Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Novel approaches for removing emerging contaminants from sludge using fungal-mediated processes

Researchers reviewed fungal-mediated processes for removing emerging contaminants from wastewater sludge, including pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. The study suggests that fungi offer unique biodegradation capabilities through biosorption, enzymatic degradation, and combined treatment methods, presenting a promising bioremediation approach for persistent pollutants.

2024 IWA Publishing eBooks 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Pharmaceutical Pollution in Aquatic Environments: A Concise Review of Environmental Impacts and Bioremediation Systems

This review examines how pharmaceutical drugs are polluting waterways worldwide because conventional wastewater treatment cannot effectively remove them. The authors focus on bioremediation approaches, especially using fungi, as a more sustainable and eco-friendly way to break down these drug residues. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics can carry pharmaceutical compounds in water, and better water treatment would address both contaminants.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 315 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Degradation of Plastic and Pharmaceutical Waste using Fungal Strains Based Strategies

This review examines fungal-based bioremediation strategies for degrading synthetic plastics and pharmaceutical waste, focusing on filamentous and ligninolytic fungi and the enzymatic pathways they employ. The authors position fungal biodegradation as a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to conventional landfilling, incineration, and chemical recycling for persistent environmental contaminants.

2025 Current Trends in Biotechnology and Pharmacy
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
Article Tier 2

White Rot Fungi as Tools for the Bioremediation of Xenobiotics: A Review

This review examines how white rot fungi use specialized enzymes to break down a wide range of toxic pollutants including synthetic dyes, pesticides, and emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals. While not specifically about microplastics, these same fungal enzymes are being explored as potential tools for biodegrading plastic waste in contaminated environments.

2024 Journal of Fungi 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradação e biorremediação de fármacos, cosméticos e produtos de higiene pessoal

This chapter reviews biological degradation and bioremediation techniques for removing pharmaceuticals and personal care product chemicals from wastewater, as these compounds are regularly discharged into water sources and harm aquatic ecosystems. Complete removal of these emerging contaminants remains technically challenging and represents an active area of environmental research.

2022 Mérida Publishers eBooks
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

Bioremediation Techniques for Water and Soil Pollution: Review

This review covers bioremediation techniques that use microorganisms to break down pollutants in water and soil, including microplastics, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Researchers highlight how bacteria, fungi, and algae can be harnessed to degrade plastic waste and other contaminants through natural biological processes. The study suggests that bioremediation offers a promising, environmentally friendly approach to tackling pollution, though more research is needed to optimize these techniques for real-world application.

2025 Natural and Engineering Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Emerging Pollutants by Using Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatments

This review examines advanced biological methods for removing emerging pollutants from wastewater, including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and microplastics. Biological treatment approaches offer sustainable and effective alternatives to conventional treatment for this increasingly complex mix of contaminants.

2021 Applied Water Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Fungal Diversity in Two Wastewater Treatment Plants in North Italy

Researchers characterized fungal diversity in two wastewater treatment plants in northern Italy, finding diverse communities including molds and yeasts whose composition varied with treatment stage and influent quality, suggesting fungi may play underappreciated roles in contaminant removal including potential interactions with microplastics.

2022 Microorganisms 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Fungal Degradation of Microplastics—An Environmental Need

This review highlights fungi as an underexplored but promising tool for breaking down microplastics in the environment, noting that fungal enzymes can degrade plastics that bacteria struggle with. As conventional physical and chemical methods fall short of addressing the scale of microplastic pollution, fungal biodegradation could offer a practical, scalable complement to existing cleanup strategies.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Microbial and multi-omics approaches for bioremediation of emerging contaminants: environmental impact and future engineering solutions

This research review summarizes how scientists are using helpful microbes (bacteria, fungi, and algae) to clean up dangerous pollutants in our water and soil, including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and microplastics that can harm human health. The study shows that these tiny organisms can naturally break down and remove many toxic chemicals from the environment. This matters because it could lead to cheaper, eco-friendly ways to clean up contaminated areas and protect our drinking water and food supply.

