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

Marine bacteria capable of enzymatic degrading of low- and high-density polyethylene: Toward sustainable mitigation of marine microplastic pollution

Scientists discovered ocean bacteria that can break down common plastic types found in marine pollution, with some bacteria destroying up to 17% of the plastic in lab tests. These naturally occurring bacteria could potentially be used to help clean up the tiny plastic particles that contaminate our oceans and eventually enter our food chain through seafood. While still in early research stages, this finding offers hope for a biological solution to reduce the microplastics that may pose health risks when we consume contaminated fish and shellfish.

2026 Journal of Ecological Engineering
Article Tier 2

Potensi Mikroorganisme Sebagai Agen Bioremediasi Mikroplastik Di Laut

This Indonesian review examines microorganisms with the potential to biodegrade microplastics in marine environments, including bacteria that can use plastic as a carbon source. Identifying plastic-degrading microbes is a step toward developing biological remediation strategies for marine microplastic pollution.

2020 OSEANA 6 citations
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

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

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

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

Microbes as Biocatalysts of Marine Micropollutants

This review examines how marine microorganisms can serve as biocatalysts to break down micropollutants including industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics in ocean environments. The study highlights advances in synthetic biology and genomics that are improving microbial efficiency for targeted bioremediation, while noting the need for cooperation among scientists, policymakers, and industry to address implementation challenges.

2025 1 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

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

Bioremediation of water polluted with microplastics by bacteria isolated from the environment

This dissertation examined bacteria isolated from the plastisphere — the microplastic surface environment — for their ability to bioremediate microplastic pollution in water. The research combined ecotoxicity testing with bioremediation trials, finding that certain plastisphere bacteria show potential for breaking down microplastics in aquatic environments.

2023 Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
Systematic Review Tier 1

Exploring biodegradative efficiency: a systematic review on the main microplastic-degrading bacteria

This systematic review identified bacteria that can break down microplastics in the environment. Some bacterial species show promising ability to degrade common plastics like polyethylene and polystyrene, offering a potential biological approach to reducing plastic pollution.

2024 Frontiers in Microbiology 27 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

Microbial synergies in phytoremediation: A comprehensive review

Not relevant to microplastics — this is a review of how soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) assist plants in removing pollutants like heavy metals and hydrocarbons through phytoremediation; while the study addresses environmental contamination broadly, it does not examine microplastic pollution or its effects.

2026 International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research
Article Tier 2

Identification of the bacterial community that degrades phenanthrene sorbed to polystyrene nanoplastics using DNA-based stable isotope probing

Researchers used DNA-based stable isotope probing to identify marine bacteria that can break down chemical pollutants sorbed onto polystyrene nanoplastics. They found that specific bacterial taxa in coastal seawater could degrade phenanthrene, a common petrochemical, when it was attached to plastic particle surfaces. The study reveals that the microbial communities colonizing ocean plastics may play an active role in processing harmful chemicals that accumulate on these particles.

2024 Scientific Reports 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward sustainable plastic bioremediation using bacterial consortia from aquatic environments.

This study explored the biotechnological potential of native bacteria from diverse aquatic environments to biodegrade synthetic plastics and microplastics. Bacterial consortia isolated from contaminated sites showed promising plastic-degrading capabilities, pointing toward bioremediation strategies for plastic pollution.

2025 Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology
Systematic Review Tier 1

Bacteria as Ecological Tools: Pioneering Microplastic Biodegradation

This systematic review examines how bacteria can be used to biologically break down microplastic particles. The researchers identified several bacterial species capable of degrading different types of plastics, offering a potential natural solution to microplastic pollution. Finding biological methods to break down microplastics could reduce the amount of these particles that accumulate in our environment and food chain.

2024 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental
Article Tier 2

Evidence of Plastic Degrading Bacteria in Aquatic Environment

This review examines evidence for plastic-degrading bacteria in aquatic environments, summarizing identified microorganisms and their enzymatic mechanisms capable of breaking down plastic materials, and discussing the potential application of these organisms in bioremediation of plastic pollution.

2022 Journal of Biological and Allied Health Sciences
Article Tier 2

Selective Isolation and Identification of Microorganisms with Dual Capabilities: Leather Biodegradation and Heavy Metal Resistance for Industrial Applications

This paper is not directly about microplastics; it investigates bacteria that can biodegrade chromium-tanned leather and tolerate heavy metals, aimed at improving industrial waste treatment for the leather tanning industry.

2024 Microorganisms 3 citations