous fungi can biodegrade microplastics, exploring their enzyme systems and degradation mechanisms. Marine fungi represent an underexplored biological resource for breaking down the plastic pollution accumulating in ocean environments.

2023 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microbes mediated plastic degradation: A sustainable approach for environmental sustainability

This review examines microbially mediated plastic degradation as a sustainable environmental cleanup strategy, surveying bacterial and fungal species capable of breaking down common polymers and discussing enzymatic pathways and factors limiting practical biodegradation rates.

2022 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 9 citations