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207 Results Found

  • Review
  • Open Access
44 Citations
10,469 Views
26 Pages

Potential of Advanced Oxidation as Pretreatment for Microplastics Biodegradation

  • Kristina Bule Možar,
  • Martina Miloloža,
  • Viktorija Martinjak,
  • Matija Cvetnić,
  • Hrvoje Kušić,
  • Tomislav Bolanča,
  • Dajana Kučić Grgić and
  • Šime Ukić

15 February 2023

In the last two decades, microplastics (MP) have been identified as an emerging environmental pollutant. Due to their small size, MP particles may easily enter the food chain, where they can have adverse effects on organisms and the environment in ge...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
4,332 Views
17 Pages

Bioprospecting of Mangrove Filamentous Fungi for the Biodegradation of Polyethylene Microplastics

  • Arthur Aguiar,
  • Letícia Gama,
  • Milene Fornari,
  • Almir Neto,
  • Rodrigo de Souza,
  • Rafael Perna,
  • Laura Castro,
  • Stella Kovacs,
  • Marta Filipa Simões and
  • Cristiane Ottoni
  • + 2 authors

12 September 2024

The accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the environment has been a bottleneck for scientific society. Several approaches have been described as possibilities for reducing MPs in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; however, most of them are not env...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
6,415 Views
21 Pages

Bacteria and Yeasts Isolated from the Environment in Biodegradation of PS and PVC Microplastics: Screening and Treatment Optimization

  • Kristina Bule Možar,
  • Martina Miloloža,
  • Viktorija Martinjak,
  • Matija Cvetnić,
  • Vesna Ocelić Bulatović,
  • Vilko Mandić,
  • Arijeta Bafti,
  • Šime Ukić,
  • Dajana Kučić Grgić and
  • Tomislav Bolanča

Biodegradation is the most environmentally friendly and, at the same time, economically acceptable approach to removing various pollutants from the environment. However, its efficiency in removing microplastics (MPs) from the environment is generally...

  • Review
  • Open Access
2 Citations
3,121 Views
19 Pages

The growth in the production and use of biodegradable plastics, positioned as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional polymers, has led to an increase in their distribution in the environment. However, in conditions other than industri...

  • Review
  • Open Access
11 Citations
6,373 Views
15 Pages

Progress and Prospects of Microplastic Biodegradation Processes and Mechanisms: A Bibliometric Analysis

  • Yingnan Cao,
  • Jing Bian,
  • Yunping Han,
  • Jianguo Liu,
  • Yuping Ma,
  • Weiying Feng,
  • Yuxin Deng and
  • Yaojiang Yu

26 June 2024

In order to visualize the content and development patterns of microplastic biodegradation research, the American Chemical Society (ACS), Elsevier, Springer Link, and American Society for Microbiology (ASM) were searched for the years 2012–2022...

  • Review
  • Open Access
5 Citations
7,340 Views
17 Pages

The escalating production of virgin plastics has resulted in an unprecedented generation of microplastics (MPs), posing significant environmental and health risks. Biodegradable plastics have emerged as an alternative, but their degradation also rele...

  • Article
  • Open Access
151 Citations
12,406 Views
13 Pages

Biodegradation of Microplastic Derived from Poly(ethylene terephthalate) with Bacterial Whole-Cell Biocatalysts

  • Jixian Gong,
  • Tongtong Kong,
  • Yuqiang Li,
  • Qiujin Li,
  • Zheng Li and
  • Jianfei Zhang

30 November 2018

At present, the pollution of microplastic directly threatens ecology, food safety and even human health. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common of microplastics. In this study, the micro-size PET particles were employed as analog...

  • Article
  • Open Access
669 Views
15 Pages

Feasibility Study on Quantification of Biodegradable Polyester Microplastics Based on Intrinsic Fluorescence

  • Tian-Chao Shi,
  • Ze-Yang Zhang,
  • Xiao-Han Zhou,
  • Xing Zhang,
  • Shao-Chuang Su,
  • Hong Yang,
  • Hao-Bo Chai,
  • Ge-Xia Wang,
  • Jun-Hui Ji and
  • Dan Huang
  • + 1 author

5 November 2025

While biodegradable plastics alleviate plastic pollution, their degradation-derived biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) pose new ecological risks, necessitating efficient quantification methods. This study explores a label-free approach by leveraging...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
4,842 Views
29 Pages

18 February 2025

This study explores the interactions between biodegradable (BIO) microplastics and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), assessing their effects on soil health and crop productivity. Five bacterial strains, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Kosakonia, Rhizob...

