Papers

61,005 results
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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
Article Tier 2

Isolation and Identification of Four Strains of Bacteria with Potential to Biodegrade Polyethylene and Polypropylene from Mangrove

Researchers screened mangrove sediment and surface water bacteria for the ability to biodegrade polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics, successfully isolating four candidate strains. The identified bacteria showed measurable plastic degradation activity, highlighting mangrove ecosystems as a source of novel plastic-degrading microorganisms.

2024 Microorganisms 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation and Identification of Plastic Degrading Fungi from Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Researchers isolated 12 fungal species from plastic dump yards and waste sites in Bangalore, India, identifying Penicillium, Aspergillus niger, and Trichoderma as the most dominant plastic-degrading candidates. The study used serial dilution, spread plating, and microscopy techniques to characterize these fungi, which demonstrated potential for eco-friendly biodegradation of plastic waste in landfills.

2025 Kavaka
Article Tier 2

Screening of Fungal Isolates for Biodegradation Potentials of Low-Density Polyethylene from Selected Dumpsites

Researchers screened fungi isolated from soil at Nigerian waste dump sites for their ability to degrade low-density polyethylene plastic, identifying candidate species for potential use in bioremediation. Fungal biodegradation of common plastics like LDPE could help address plastic waste in environments with poor waste management infrastructure.

2023 Sahel Journal of Life Sciences FUDMA 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring Fungi-mediated Biodegradation Pathway of Polymers in Environmental Systems(Dump Sites)

This study explored how fungi found at waste dump sites can break down plastic polymers including nylon bags. Species such as Aspergillus niger were identified and showed some capacity for polymer degradation, suggesting potential use in plastic bioremediation.

2023 Microbiology Research Journal International
Article Tier 2

Low-Density Polyethylene Film Biodegradation Potential by Fungal Species from Thailand

Thirty fungal species from Thailand were screened for low-density polyethylene biodegradation ability, with several showing measurable weight loss and surface modification of PE films over a 90-day incubation period, and Aspergillus and Trichoderma species among the most effective degraders, supporting further development of fungal-based plastic bioremediation.

2021 Journal of Fungi 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Screening for Polypropylene Degradation Potential of Bacteria Isolated from Mangrove Ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia

Two bacterial species isolated from mangrove sediments in Malaysia were found to partially degrade polypropylene plastic, as measured by weight loss and surface changes after incubation. Mangrove-associated bacteria capable of degrading plastics could have potential applications in biological plastic remediation.

2017 International Journal of Bioscience Biochemistry and Bioinformatics 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Myco-remediation of plastic pollution: current knowledge and future prospects

Researchers reviewed the growing body of evidence showing that fungi can break down common plastics — including polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene — by secreting specialized enzymes that attack and mineralize plastic polymers, with many effective species coming from the Aspergillus and Penicillium families. The review calls for metagenomic approaches to discover more plastic-degrading fungi and develop them into practical bioremediation tools.

2023 Biodegradation 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced microbial degradation of PET and PS microplastics under natural conditions in mangrove environment

Researchers isolated bacteria from microplastic-contaminated mangrove soil and tested their ability to break down PET and polystyrene microplastics under natural conditions. Over 90 days, the microbial consortium achieved an 18% weight loss in the treated microplastics and visibly altered their surface structure. The study suggests that naturally occurring bacteria in polluted environments hold potential for bioremediation of microplastic-contaminated soils.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Biodegradation of Synthetic Polyethylene and Polyurethane Polymers by Pedospheric Microbes: Towards Sustainable Environmental Management

Researchers isolated fungi and bacteria from dumpsite soils and tested their ability to break down polyethylene and polyurethane plastics. They found that several microbial species showed notable biodegradation potential under laboratory conditions. The study suggests that soil microorganisms naturally adapted to waste environments could offer a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach to managing synthetic plastic pollution.

2025 Polymers 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of polyethylene by indigenous fungi from waste recycling site, South West, Nigeria

Researchers isolated fungi from a Nigerian plastic dumpsite and found that Aspergillus nidulans, Eurotium repens, and Penicillium chrysogenum can break down polyethylene plastic, causing measurable weight loss and chemical changes in the plastic. These naturally occurring fungi could offer a cheap, eco-friendly method for managing plastic waste in developing countries.

2022 Bulletin of the National Research Centre/Bulletin of the National Research Center 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Dark septate endophytes : A review potential of fungi from mangrove roots (Rhizophora sp) in microplastic biodegradation

This review examines the potential of dark septate endophyte fungi isolated from mangrove roots (Rhizophora sp.) for microplastic biodegradation. Researchers found that DSE fungi, which colonize plant root tissue and possess melanin-rich septate hyphae, show promise as agents for plastic-degrading enzyme production in mangrove ecosystems.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

The Diversity of Fungi in Landfill and their Potential to Degrade Plastic

Researchers isolated 24 fungal morphotypes from plastic waste samples at Terjun Landfill in Medan, Indonesia, screening them for plastic-degradation potential on mineral salt medium with plastic powder. Among five promising isolates identified by molecular methods — including Fusarium solani, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus niger — the Fusarium solani isolate achieved 20.83% weight reduction of low-density polyethylene sheets after 45 days.

