Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

The threat of microplastics and microbial degradation potential; a current perspective

This review covers the growing threat of microplastics in marine environments, where they enter the food chain and can transfer to humans along with pathogenic organisms, causing various toxic effects. The paper also explores how bacteria and fungi found in ocean environments could be harnessed to biodegrade different types of plastics as a future strategy for reducing microplastic pollution.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Impacts and Microbial-Mediated Degradation Processes of Microplastics

This review explores both the harmful effects of microplastics on living organisms and the potential of microorganisms to break them down. Researchers summarize how microplastics accumulate through food chains from aquatic environments to humans, posing risks to food safety. The study highlights microbial degradation as a promising sustainable alternative to conventional chemical and physical methods for addressing plastic pollution.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of different types of microplastics: Molecular mechanism and degradation efficiency

This review examines how bacteria, fungi, and algae can break down different types of microplastics through their enzymes, and compares the degradation efficiency of various microbial strains. Understanding these biological breakdown pathways is important because they could be developed into practical solutions for reducing the persistent microplastic pollution that threatens ecosystems and human health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 167 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution: Understanding microbial degradation and strategies for pollutant reduction

This review explores how microplastics form, spread through ecosystems, and affect microbial communities, then examines how certain microorganisms can actually break down these plastic particles. Understanding microbial degradation of microplastics could lead to biotechnology solutions that reduce the amount of plastic pollution entering the food chain and ultimately the human body.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Review on impacts of micro- and nano-plastic on aquatic ecosystems and mitigation strategies

This review examines the environmental fate, ecological impacts, and remediation strategies for microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems. Researchers highlight that microbial remediation shows particular promise for breaking down these pollutants, while many nations are adopting regulations to limit plastic contamination of waterways. The study suggests that integrating approaches from nanoscience, microbial ecology, and remediation technologies is needed to address this growing environmental challenge.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial degradation of microplastics: Effectiveness, challenges, and sustainable solutions

This review summarizes current knowledge on microbial degradation of microplastics, examining the effectiveness of bacteria, fungi, and algae in breaking down various plastic polymers. Researchers found that while certain microorganisms show promising degradation capabilities, the process remains slow and faces challenges in real-world conditions. The study identifies key research gaps and potential strategies for developing more effective biological microplastic remediation approaches.

2025 Current Research in Microbial Sciences 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

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.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity of microplastic wastes and their sustainable management: A review

This review summarizes how microplastics damage ecosystems when organisms ingest them and absorb the toxic chemicals they carry, and examines microbial remediation as an emerging solution. Bacteria and fungi that can break down plastics offer a more environmentally friendly approach to reducing microplastic pollution, which is important because up to 14 million tons of plastic waste enters the oceans each year and enters the human food chain.

2024 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in aquatic systems, a comprehensive review: origination, accumulation, impact, and removal technologies

This comprehensive review traced the sources of microplastics in aquatic environments, from industrial products and packaging to cosmetics and agricultural materials, and examined their toxic effects on living organisms. Researchers found that microplastics are remarkably stable and widespread, posing growing ecotoxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems. The study also evaluated current removal technologies, noting their advantages and limitations, and warns that without better strategies, microplastic pollution will become significantly worse in coming decades.

2022 RSC Advances 134 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Analytical challenges, ecological impacts, and mitigation strategies

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of micro- and nanoplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering detection methods, toxic effects across the food chain, and emerging cleanup strategies. Researchers highlight the limitations of current analytical techniques and the challenges of accurately measuring these tiny particles in water and living organisms. The study identifies key research priorities needed to better understand and mitigate the growing threat of plastic particle pollution in waterways.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Sources, Fates, Impacts and Microbial Degradation

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in marine environments, covering their sources, distribution, and impacts on ocean life. Researchers found that microplastics are ingested by marine organisms at all levels of the food chain, potentially affecting both wildlife health and human food safety. The study also explores the promising role of marine bacteria that can break down certain plastics as a potential solution to this pollution crisis.

2021 Toxics 221 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Environments: Sources, Ecotoxicity, Detection & Remediation

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic sources, ecotoxicity, detection methods, and remediation strategies in aquatic environments. Researchers found that microplastics act as carriers for toxic chemicals and pose threats to both marine and freshwater ecosystems as well as human health through drinking water exposure. The study highlights the need for improved detection technologies and effective remediation approaches to address this growing environmental challenge.

2021 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics Prevalence, Food Web Interactions, and Toxicity Assessment in Aquatic Organisms: A Review

This review examines the prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics across aquatic environments and their documented toxic effects on organisms ranging from plankton to fish, including DNA damage, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. Researchers found clear evidence that these particles transfer through aquatic food webs and can ultimately reach humans through seafood consumption. The study calls for more research into how microplastics carrying multiple contaminants cause combined toxic effects in marine organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 164 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Degradation mechanisms and removing strategies

This review summarizes methods for removing microplastics from water, including physical filtering, chemical treatments, and biological breakdown by bacteria, fungi, and enzymes. Effective removal of microplastics from water is important for human health because these tiny particles are eaten by fish and other seafood, eventually entering the human food chain.

2024 Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of aquatic microplastics and nanoplastics pollution on ecological systems and sustainable remediation strategies of biodegradation and photodegradation

This review covers the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems and evaluates emerging remediation strategies. Researchers examined how these particles enter food chains and pose health risks when ingested by aquatic organisms or humans. The study highlights promising biodegradation and photodegradation approaches, including microbial, enzymatic, and metal oxide-assisted methods, as eco-friendly ways to break down microplastic contamination.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Microorganism-mediated biodegradation for effective management and/or removal of micro-plastics from the environment: a comprehensive review

This review summarizes research on using microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae to break down microplastics in the environment. While some organisms can partially degrade certain plastic types through fragmentation and chemical breakdown, no single microbe can fully eliminate microplastics. The review highlights that biological degradation is a promising but still limited approach to addressing microplastic pollution, and more research is needed to develop effective microbial cleanup strategies.

2024 Archives of Microbiology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Unlocking secrets of microbial ecotoxicology: recent achievements and future challenges

This review explores how microorganisms interact with environmental pollutants, including microplastics, covering how bacteria can break down pollutants but are also harmed by them. The authors highlight that microplastics create new surfaces in the environment where bacteria form communities, potentially spreading harmful species or antibiotic resistance. Understanding these microbial interactions is critical for developing nature-based solutions to reduce pollution and protect human health.

2023 FEMS Microbiology Ecology 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in biodegradation of emerging contaminants - microplastics (MPs): Feasibility, mechanism, and future prospects

This review explores biological approaches to breaking down microplastics, including using bacteria, fungi, and enzymes. While some organisms can partially degrade certain plastic types, the process is slow and incomplete compared to the scale of pollution. The research is promising for future cleanup efforts but shows that biodegradation alone cannot yet solve the microplastic contamination problem.

2023 Chemosphere 81 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Research 214 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics in the aquatic environmental: distribution, transport, ecotoxicology, and toxicological mechanisms

This review examines how microplastics are distributed, transported, and accumulate throughout aquatic environments, and the toxicological effects they have on aquatic organisms. The study suggests that microplastics can affect human health through the food chain, but notes that understanding of combined toxicity mechanisms remains very limited. The authors identify significant knowledge gaps and call for more systematic environmental risk assessments across multiple species.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 153 citations