Role of microbiome and biofilm in environmental plastic degradation

Abstract

Plastics of marine and terrestrial ecosystem are difficult to degrade. Plastics from coastal landfill, sewage disposal, and fishing utilities enter into the ocean through streams and rivers. Microplastics (MPs) which are transformed from plastic wastes are commonly observed in polluted rivers, lakes, and cultivated land. MPs are considered an ecological niche where microorganisms grow for their carbon source and create an adverse impact on organisms of that ecosystems. Therefore, the removal of plastics from the different ecosystems by using microbial has been considered as thrust area of research. This review summarizes the microbial diversity (Algae, Actinomycetes, Bacteria, and Fungi) and their role in the degradation of plastics of different ecosystem. Gut microbiome in the larva of insects showed degradation of plastics. The metagenomics approaches are used to identify the microbial diversity and their plastic biodegradable enzymes from different ecological niches. Metagenomics provides valuable information in the frontier of environmental biotechnological research.