Kong Yun, Wang Renjuan, Zhou Qingyun, Li Jiamiao, Fan Yimeng, Chen Qi
College of Resources and Environment, Yangtze University, Hubei, Wuhan 430100, China; State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Shaanxi, Xi'an 710048, China.
College of Resources and Environment, Yangtze University, Hubei, Wuhan 430100, China.
J Contam Hydrol. 2025 Feb;269:104499. doi: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2025.104499. Epub 2025 Jan 6.
Plastics pollution has become a serious threat to the people and environment due to the mass production, unreasonable disposal and continuous pollution. Polyethylene (PE), one of the most utilized plastics all over the world, is considered as a highly recalcitrant environmental destruction problem on account of strong hydrophobicity and high molecular weight. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to seek economical and efficient treatment and disposal methods for PE. Considering microorganisms can use various carbon sources for anabolism, they are recognized to have great potential in the biodegradation of microplastics including PE. From this point of view, the present review concentrates on providing information regarding the current status of PE biodegradation microorganisms (bacteria and fungi), and the influencing factors such as PE characteristics, cellular surface hydrophobicity, physical treatments, chemicals addition, as well as environmental conditions for biodegradation are thoroughly discussed. Furthermore, the possible biodegradation mechanisms for PE involve the biofilm formation, biodeterioration, fragmentation, assimilation, and mineralization are elucidated in detail. Finally, the future research directions and application prospects of microbial degradation are prospected in this review. It is expected to provide reference and guidance for PE biodegradation and their potential applications in real contaminated sites.
由于大规模生产、不合理处置以及持续污染，塑料污染已对人类和环境构成严重威胁。聚乙烯（PE）是全球使用最广泛的塑料之一，因其极强的疏水性和高分子量，被视为一个极具顽固性的环境破坏问题。因此，迫切需要寻找经济高效的PE处理和处置方法。鉴于微生物能够利用各种碳源进行合成代谢，它们在包括PE在内的微塑料生物降解方面具有巨大潜力。从这一角度出发，本综述着重提供有关PE生物降解微生物（细菌和真菌）现状的信息，并深入讨论诸如PE特性、细胞表面疏水性、物理处理、化学添加物以及生物降解环境条件等影响因素。此外，还详细阐明了PE可能的生物降解机制，包括生物膜形成、生物劣化、碎片化、同化作用和矿化作用。最后，本综述展望了微生物降解的未来研究方向和应用前景。期望能为PE生物降解及其在实际污染场地的潜在应用提供参考和指导。