  • Review
  • Open Access
45 Citations
6,924 Views
26 Pages

Understanding the Impact of Biodegradable Microplastics on Living Organisms Entering the Food Chain: A Review

  • Konstantin V. Malafeev,
  • Annalisa Apicella,
  • Loredana Incarnato and
  • Paola Scarfato

6 September 2023

Microplastics (MPs) pollution has emerged as one of the world’s most serious environmental issues, with harmful consequences for ecosystems and human health. One proposed solution to their accumulation in the environment is the replacement of n...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
2,772 Views
17 Pages

The Potential of AOP Pretreatment in the Biodegradation of PS and PVC Microplastics by Candida parapsilosis

  • Kristina Bule Možar,
  • Martina Miloloža,
  • Viktorija Martinjak,
  • Magdalena Ujević Bošnjak,
  • Marinko Markić,
  • Tomislav Bolanča,
  • Matija Cvetnić,
  • Dajana Kučić Grgić and
  • Šime Ukić

13 May 2024

Microplastics are an emerging class of recalcitrant organic pollutants that are of general scientific and public interest nowadays. It would be ideal to remove microplastics from the environment through biodegradation, as biodegradation is a highly e...

  • Article
  • Open Access
16 Citations
5,463 Views
18 Pages

10 August 2024

Biodegradable polymers and their blends have been advised as an eco-sustainable solution; however, the generation of microplastics (MPs) from their degradation in aquatic environments is still not fully grasped. In this study, we investigated the for...

  • Article
  • Open Access
298 Views
22 Pages

Marine Conditions Enhance Acetochlor Adsorption on Biodegradable Microplastics: Mechanistic Insights and Management Implications

  • Hang Su,
  • Dan Zhao,
  • Yuan Liu,
  • Wanting Li,
  • Jun Yang,
  • Rong Lin,
  • Yanming Su,
  • Chuanhao Xu and
  • Xuehua Li

5 December 2025

Biodegradable microplastics can adsorb organic pollutants in aquatic environments, worsening contamination. However, the molecular mechanisms behind this association remain poorly understood. This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
1,493 Views
20 Pages

26 June 2025

Plastic is a major organic pollutant globally but has only recently been recognized for its recalcitrant nature and resistance to degradation. Although vast amounts of plastic debris are overwhelming the planet, the search for solutions to its degrad...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,375 Views
16 Pages

Biodegradable mulch films (BDMs) are considered a promising solution for mitigating plastic residue pollution in agroecosystems. However, the degradation behavior and ecological impacts of their residues on soil–plant systems remain unclear. He...

  • Proceeding Paper
  • Open Access
3,165 Views
5 Pages

Plastics, Bioplastics and Water Pollution

  • Ioanna Damikouka and
  • Olga Georgiadou

Microplastics are a ubiquitous environmental pollutant that can potentially pose a threat to both aquatic organisms and to human health. Prevention methods are pivotal to microplastic mitigation, and new trends are emerging, that include a growing in...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,160 Views
18 Pages

The Ecological Trap: Biodegradable Mulch Film Residue Undermines Soil Fungal Network Stability

  • Maolu Wei,
  • Yiping Wang,
  • Feiyu Xie,
  • Qian Sun,
  • Huanhuan Shao,
  • Xiaojie Cheng,
  • Xiaoyan Wang,
  • Xiang Tao,
  • Xinyi He and
  • Dongyan Liu

Biodegradable mulching films are promoted as alternatives to traditional polyethylene films, but their environmental impacts remain controversial. This study investigates how biodegradable films affect microplastic pollution of soil, fungal community...

  • Article
  • Open Access
16 Citations
6,759 Views
15 Pages

Isolation of Thermophilic Bacteria and Investigation of Their Microplastic Degradation Ability Using Polyethylene Polymers

  • Sadin Özdemir,
  • Ceyhun Akarsu,
  • Ömer Acer,
  • Mireille Fouillaud,
  • Laurent Dufossé and
  • Nadir Dizge

Microplastics (MPs) pose potential public health challenges because of their widespread occurrences in all environmental compartments. While most studies have focused on the occurrence fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment systems, the biodeg...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,677 Views
15 Pages

The Microbiome and Antibiotic Resistome in Soil under Biodegradable Composite Carbon Source Amendment

  • Zhongchen Yang,
  • Yanhong Lou,
  • Xianghui Yan,
  • Hong Pan,
  • Hui Wang,
  • Quangang Yang,
  • Yajie Sun and
  • Yuping Zhuge

15 August 2023

The decomposition of biodegradable composite carbon sources generates a large amount of biodegradable microplastics, which may not only furnish microbial denitrification, but might also pose potential environmental risks. In the present study, the ef...

