Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Microplastics by Baceterial Communities From Activated Sludge

Scientists isolated bacteria from wastewater treatment sludge that can biodegrade PET plastic, used in plastic bottles and food packaging. The bacteria broke down PET microplastics over a 60-day period, pointing toward a potential biological tool for removing plastic contamination from water treatment systems.

2021
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Microplastics by Baceterial Communities From Activated Sludge

Scientists isolated bacteria from wastewater treatment sludge that can biodegrade PET plastic, used in plastic bottles and food packaging. The bacteria broke down PET microplastics over a 60-day period, pointing toward a potential biological tool for removing plastic contamination from water treatment systems.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel Bacillus subtilis BPM12 with high bis(2 hydroxyethyl)terephthalate hydrolytic activity efficiently interacts with virgin and mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate

Researchers discovered a soil bacterium, Bacillus subtilis BPM12, that can break down PET plastic building blocks at impressively high rates and across a wide range of temperatures and pH levels. The study shows that combining mechanical shredding with biological degradation by this microbe could be a practical route to recycling more PET plastic waste, a major source of environmental microplastics, back into useful chemicals.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics by Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans PETKKU2: Response surface optimization and genomic evidence for an alternative degradation mechanism

This study identified a soil bacterium, Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans PETKKU2, isolated from a Thai landfill, as capable of degrading PET microplastics and achieving nearly 10% weight loss over 35 days under optimized conditions — through a degradation pathway distinct from the well-known PETase enzyme route. Surface analysis confirmed progressive erosion and chemical changes in the plastic. Discovering new microbial pathways for PET degradation is important for developing biological recycling and remediation strategies for one of the world's most common plastic pollutants.

2026 PLoS ONE
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) by Bacillus safensis YX8

Researchers isolated a PET-degrading bacterial strain, Bacillus safensis YX8, from the surface of plastic waste and demonstrated its ability to break down PET nanoparticles. The study identified the degradation products as terephthalic acid and related compounds, suggesting this bacterium could contribute to environmentally friendly approaches for managing PET plastic waste.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Bacillus-Associated Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Surfaces For Biodegradation

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common plastics, found in bottles and packaging, and it breaks down into persistent microplastics in the environment. This study screened bacteria collected from PET surfaces at a landfill in Malaysia, finding strains with promising esterase activity capable of forming biofilms on PET and beginning to degrade it. The findings point toward biological solutions for breaking down PET microplastics before they spread further into ecosystems.

2025 Malaysian Applied Biology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

In vivo degradation of polyethylene terephthalate using microbial isolates from plastic polluted environment.

Researchers isolated four microbial strains from plastic waste dumping sites and tested their ability to degrade polyethylene terephthalate in vivo, finding measurable weight loss and surface modification of PET films over 30 days, with Aspergillus species demonstrating the highest degradation efficiency.

2023 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Biological Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate by Rhizobacteria

Researchers isolated rhizobacteria — bacteria associated with plant roots — that can biodegrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. This finding suggests that soil bacteria near plants may contribute to plastic breakdown in contaminated soils, though degradation rates remain slow.

2022 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation, Screening and Characterization of Plastic-Degrading Bacteria From Soil for PWM

Scientists isolated bacteria from soil near garbage sites and identified strains capable of degrading plastic materials, with scanning electron microscopy revealing physical damage — holes and cracks — to plastic surfaces after bacterial exposure within 30 days. The study contributes to the search for soil microbes that could be harnessed for biological plastic waste management. Biodegradation by indigenous soil bacteria could offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to landfilling or incineration of plastic waste.

2026 Current World Environment
Article Tier 2

Screening, Identification, and Degradation Mechanism of Polyester Fiber-Degrading Bacteria

Scientists screened soil bacteria isolated from moldy plastic bags and identified several Bacillus strains capable of degrading polyester fibers and PET plastic under normal temperatures, achieving mass losses of up to 5-6% over 30 days. The study characterizes the degradation mechanisms involved, advancing the search for biological solutions to plastic waste. Bacterial biodegradation could offer a low-energy, scalable approach to breaking down persistent plastic pollution.

2026 Microorganisms
Article Tier 2

Microbes Isolated from Landfill Soil Utilize Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as Their Sole Source of Carbon: An Unexplored Possibility of Bioremediation in Bangladesh

Researchers isolated six microorganisms from landfill soil near Dhaka, Bangladesh that can grow using PET plastic as their sole carbon source, identifying them as potential candidates for biological plastic degradation. This is significant because PET is one of the most widely produced and littered plastics globally, and discovering locally adapted PET-degrading microbes in developing nations opens pathways for low-cost bioremediation of plastic waste in regions with high pollution burdens.

2024 Environment and Natural Resources Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of PET plastic with engineered environmental bacteria

Scientists engineered a soil bacterium to break down PET plastic, one of the most common plastics in food packaging and textiles, by giving it the ability to produce and secrete a powerful plastic-degrading enzyme. This is one of the first demonstrations of a living microorganism that can directly consume PET as a food source, which could lead to more sustainable recycling approaches.

