Research on biodeteriotration of plastics

Abstract

Plastics and microplastics are attracting increasing public attention due to their wide occurrence in the environment and accumulation in plants, wildlife and humans. In addition to the vast quantity of packaging plastics discharged into the municipal waste stream, an increasing volume of industrial polymeric materials from the electronics industry, space and aviation is also accumulating in the environment. This latter group of materials has received far less attention than it deserves, including toxicological studies. The goals of engineers and materials scientists are to create materials with high durability and exceptional performance, but these are properties that prevent degradation occurring, at least within the designed life span. The public perception is that production of degradable and biodegradable plastics can reduce the negative environmental impacts from these materials. However, another feasible option is to enhance the non-degradability of these functional polymers and hence extend their life span to reduce wastes from their application. Microbial colonization and deterioration of these materials seriously affects their design properties. The most significant challenge is on the fate of industrially produced, mechanically strong, and chemically inert plastics and polymeric materials after disposal at the end of their service life. Biodegradation is the specific focus of this review, and we will discuss the current knowledge and key research questions that remain to be answered.