  • Review
  • Open Access
14 Citations
4,385 Views
22 Pages

Microplastic–pesticide interactions influence pesticide performance, soil health, and environmental safety. This review aims to comprehensively present the effects of microplastic–pesticide interactions on pesticide bioavailability, persi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
30 Citations
3,613 Views
16 Pages

The Degradability of Microplastics May Not Necessarily Equate to Environmental Friendliness: A Case Study of Cucumber Seedlings with Disturbed Photosynthesis

  • Yi-Fan Zhang,
  • Zhi-Yun Huang,
  • Yi-Fan Li,
  • Xin-Lei Lu,
  • Gen-Rui Li,
  • Shan-Shan Qi,
  • Irfan Ullah Khan,
  • Guan-Lin Li,
  • Zhi-Cong Dai and
  • Dao-Lin Du

In the environment, degradable plastics are decomposed into biodegradable microplastics (Bio-MPs), but there is limited study on the impact on plant growth and development. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate biodegradable polylactic acid micr...

  • Review
  • Open Access
9 Citations
5,339 Views
21 Pages

The Interaction of Microplastics and Microbioplastics with Soil and a Comparison of Their Potential to Spread Pathogens

  • Marek Trojan,
  • Marek Koutný,
  • Martin Brtnický,
  • Jiří Holátko,
  • Helena Zlámalová Gargošová,
  • Jakub Fojt,
  • Petra Procházková,
  • Gabriela Kalčíková and
  • Jiří Kučerík

28 May 2024

Microplastics contribute to various environmental issues and serve as carriers for a wide range of toxic compounds such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and metal ions. Consequently, there is a gradual shift towards replacing them with biodegradable p...

  • Review
  • Open Access
254 Citations
49,532 Views
17 Pages

Biological Degradation of Plastics and Microplastics: A Recent Perspective on Associated Mechanisms and Influencing Factors

  • Zeming Cai,
  • Minqian Li,
  • Ziying Zhu,
  • Xiaocui Wang,
  • Yuanyin Huang,
  • Tianmu Li,
  • Han Gong and
  • Muting Yan

Plastic and microplastic pollution has caused a great deal of ecological problems because of its persistence and potential adverse effects on human health. The degradation of plastics through biological processes is of great significance for ecologic...

  • Review
  • Open Access
10 Citations
4,101 Views
22 Pages

Soil Microplastic Pollution and Microbial Breeding Techniques for Green Degradation: A Review

  • Zhuang Xiong,
  • Yunfeng Zhang,
  • Xiaodie Chen,
  • Ajia Sha,
  • Wenqi Xiao,
  • Yingyong Luo,
  • Jialiang Han and
  • Qiang Li

Microplastics (MPs), found in many places around the world, are thought to be more detrimental than other forms of plastics. At present, physical, chemical, and biological methods are being used to break down MPs. Compared with physical and chemical...

  • Article
  • Open Access
37 Citations
8,050 Views
23 Pages

Composting the municipal organic fraction of waste results in a valuable product in the form of compost, which could be used instead of other forms of fertilisation. The organic waste stream may contain oxo-biodegradable and biodegradable plastics us...

  • Review
  • Open Access
157 Views
17 Pages

Fungal Degradation of Microplastics—An Environmental Need

  • Rachel R. West,
  • Mason T. MacDonald and
  • Chijioke U. Emenike

12 January 2026

Plastic waste is a global issue due to the popularity of the product. Over time, plastic degrades into smaller particles known as microplastics and becomes harder to deal with as it easily disperses and can be missed by physical catches. Conventional...

  • Review
  • Open Access
39 Citations
10,671 Views
18 Pages

22 August 2023

Microplastics (MPs) have been shown to be more hazardous than large plastics. In recent years, many studies have confirmed the hazards of MPs to organisms and summarized various MP degradation techniques, but there is a lack of discussion on the pros...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
1,404 Views
22 Pages

Land Use Rather than Microplastic Type Determines the Diversity and Structure of Plastisphere Bacterial Communities

  • Yangyang Wang,
  • Zixuan Zhang,
  • Shuang Zhang,
  • Wanlin Zhuang,
  • Zhaoji Shi,
  • Ziqiang Liu,
  • Hui Wei and
  • Jiaen Zhang

Microplastic (MP) pollution has raised global concerns, and biodegradable plastics have been recommended to replace conventional ones. The “plastisphere” has been considered a hotspot for the interactions among organisms and environments,...

