Microbial communities in plastisphere and free-living microbes for microplastic degradation: A comprehensive review

Abstract

• Microplastics can be treated by bioremediation with microbiota. • The application of microbes in plastic degradation is discussed in this review • Focused on the current knowledge of the sources of plastic and their remediation In everyday life, plastic plays a big role in people's daily lives as well as in society's life as a whole. In the environment, plastics are accumulating, and their biodegradability is very low, so this problem will likely persist for decades. Research on the degradation of synthetic plastics by enzymes or microorganisms has become a prominent topic, which paves the way for the development of biological waste treatment technologies. There are five types of biodegradation processes: (1) colonization, (2) conditional film formation, (3) assimilation, (4) bio-fragmentation, and (5) mineralization. The biodegradation of a variety of polymers has been demonstrated recently by bacteria, bacteria consortia, biofilm-forming bacteria, and fungi. Biodegradation is the microbes-assisted transformation that decomposes the plastic wastes into CO 2 , methane, biomass, inorganic compounds, water, organisms, the molecular weight of plastics, depending on the polymer type, and environmental conditions. Several factors influence biodegradation, such as polymer type, physico-chemical parameters, and environmental circumstances such as temperature, and ultraviolet exposure. Microplastics (MPs) cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and enhanced translocation or absorption in humans, plants, and animals. Humans are susceptible to cancer, neurotoxicity, and metabolic abnormalities, according to various studies. Additionally, we have discussed the metabolic pathways of microbes and our ongoing efforts to use them to reduce microplastic pollution in soil and water.