Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Successful cultivation of edible fungi on textile waste offers a new avenue for bioremediation and potential food production

Researchers demonstrated for the first time that edible fungi can be cultivated on textile waste, offering a dual solution for bioremediation and potential food production. Three species of filamentous fungi were shown to colonize and break down both natural and synthetic fabric fibers. The study suggests that fungal cultivation on textile waste could help reduce the microplastic pollution that results from textiles breaking down in landfills.

2024 Scientific Reports 10 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

From closet to contaminant to control: Unveiling microplastic sources in household textiles and potential for environmental application

Degraded domestic textile fibers were chemically and thermally activated and tested for dye remediation, with ZnCl₂-activated polyurethane and polyester fibers showing the best removal efficiency (up to 87.7%) for anionic dyes, repurposing textile microplastic waste for environmental cleanup.

2024 Journal of Water Process Engineering 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The removal capacities of three filamentous fungi to remediate floating microplastic particles

Three common filamentous fungi — Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, and Penicillium rubens — were found to remove 59–67% of polyamide microplastic particles from liquid environments within 24–72 hours through surface adhesion rather than biodegradation. This passive removal mechanism is far faster than full plastic degradation and suggests that fungi could be harnessed as a practical, low-cost tool for microplastic remediation.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impact of Textile Materials: Challenges in Fiber–Dye Chemistry and Implication of Microbial Biodegradation

This review examines how the textile industry contributes to environmental pollution through both chemical dye waste and microplastic fiber release. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon shed non-biodegradable microfibers during manufacturing and washing, while the dyeing process generates contaminated wastewater. The paper highlights microbial biodegradation as a promising and cost-effective approach to breaking down both textile waste and the microplastics it produces.

2025 Polymers 33 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
Article Tier 2

Current trends, limitations and future research in the fungi?

This broad review of modern mycology (the study of fungi) covers emerging fungal diseases, drug discovery from fungi, genomics advances, and how fungi can be used in construction and circular economies. While not directly about microplastics, some fungi show promise for biodegrading plastic waste, making mycology research relevant to addressing microplastic pollution.

2024 Fungal Diversity 94 citations
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

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

Bioremediation of Toxic Pollutants

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it is a broad review of bioremediation approaches for environmental pollutants including heavy metals and textile dyes, with no specific focus on microplastics.

2023
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the ecological impact of textile microfibers: Current knowledge and research challenges

This review examines the ecological impact of textile microfibers, a major subset of microplastic pollution released during laundry and fabric wear. Researchers found significant knowledge gaps regarding how these fibers affect organisms and ecosystems, particularly when interacting with other environmental contaminants. The study calls for more standardized research methods and greater attention to this pervasive but understudied form of microplastic pollution.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
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

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

Unveiling Fungal Proficiency in Microplastic Degradation: A Comprehensive Research Investigation

Researchers isolated fungal genera from the Tigris River capable of degrading microplastics in both natural and artificial media, investigating their enzymatic mechanisms and evaluating their proficiency in breaking down MP polymers in freshwater and wastewater environments.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic effects in aquatic ecosystems with special reference to fungi–zooplankton interaction: identification of knowledge gaps and prioritization of research needs

This review identifies a largely unexplored gap in microplastic research: how plastic pollution affects aquatic fungi and their interactions with zooplankton. Because fungi play critical roles in breaking down dead organic matter and serving as food for zooplankton, disruptions caused by microplastics — which can physically resemble fungal spores in size — could have cascading effects on freshwater food webs and nutrient cycling. The authors call for targeted experiments to fill this knowledge gap and better predict ecosystem-level impacts of microplastic contamination.

2023 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Biology Bulletin 3 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
Article Tier 2

Quantification and morphological characterization of microfibers emitted from textile washing

Textile microfibers released during washing machine cycles were quantified and characterized, with the study finding that fiber type, fabric construction, and wash conditions all influenced emission quantities. The results confirm textile washing as a significant and ongoing source of microplastic fiber pollution in wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioprospecting of Mangrove Filamentous Fungi for the Biodegradation of Polyethylene Microplastics

Researchers screened mangrove-associated filamentous fungi for the ability to biodegrade polyethylene microplastics, identifying candidate strains with plastic-degrading potential. Selected fungal isolates showed measurable polyethylene degradation activity, expanding the known roster of plastic-degrading organisms and highlighting mangrove ecosystems as a source of environmentally relevant bioremediation agents.

2024 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 5 citations