  • Review
  • Open Access
13 Citations
5,516 Views
26 Pages

Microplastics’ and Nanoplastics’ Interactions with Microorganisms: A Bibliometric Study

  • Carlos David Grande-Tovar,
  • Domingo Cesar Carrascal-Hernández,
  • Jorge Trilleras,
  • Katelediana Mora and
  • Victoria A. Arana

9 November 2022

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are plastic particles of concern worldwide as they negatively affect the environment and human health. The interactions of microorganisms with microplastics and nanoplastics are different. On one hand, micro...

  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
5,154 Views
16 Pages

A Simple Method for Quantification of Polyhydroxybutyrate and Polylactic Acid Micro-Bioplastics in Soils by Evolved Gas Analysis

  • Jakub Fojt,
  • Ivana Románeková,
  • Petra Procházková,
  • Jan David,
  • Martin Brtnický and
  • Jiří Kučerík

15 March 2022

Conventional plastics are being slowly replaced by biodegradable ones to prevent plastic pollution. However, in the natural environment, the biodegradation of plastics is usually slow or incomplete due to unfavorable conditions and leads to faster mi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,311 Views
19 Pages

Isolation and Identification of Four Strains of Bacteria with Potential to Biodegrade Polyethylene and Polypropylene from Mangrove

  • Xilin Fang,
  • Zeming Cai,
  • Xiaocui Wang,
  • Ziyu Liu,
  • Yongkang Lin,
  • Minqian Li,
  • Han Gong and
  • Muting Yan

With the rapid growth of global plastic production, the degradation of microplastics (MPs) has received widespread attention, and the search for efficient biodegradation pathways has become a hot topic. The aim of this study was to screen mangrove se...

  • Article
  • Open Access
29 Citations
5,617 Views
18 Pages

Optimization of Polystyrene Biodegradation by Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas alcaligenes Using Full Factorial Design

  • Martina Miloloža,
  • Šime Ukić,
  • Matija Cvetnić,
  • Tomislav Bolanča and
  • Dajana Kučić Grgić

13 October 2022

Microplastics (MP) are a global environmental problem because they persist in the environment for long periods of time and negatively impact aquatic organisms. Possible solutions for removing MP from the environment include biological processes such...

  • Review
  • Open Access
714 Views
33 Pages

23 December 2025

Microplastic pollution is a defining environmental crisis of the Anthropocene, threatening ecosystems and human health due to its persistence and global dispersion. This review synthesizes current knowledge through a chemical engineering framework, a...

  • Review
  • Open Access
48 Citations
16,152 Views
66 Pages

Perspectives on Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Possible Solutions to Ensure Its Sustainable Use

  • Afonso D. Macheca,
  • Bridget Mutuma,
  • José L. Adalima,
  • Emmanuel Midheme,
  • Luís H. M. Lúcas,
  • Valentine K. Ochanda and
  • Sabelo Dalton Mhlanga

13 September 2024

The pollution of the environment by plastics is a global problem that is real and needs to be resolved urgently. The authors argue that banning the use of plastic is not a reasonable and rational solution for the problem because plastics have many us...

  • Review
  • Open Access
4 Citations
5,492 Views
19 Pages

Current Approaches to Microplastics Detection and Plastic Biodegradation

  • Paula Przygoda-Kuś,
  • Katarzyna E. Kosiorowska,
  • Aneta K. Urbanek and
  • Aleksandra M. Mirończuk

Environmental concerns about the widespread use of non-biodegradable plastic have generated interest in developing quick and effective methods to degrade synthetic polymers. With millions of tons of plastic waste generated annually, biodegradation by...

  • Communication
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,111 Views
11 Pages

21 April 2022

The unpredictable coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has led to a sudden and massive demand for face masks, leading to severe plastic pollution. Here, we propose a method for manufacturing biodegradable masks using high-precision 3D printing technology,...

  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
3,594 Views
17 Pages

Sorption Behavior of Organic Pollutants on Biodegradable and Nondegradable Microplastics: pH Effects

  • Maja Vujić,
  • Sanja Vasiljević,
  • Jasmina Nikić,
  • Branko Kordić,
  • Jasmina Agbaba and
  • Aleksandra Tubić

29 November 2023

Microplastics (MPs), chlorinated phenols (CPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated benzenes (HBs) are pollutants that are widely present in freshwater systems. As alternatives to conventional plastics, bioplastics are receiving a...