2024 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Living in a bottle: Bacteria from sediment‐associated Mediterranean waste and potential growth on polyethylene terephthalate

Researchers analyzed bacterial communities inhabiting Mediterranean seafloor sediments trapped inside PET bottles and aluminum cans, using SEM and next-generation sequencing to characterize plastisphere diversity, then screened culturable isolates for the ability to use PET as a carbon source. The study identified bacteria capable of PET degradation, highlighting the potential of ocean-derived plastisphere communities for plastic bioremediation.

2022 MicrobiologyOpen 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria breakdown poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)

Scientists used microcosm studies to investigate whether marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria can break down PET plastic, finding that specific bacterial strains could colonize and degrade PET surfaces, offering insights into natural plastic biodegradation in the ocean.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Message in a Bottle: the Expression and Confirmation of ISF6_4831, a Polyethylene Terephthalate Hydrolase

This study investigated a bacterial enzyme that can degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles, one of the top sources of plastic waste globally. The research confirms that biological degradation of PET is feasible and points toward potential biotechnological approaches for breaking down plastic waste.

2018 Digital Commons - Winthrop University (Winthrop University)
Article Tier 2

Enhanced degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics by an engineered Stenotrophomonas pavanii in the presence of biofilm

Scientists engineered a biofilm-forming bacterium to break down PET microplastics (the type found in water bottles and food containers) at room temperature. The engineered bacteria achieved significant PET degradation over 30 days and also worked on other polyester plastics, offering a potential biological solution for cleaning up microplastic pollution in water environments.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient biodegradation of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic by Gordonia sp. CN2K isolated from plastic contaminated environment

Researchers isolated a bacterium called Gordonia sp. CN2K from a waste management site that can break down PET plastic, one of the most widely used and persistent types of plastic. Over 45 days, the bacterium degraded over 40% of PET microplastic by using it as its sole carbon and energy source. The findings suggest that naturally occurring microorganisms could be harnessed to help address the growing problem of microplastic pollution in the environment.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Finding needles in haystacks: identification of novel conserved PETase enzymes in Streptomyces

Researchers identified a family of PET-degrading enzymes (LipA variants) naturally present in soil-dwelling Streptomyces bacteria, and showed that one variant could physically roughen and degrade amorphous PET film. The finding suggests that common soil bacteria may play a larger role than appreciated in breaking down plastic waste in the environment, and could be candidates for biotechnological recycling applications.

2023
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microbial degradation of polyethylene terephthalate: a systematic review

This systematic review examines how microorganisms like bacteria and fungi can break down PET plastic, one of the most common types of plastic waste. The research identifies several promising biological approaches that could help reduce plastic pollution without the harmful side effects of chemical recycling methods. Finding better ways to break down plastic waste is critical for reducing the microplastics that end up in our water, food, and bodies.

2022 SN Applied Sciences 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Phenotypic and Genomic Characterization of Polyethylene-Degrading Bacillus cereus PE-1 Enriched from Landfill Microbial Consortium

Scientists found a bacteria called Bacillus cereus PE-1 in landfill soil that can actually eat and break down plastic bags and containers (polyethylene). The bacteria damaged the plastic's surface and reduced its weight by about 5% in just 30 days, suggesting it could potentially help clean up plastic pollution in the environment. While this research is still early and needs more testing, it offers hope for using natural bacteria to tackle the growing problem of plastic waste that threatens our ecosystems and food chain.

2026 Polymers
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of LDPE plastic by local strain of Bacillus sp. isolated from dump soil of Pekanbaru, Indonesia

Scientists isolated a local strain of Bacillus bacteria from landfill soil in Indonesia and tested its ability to break down low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic. The bacteria showed measurable ability to degrade LDPE, reducing plastic weight over time. This research supports the potential for using locally sourced soil bacteria in plastic biodegradation efforts.

2021 Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 16 citations
Article Tier 2

An approach to low-density polyethylene biodegradation by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Researchers isolated two strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens from municipal solid waste soil and demonstrated their capacity to degrade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films, as measured by dry weight reduction, pH changes, and surface modification via FTIR and SEM analysis. The findings indicate that these bacterial strains have potential for application in LDPE bioremediation.

2014 3 Biotech 239 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of micro-polyethylene particles by bacterial colonization of a mixed microbial consortium isolated from a landfill site

A bacterial consortium isolated from a municipal landfill, dominated by Bacillus and Paenibacillus species, was shown to reduce the dry weight of polyethylene microplastic particles by 14.7% and particle diameter by 22.8% after 60 days of incubation. The study provides evidence that landfill-adapted bacteria can biodegrade PE microplastics under mesophilic conditions.

2019 Chemosphere 427 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation of a soil bacterium for remediation of polyurethane and low-density polyethylene: a promising tool towards sustainable cleanup of the environment.

A soil bacterium tentatively classified in the Pseudomonas genus was found to biodegrade both polyurethane and low-density polyethylene plastics. The discovery of a single bacterial strain capable of degrading two different types of plastic is a step toward developing practical microbial tools for plastic waste remediation.

2021 3 Biotech