2026 Biodegradation
Article Tier 2

Role of Fungi in Biodegradation of Bisphenol A: A Review

This review examined the role of fungi in biodegrading bisphenol A, a widespread endocrine disruptor that leaches from plastics into water sources, highlighting fungal enzymes and degradation pathways as promising approaches for environmental remediation.

2023 Tropical Aquatic and Soil Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial strategies for degradation of microplastics generated from COVID-19 healthcare waste

Researchers reviewed microbial strategies for degrading microplastics generated from COVID-19 healthcare waste such as masks, gloves, and personal protective equipment. The study discusses how improper disposal of pandemic-related plastic waste creates microplastic pollution and explores the potential of microorganisms to break down these polymeric materials as a bioremediation approach.

2022 Environmental Research 66 citations
Article Tier 2

The hidden power of secondary metabolites in plant-fungi interactions and sustainable phytoremediation

This review explores how plants and fungi produce secondary metabolites that play important roles in their interactions with each other and can be harnessed for cleaning up contaminated environments. Researchers examined how fungal compounds help plants tolerate pollutants like heavy metals and microplastics in soil. The findings suggest that leveraging plant-fungi partnerships could offer sustainable, nature-based approaches to environmental remediation.

2022 Frontiers in Plant Science 121 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)
Article Tier 2

Functionalized Nanoclays Coupled with Microbial Remediation Strategies for Treating Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)

This review examines how functionalized nanoclays combined with microbial remediation strategies can be used to treat pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water. Researchers found that chemically modified clay nanoparticles effectively trap pollutants between their mineral layers, and coupling this with microorganisms that consume the adsorbed chemicals reduces secondary pollution. The approach offers an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional water treatment methods for emerging contaminants.

2024 ACS symposium series 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Progressive Biocatalysts for the Treatment of Aqueous Systems Containing Pharmaceutical Pollutants

This review covers the occurrence of pharmaceutical pollutants across diverse water sources and evaluates biological treatment approaches including enzymes and whole cells as catalysts for their degradation, identifying promising biocatalysts and knowledge gaps for effective pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.

2023 Life 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Using Fungi in Artificial Microbial Consortia to Solve Bioremediation Problems

Researchers reviewed the use of artificial microbial consortia containing fungi for cleaning up environmental contaminants including microplastics, heavy metals, dyes, and pesticides. They found that combining fungi with bacteria in engineered communities can enhance the breakdown of pollutants more effectively than single organisms working alone. The study suggests that fungal-based bioremediation consortia offer a promising eco-friendly strategy for tackling diverse types of environmental pollution.

2024 Microorganisms 36 citations
Article Tier 2

From Laboratory Tests to the Ecoremedial System: The Importance of Microorganisms in the Recovery of PPCPs-Disturbed Ecosystems

This review examines how microorganisms can be used in constructed wetlands to remove pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater. Since conventional treatment plants often fail to remove these emerging contaminants, biological remediation offers a promising and sustainable alternative.

2020 Applied Sciences 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Myco-degradation of microplastics: an account of identified pathways and analytical methods for their determination

This review examined fungal degradation pathways for microplastics and the analytical methods used to assess biodegradation progress. The study highlights that fungi possess diverse enzymatic systems, including extracellular enzymes, capable of breaking down various plastic polymers, suggesting that fungal bioremediation could be a promising approach for reducing microplastic pollution in the environment.

2022 Biodegradation 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential of Laccase as a Tool for Biodegradation of Wastewater Micropollutants

This review evaluates the potential of laccase enzymes, primarily from fungi and bacteria, to break down micropollutants in wastewater including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting compounds. Researchers found that laccase-based treatments offer an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical methods for removing these contaminants. The study also discusses how immobilizing laccases on support materials can improve their stability and reusability in water treatment systems.

2023 Water 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Fungal bioassays for environmental monitoring

This review assessed fungal bioassays as tools for environmental monitoring of pollutants including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and plastics in air, soil, and water. Fungi were highlighted as particularly sensitive bioindicators whose degradative and biosorptive capabilities make them valuable for both detecting contamination and remediation.

2022 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 13 citations