  • Review
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,259 Views
30 Pages

24 February 2025

Microplastic (MP) pollution has garnered widespread attention because of its negative effects, even in the most remote areas of Earth. However, research on MP deposition in deserts, which account for 45% of Earth’s total land area, remains limi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
2,024 Views
14 Pages

Plant Cadmium Toxicity and Biomarkers Are Differentially Modulated by Degradable and Nondegradable Microplastics in Soil

  • Jun Liu,
  • Zihan Yu,
  • Ningning Song,
  • Haiying Zong,
  • Fangli Wang,
  • Rui Guo and
  • Shaojing Li

29 June 2024

The impact of microplastics (MPs) as emerging pollutants on plant heavy metal toxicity has been extensively reported in vegetable–soil systems over recent years. However, little attention has been given to cultivar variations between degradable...

  • Review
  • Open Access
8 Citations
4,811 Views
17 Pages

24 July 2024

Plastics have accumulated in open environments, such as oceans, rivers, and land, for centuries, but their effect has been of concern for only decades. Plastic pollution is a global challenge at the forefront of public awareness worldwide due to its...

  • Review
  • Open Access
20 Citations
8,125 Views
21 Pages

Microplastics (MPs) represent small plastic particles with sizes between 1 μm and 5 mm, are insoluble in water, andclassified as primary (these are originally produced in small sizes) or secondary (the result of the degradation of plastic) types....

  • Review
  • Open Access
455 Views
30 Pages

Plastic pollution, particularly the widespread presence of microplastics, has emerged as a global environmental threat. Conventional plastics are highly resistant to degradation and can persist in ecosystems for decades, posing a serious long-term ri...

  • Article
  • Open Access
28 Citations
3,725 Views
16 Pages

Microplastic-Induced Oxidative Stress in Metolachlor-Degrading Filamentous Fungus Trichoderma harzianum

  • Anna Jasińska,
  • Sylwia Różalska,
  • Volha Rusetskaya,
  • Mirosława Słaba and
  • Przemysław Bernat

26 October 2022

While there has been intensive research on the influence of microplastics (MPs) on aquatic organisms and humans, their effect on microorganisms is relatively little-known. The present study describes the response of the Trichoderma harzianum strain t...

  • Review
  • Open Access
46 Citations
5,318 Views
19 Pages

Addressing the Sustainability Conundrums and Challenges within the Polymer Value Chain

  • Jomin Thomas,
  • Renuka Subhash Patil,
  • Mahesh Patil and
  • Jacob John

8 November 2023

Sustainability is a buzzword across numerous industries, and the polymer value chain is no exception. Due to the ubiquitous nature of polymer products, the conundrums and misconceptions revolving around them are universal too. In this review, we atte...

  • Review
  • Open Access
32 Citations
18,149 Views
20 Pages

23 August 2024

Since the emergence of microplastics, the scientific community has been extremely alarmed regarding their potential risks for and threats to both the environment and human lives. MPs are traced in freshwater and marine environments, day-to-day-life e...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,051 Views
24 Pages

1 October 2025

Biodegradable plastics are not a primary solution to plastic pollution, and empirical evidence on whether they are environmentally friendly remains lacking. In this study, we systematically compared the toxic effects of traditional microplastics (pol...

  • Review
  • Open Access
757 Views
31 Pages

5 December 2025

Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as persistent and ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial environments, yet existing reviews often focus narrowly on conventional removal methods and lack an integrated assessment of rapidly emerging techno...

  • Article
  • Open Access
50 Citations
6,570 Views
14 Pages

Biofilm Structural and Functional Features on Microplastic Surfaces in Greenhouse Agricultural Soil

  • Yue Chen,
  • Xiaobing Wang,
  • Xiaoli Wang,
  • Tong Cheng,
  • Kuankuan Fu,
  • Zhentian Qin and
  • Ke Feng

8 June 2022

Microplastics (MPs) enter the soil through a variety of pathways, including plastic mulching, sludge, and organic manure application. In recent years, domestic and foreign experts and scholars have been concerned about the residues and contamination...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
2,316 Views
15 Pages

20 September 2024

Biodegradable microplastics (Bio-MPs) are a hot topic in soil research due to their potential to replace conventional microplastics. Biofertilizers are viewed as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers in agriculture due to their potential to enhance...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
2,583 Views
19 Pages

19 July 2024

Microplastics are omnipresent in aquatic environments and can act as vectors to carry other pollutants, modifying their pathway through the systems. In this study, the differences in the adsorption capacity and mechanism for Cr(VI) sorption with poly...

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