Prospects for microbiological solutions to environmental pollution with plastics

Synthetic polymers, commonly named plastics, are among the most widespread anthropogenic pollutants of marine, limnic and terrestrial ecosystems. Disruptive effects of plastics are known to threaten wildlife and exert effects on natural food webs, but signs for and knowledge on plastic biodegradatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2015-11, Vol.99 (21), p.8857-8874
Main Authors: Krueger, Martin C, Harms, Hauke, Schlosser, Dietmar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Anthropogenic factors
Biodegradation
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bioplastics
Bioremediation
Biotechnology
Biotransformation
Environmental aspects
Environmental degradation
Environmental Pollutants - metabolism
Environmental Pollution
enzymatic hydrolysis
Enzymes
Food webs
Hydrolysis
Life Sciences
Marine ecosystems
Marine pollution
Microbial degradation
Microbial Genetics and Genomics
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Mini-Review
Natural & organic foods
Oceans
oxidation
Oxidation-Reduction
Plastic pollution
Plastics
Plastics - metabolism
Pollutants
Polyethylene terephthalate
Polymers
Polyvinyl chloride
Studies
Terrestrial ecosystems
Wildlife
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Summary:Synthetic polymers, commonly named plastics, are among the most widespread anthropogenic pollutants of marine, limnic and terrestrial ecosystems. Disruptive effects of plastics are known to threaten wildlife and exert effects on natural food webs, but signs for and knowledge on plastic biodegradation are limited. Microorganisms are the most promising candidates for an eventual bioremediation of environmental plastics. Laboratory studies have reported various effects of microorganisms on many types of polymers, usually by enzymatic hydrolysis or oxidation. However, most common plastics have proved to be highly recalcitrant even under conditions known to favour microbial degradation. Knowledge on environmental degradation is yet scarcer. With this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on microbiological degradation of several of the most common plastic types. Furthermore, we illustrate the analytical challenges concerning the evaluation of plastic biodegradation as well as constraints likely standing against the evolution of effective biodegradation pathways.
ISSN:0175-7598
1432-0614
DOI:10.1007/s00253-015-6879-4