Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

The Role Of Bacteria In Microplastic Bioremediation And Implications For Marine Ecosystems

This literature review summarizes how bacteria can be harnessed through bioremediation to break down microplastics in marine environments, cataloging the bacterial species and mechanisms involved. While biological degradation is slow and not yet a practical cleanup solution at scale, identifying effective bacteria is an important step toward developing tools to reduce the long-term accumulation of microplastics in ocean ecosystems.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Biocatalytic 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.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Biocatalytic 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.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Recent trends in bioremediation and bioaugmentation strategies for mitigation of marine based pollutants: current perspectives and future outlook

This review evaluates recent advances in bioremediation and bioaugmentation strategies for addressing marine pollution from microplastics, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and pesticides. Researchers highlight progress in developing tailored microbial consortia, genetically engineered degradation agents, and nano-enabled remediation approaches informed by omics tools. The study notes that while significant advances have been made, scaling these biological approaches to handle complex pollutant mixtures in real ocean conditions remains a major challenge.

2024 Discover Sustainability 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Biologics in synergy to degrade target micropollutants

This review describes how biological agents—bacteria, fungi, and engineered enzymes—can be combined to break down a range of environmental pollutants, including microplastics, chlorinated solvents, and pharmaceuticals. The emphasis on enzyme discovery and microbial consortia points toward scalable, low-emission alternatives to incineration or chemical treatment for tackling complex pollution mixtures.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Biologics in synergy to degrade target micropollutants

This review describes how biological agents—bacteria, fungi, and engineered enzymes—can be combined to break down a range of environmental pollutants, including microplastics, chlorinated solvents, and pharmaceuticals. The emphasis on enzyme discovery and microbial consortia points toward scalable, low-emission alternatives to incineration or chemical treatment for tackling complex pollution mixtures.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

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.

2024 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Environmental Plastic Pollution: Mitigation by Microorganism Degradation and Recycling Valorization

This review examines how microorganisms can degrade marine plastic pollution through enzymatic processes and how recycling technologies can recover value from plastic waste. Researchers surveyed various microbial species capable of breaking down common plastics and assessed the effectiveness of different recycling approaches. The study suggests that combining biological degradation with improved recycling infrastructure could help address the growing crisis of ocean plastic pollution.

2020 Frontiers in Marine Science 222 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Microorganisms for Microplastic Degradation: A Sustainable Approach to Mitigating Environmental Pollution

This review surveys microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and other taxa—capable of degrading microplastics, examining the enzymes, metabolic pathways, and environmental conditions involved, and assessing the practical potential of harnessing these organisms for bioremediation of plastic pollution.

2025 NIPES Journal of Science and Technology Research
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics on the frontline: causes, strategies to combat pollution and protect health with advanced bioremediation—a review

This systematic review examines how microplastics carry toxic chemicals like heavy metals and persistent pollutants into the food chain, ultimately reaching humans. It also explores promising bioremediation approaches — using bacteria and enzymes to break down microplastics — as a potential strategy to reduce exposure.

2026 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A
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

Catalytic and biocatalytic degradation of microplastics

This review covers the current state of breaking down microplastics using catalysts and biological agents including enzymes, metals, nanomaterials, and microorganisms. While some approaches show promise for degrading certain plastic types, the field is still developing standardized methods for measuring how well these techniques work. Finding effective ways to break down microplastics is critical for reducing the environmental and health burden of plastic pollution.

2023 Exploration 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Bacteria for Bioremediation of Polluted Marine Environments: A Blue Revolution Approach

This review explored how marine bacteria can be harnessed to bioremediate polluted ocean environments contaminated with hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and microplastics. The authors found that marine bacteria offer cost-effective and ecologically compatible remediation potential but that practical deployment at scale remains a major challenge.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Marine Bacteria for Bioremediation of Polluted Marine Environments: A Blue Revolution Approach

This review explored how marine bacteria can be harnessed to bioremediate polluted ocean environments contaminated with hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and microplastics. The authors found that marine bacteria offer cost-effective and ecologically compatible remediation potential but that practical deployment at scale remains a major challenge.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Bio-catalytic Mitigation for Removal of Microplastics from Water Contaminated with Industrial Effluents

This review discusses the problem of microplastic pollution and examines bio-catalytic approaches—using enzymes, bacteria, and fungi—as emerging methods for breaking down microplastics in water contaminated with industrial effluents. It covers the mechanisms of biological degradation and highlights potential pathways to scale up these technologies for practical water treatment applications.

2025
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Critical review on unveiling the toxic and recalcitrant effects of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems and their degradation by microbes

This review provides a comprehensive look at how microplastics accumulate in aquatic ecosystems and their toxic effects on marine organisms throughout the food chain. Researchers also examine the potential of bacteria, fungi, and algae to break down microplastics through biodegradation, including advances in genetic engineering to enhance this process. The study underscores both the severity of microplastic pollution and the emerging biological strategies that could help address it.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Plastics Induced by Marine Organisms: Future Perspectives for Bioremediation Approaches

This review explores how marine organisms, including bacteria and fungi, can biodegrade plastic pollution in ocean environments. Researchers surveyed the current evidence on biofouling and enzymatic breakdown of different plastic types by marine life. The study suggests that harnessing these natural biodegradation processes could offer a promising bioremediation approach, though significant research gaps remain before practical applications are feasible.

2023 Polymers 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Omics Strategies Targeting Microbes with Microplastic Detection and Biodegradation Properties

This review examines how omics approaches — genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics — are being applied to identify and engineer microorganisms capable of detecting and degrading microplastics. The authors map progress in plastic-degrading microbial pathways and discuss how synthetic biology could accelerate the development of bioremediation solutions.

2024