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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Microbial Degradation of Polylactic Acid Bioplastic
ClearState of the art on biodegradability of bio-based plastics containing polylactic acid
This review examines whether bio-based plastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) actually break down in the environment as intended. While certain microorganisms can degrade PLA, the process is slow and depends heavily on conditions like temperature and moisture. The findings matter because if bio-based plastics do not fully break down, they can still fragment into microplastics, posing many of the same environmental and health risks as conventional plastics.
Polylactic acid synthesis, biodegradability, conversion to microplastics and toxicity: a review
Researchers reviewed polylactic acid (PLA), a popular plant-based "biodegradable" plastic used in packaging and agriculture, finding that while it breaks down inside the body, it does not fully degrade under natural outdoor or aquatic conditions — and in fact fragments into microplastics faster than conventional petroleum-based plastics. This challenges the assumption that bioplastics are a straightforward environmental solution.
Do poly(lactic acid) microplastics instigate a threat? A perception for their dynamic towards environmental pollution and toxicity
This review examines whether poly(lactic acid), a popular biodegradable plastic marketed as an eco-friendly alternative, actually poses environmental risks as it breaks down into microplastics. Researchers found that PLA only degrades fully under specific industrial composting conditions with high temperatures and moisture, and may persist much longer in natural environments. The study calls for deeper investigation into the environmental fate and potential toxicity of PLA microplastics as their use continues to grow.
Mineralization and microbial utilization of poly(lactic acid) microplastic in soil
Researchers tracked how polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, a common biodegradable plastic, actually break down in different agricultural soils. They found that standard testing methods significantly overestimate how quickly PLA degrades because they fail to account for interactions with soil organic matter. The study reveals that PLA microplastics may persist longer in some soils than previously thought, raising questions about how truly biodegradable these materials are in real-world conditions.
The microbial response to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics during anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge
Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics — often assumed to be benign because they are 'biodegradable' — were found to inhibit the breakdown of organic matter in wastewater sludge by 5–18%, disrupting microbial communities and key enzymes. The result challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally safe once they enter wastewater treatment systems.
Bioabsorbable Characteristics of Poly (Lactic Acid) (PLA) for a Fundamental Solution to the Problem of Microplastics Tea Bag SOILON® Made from PLA Fibers
This review examines the biodegradation characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA) materials, discussing the enzymatic and environmental conditions needed for effective breakdown and evaluating PLA's potential as a genuinely biodegradable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics.
The Biodegradation of Plastic by Microorganisms
This review examines how the chemical composition of plastics influences their susceptibility to biodegradation by microorganisms, discussing the diverse biophysical-chemical properties of synthetic polymers that affect microbial degradation rates across different environmental contexts.
A Comparative Review on Biodegradation of Poly(Lactic Acid) in Soil, Compost, Water, and Wastewater Environments: Incorporating Mathematical Modeling Perspectives
This review compared how polylactic acid, a popular biodegradable plastic alternative, breaks down across different environments including soil, compost, water, and wastewater. Researchers found that PLA degrades fastest in compost, followed by soil, wastewater, and open water, with different mechanisms dominating in each setting. The study provides a comprehensive picture of PLA's real-world degradation behavior, which is important for understanding whether these materials truly offer environmental benefits over conventional plastics.
Microbial Degradation of Plastics
This review examines microbial degradation of plastics in the environment, discussing how environmental breakdown of plastics generates microplastic particles that accumulate in plants and animals and cause metabolic disruptions, while exploring the potential of microorganisms to break down plastic polymers.
Hydrolyzable microplastics in soil—low biodegradation but formation of a specific microbial habitat?
Hydrolyzable microplastics such as polylactic acid showed low biodegradation in soil despite their marketed degradability, while their surfaces hosted distinct microbial communities forming a specialized plastisphere. The study questions the environmental safety of biodegradable plastics in agricultural soil contexts.
Biodegradation of typical plastics and its mechanisms
This review summarizes the mechanisms by which common plastic types are broken down by bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in the environment. Despite their chemical stability, many plastics can be degraded — though slowly — with the pace depending on environmental conditions and plastic type. The paper provides a foundation for developing faster biodegradation strategies to reduce plastic pollution.
Transformation of Polylactic Acid (PLA) Microparticles in Soil and their Effects on Soil Properties: A Review
This review examined how polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics transform in soil over time and affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties including pH, organic matter, nutrient cycling, and microbial communities, highlighting the complexities of PLA as a supposedly biodegradable agricultural plastic.
Photo-Aging of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Microplastics
Researchers investigated the photo-aging of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, finding that UV exposure caused fragmentation that increased total particle numbers while decreasing average particle size. The study provides quantitative data on how biodegradable PLA plastics generate secondary microplastics through photoaging, a previously poorly characterized degradation pathway for this widely used industrial bioplastic.
Review of the Synthesis and Degradation Mechanisms of Some Biodegradable Polymers in Natural Environments
This review examined how biodegradable polymers like PLA, starch-based plastics, and plant fiber composites break down in natural environments. Researchers found that degradation is primarily driven by microorganisms that produce specialized enzymes to break polymer chains into smaller pieces for digestion. The study highlights that factors such as temperature, humidity, polymer structure, and the specific enzymes involved all significantly influence how quickly these materials decompose.
Characteristic Features of Plastic Microbial Degradation
This book chapter reviews the characteristics of microbial plastic degradation, covering the enzymes, metabolic pathways, and environmental conditions that affect breakdown rates for different polymer types. Understanding microbial degradation mechanisms is foundational to developing biological solutions for microplastic pollution.
Biodegradation of macro- and micro-plastics in environment: A review on mechanism, toxicity, and future perspectives.
This review examined mechanisms, toxicology, and future perspectives for biodegradation of macro- and micro-plastics, cataloguing microbial species capable of polymer degradation, discussing enzymatic pathways, and identifying key limitations including slow degradation rates and the need for pretreatment to accelerate breakdown in environmental settings.
Microplastic Degradation by Actinobacteria
This review covers microbial biodegradation of microplastics with a focus on actinobacteria, including their enzyme-based mechanisms for degrading polylactic acid and other polymers, and the molecular tools used to study these microorganisms.
Review on the Biological Degradation of Polymers in Various Environments
This review provides an overview of how biodegradable plastics degrade under different environmental conditions including soil, freshwater, marine, and composting environments. It finds that biodegradability is a material property strongly dependent on environmental conditions, and that many so-called biodegradable plastics degrade far more slowly in nature than in controlled test conditions.
3D-printed polylactic acid biopolymer and textile fibers: comparing the degradation process
3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) objects and PLA textile fibers were compared in their degradation behavior under composting and environmental conditions. Both materials degraded over time but at different rates depending on their physical form and surface area. The study provides insights into how PLA-based products break down and whether they produce persistent microplastic residues.
Degradation of polylactide microplastics in the marine environment under low temperature and in fine-grained sediments - a laboratory scale evaluation
Researchers tested whether polylactide (PLA), a plant-based plastic marketed as compostable, actually breaks down in cold marine environments, finding it barely degraded in cold seawater and not at all in oxygen-deprived deep sediments — meaning improperly discarded PLA can persist in the ocean and contribute to nanoplastic pollution just like conventional plastics.