Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, VIT-School of Agricultural Innovation and Advanced Learning, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Biosciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
Environ Monit Assess. 2024 Sep 4;196(10):896. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13023-0.
Production of synthetic plastic obtained from fossil fuels are considered as a constantly growing problem and lack in the management of plastic waste has led to severe microplastic pollution in the aquatic ecosystem. Plastic particles less than 5mm are termed as microplastics (MPs), these are pervasive in water and soil, it can also withstand longer period of time with high durability. It can be broken down into smaller particles and can be adsorbed by various life-forms. Most marine organisms tend to consume plastic debris that can be accumulated easily into the vertebrates, invertebrates and planktonic entities. Often these plastic particles surpass the food chain, resulting in the damage of various organs and inhibiting the uptake of food due to the accumulation of microplastics. In this review, the physical and chemical properties of microplastics, as well as their effects on the environment and toxicity of their chemical constituents are discussed. In addition, the paper also sheds light on the potential of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae which play a pivotal role in the process of microplastics degradation. The mechanism of microbial degradation, the factors that affect degradation, and the current advancements in genetic and metabolic engineering of microbes to promote degradation are also summarized. The paper also provides information on the bacterial, algal and fungal degradation mechanism including the possible enzymes involved in microplastic degradation. It also investigates the difficulties, limitations, and potential developments that may occur in the field of microbial microplastic degradation.
生产源自化石燃料的合成塑料被认为是一个不断增长的问题，而塑料废物管理不善导致了水生生态系统中严重的微塑料污染。小于 5 毫米的塑料颗粒被称为微塑料（MPs），这些微塑料普遍存在于水和土壤中，具有较高的耐久性，能够长时间存在。它们可以分解成更小的颗粒，并被各种生命形式所吸附。大多数海洋生物容易摄入塑料碎片，这些碎片很容易在脊椎动物、无脊椎动物和浮游生物中积累。这些塑料颗粒经常超过食物链，导致各种器官受损，并由于微塑料的积累而抑制食物的吸收。在这篇综述中，讨论了微塑料的物理和化学性质，以及它们对环境的影响和化学成分的毒性。此外，本文还介绍了细菌、真菌和藻类等微生物在微塑料降解过程中所起的关键作用。总结了微生物降解的机制、影响降解的因素，以及目前在促进降解的微生物遗传和代谢工程方面的进展。本文还提供了有关细菌、藻类和真菌降解机制的信息，包括可能参与微塑料降解的酶。还研究了微生物微塑料降解领域可能出现的困难、限制和潜在发展。