2024 OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences 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

Screening and Isolation of Polypropylene Degrading Fungi from Waste Dumping Site, Kolhapur, India

Researchers screened soil samples from a solid waste dump site in Kolhapur, India to isolate fungi capable of degrading polypropylene, identifying a promising strain through 18S rRNA analysis as Cladosporium halotolerans. Over eight months of incubation in aqueous medium without UV pretreatment, the fungal strain demonstrated measurable polypropylene biodegradation, suggesting it as a candidate organism for plastic waste bioremediation.

2023 Nature Environment and Pollution Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Screening of Bacillus strains isolated from mangrove ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia for microplastic degradation

Researchers screened Bacillus strains isolated from mangrove ecosystems in Malaysia for plastic-degrading ability, identifying several strains with activity against synthetic polymers and highlighting mangrove microbiomes as a source of plastic-degrading bacteria.

2017 Environmental Pollution 666 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Microplastic-Degrading Bacteria from Mangrove Sediment in The Paluh Getah Area, Percut Sei Tuan District

Ten bacterial strains isolated from mangrove sediments in North Sumatra were screened for microplastic degradation, with three promising isolates showing growth on LDPE, HDPE, PET, PP, and PS substrates, identifying mangrove bacteria as a potential source of plastic-degrading microbes.

2025 Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA
Article Tier 2

Degradation of microplastics in artificially polluted soil by bacterial and fungal isolates originating from landfill leachate

Researchers tested whether bacterial and fungal isolates from landfill leachate could degrade polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in artificially polluted agricultural soil, finding that the microbial isolates showed measurable degradation activity against both polymer types.

2025 Soil & Environment
Article Tier 2

Bioprospecting Evidence of Polyethylene Degrading Bacteria in the Mojo Pemalang Mangrove Rehabilitation Areas

Researchers conducted bioprospecting in the Mojo Pemalang mangrove rehabilitation areas of Indonesia, identifying bacteria with the capacity to degrade polyethylene microplastics that accumulate in mangrove sediments and inhibit ecosystem recovery. The study provided evidence that PE-degrading bacterial communities are present in these environments, suggesting natural attenuation potential for plastic pollution in mangroves.

2025 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive approach to evaluate microplastic biodegradation potential of mangrove rhizobacteria

Rhizobacteria isolated from three mangrove species in India were screened for plastic-degrading enzymes and combined into a consortium, demonstrating collective microplastic degradation potential with potential for environmental bioremediation.

2024 Journal of Environmental Biology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

An overview on role of fungi in systematic plastic degradation

This review examines the role of fungi in plastic degradation, surveying fungal species and enzymes capable of breaking down common polymers and discussing their potential for sustainable bioremediation of plastic pollution in the environment.

2022 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Delineating degradation of polyethylene microplastics by mangrove-derived microbes: Enzymatic pathways and intermediate identification

Two bacterial strains isolated from plastic-coated biofilm in a Thai mangrove — Lysobacter sp. and Nitratireductor kimnyeongensis — degraded 35% and 23% of polyethylene microplastics by weight within 30 days, using distinct metabolic pathways confirmed by genomic analysis. Finding effective plastic-degrading microbes in mangrove environments is significant because mangroves are both major accumulation zones for coastal plastic pollution and highly biodiverse ecosystems where natural microbial solutions could potentially be harnessed for in-situ cleanup.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Plastics by Fungi

This review examines how fungi — including naturally occurring species found in soil and marine environments — can break down common plastic polymers including polyethylene under low-nutrient conditions. Laboratory evidence suggests some fungal species can degrade plastic pellets, reducing their mass and size, offering a potentially cheaper and more ecologically compatible alternative to industrial plastic disposal methods. Scaling up fungal biodegradation remains a challenge, but the findings suggest microbes could play a significant role in reducing environmental microplastic accumulation over time.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring untapped bacterial communities and potential polypropylene-degrading enzymes from mangrove sediment through metagenomics analysis

Researchers used metagenomics analysis to explore bacterial communities in mangrove sediments that may be capable of breaking down polypropylene plastic. The study compared microbial communities exposed to virgin and chemically pretreated polypropylene over several months. Evidence indicates that certain bacterial taxa in mangrove environments possess enzymes with potential polypropylene-degrading activity, suggesting possible biological pathways for plastic waste remediation.

2024 Frontiers in Microbiology 17 citations