Abstract
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ranks among the top three plastic polymers based on production, market share and industrial applications. Despite this, the disposal of PVC, like other conventional plastics, poses a threat to our environmental sustainability. For decades, millions of tonnes of PVC waste have been accumulating on our planet with no means to eradicate them or mitigate their detrimental effects. Biodegradation is considered a potentially viable option since it can reduce PVC waste to simple monomeric compounds without adverse environmental effects. This chapter thus sheds light on the progress and prospects made regarding PVC biodegradation. It describes the general properties and environmental threats posed by PVC polymers, as well as the various biological systems and mechanisms that have been shown to contribute significantly to PVC degradation, in particular, bacteria, fungi, insects, and their enzymes.
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