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Piyathilake U, Lin C, Bolan N, Bundschuh J, Rinklebe J, Herath I. Exploring the hidden environmental pollution of microplastics derived from bioplastics: A review. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 355:141773. [PMID: 38548076 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Bioplastics might be an ecofriendly alternative to traditional plastics. However, recent studies have emphasized that even bioplastics can end up becoming micro- and nano-plastics due to their degradation under ambient environmental conditions. Hence, there is an urgent need to assess the hidden environmental pollution caused by bioplastics. However, little is known about the evolutionary trends of bibliographic data, degradation pathways, formation, and toxicity of micro- and nano-scaled bioplastics originating from biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and starch-based plastics. Therefore, the prime objective of the current review was to investigate evolutionary trends and the latest advancements in the field of micro-bioplastic pollution. Additionally, it aims to confront the limitations of existing research on microplastic pollution derived from the degradation of bioplastic wastes, and to understand what is needed in future research. The literature survey revealed that research focusing on micro- and nano-bioplastics has begun since 2012. This review identifies novel insights into microbioplastics formation through diverse degradation pathways, including photo-oxidation, ozone-induced degradation, mechanochemical degradation, biodegradation, thermal, and catalytic degradation. Critical research gaps are identified, including defining optimal environmental conditions for complete degradation of diverse bioplastics, exploring micro- and nano-bioplastics formation in natural environments, investigating the global occurrence and distribution of these particles in diverse ecosystems, assessing toxic substances released during bioplastics degradation, and bridging the disparity between laboratory studies and real-world applications. By identifying new trends and knowledge gaps, this study lays the groundwork for future investigations and sustainable solutions in the realm of sustainable management of bioplastic wastes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udara Piyathilake
- Environmental Science Division, National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Kandy, 2000, Sri Lanka
| | - Chuxia Lin
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Nanthi Bolan
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Jochen Bundschuh
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, The University of Southern Queensland, West Street, 4350, QLD, Australia
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Indika Herath
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia.
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da Silva MRF, Souza KS, Motteran F, de Araújo LCA, Singh R, Bhadouria R, de Oliveira MBM. Exploring biodegradative efficiency: a systematic review on the main microplastic-degrading bacteria. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1360844. [PMID: 38562477 PMCID: PMC10982435 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1360844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed in the environment, causing damage to biota and human health. Due to their physicochemical characteristics, they become resistant particles to environmental degradation, leading to their accumulation in large quantities in the terrestrial ecosystem. Thus, there is an urgent need for measures to mitigate such pollution, with biological degradation being a viable alternative, where bacteria play a crucial role, demonstrating high efficiency in degrading various types of MPs. Therefore, the study aimed to identify bacteria with the potential for MP biodegradation and the enzymes produced during the process. Methods The methodology used followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Results and Discussion The research yielded 68 eligible studies, highlighting bacteria from the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Rhodococcus as the main organisms involved in MP biodegradation. Additionally, enzymes such as hydrolases and alkane hydroxylases were emphasized for their involvement in this process. Thus, the potential of bacterial biodegradation is emphasized as a promising pathway to mitigate the environmental impact of MPs, highlighting the relevance of identifying bacteria with biotechnological potential for large-scale applications in reducing MP pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karolayne Silva Souza
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco - UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Fabricio Motteran
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco - UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Rishikesh Singh
- Amity School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Amity University Punjab (AUP), Mohali, India
| | - Rahul Bhadouria
- Department of Environmental Studies, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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Istomina A, Chelomin V, Mazur A, Zhukovskaya A, Karpenko A, Mazur M. Biodegradation of polyethylene in digestive gland homogenates of marine invertebrates. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17041. [PMID: 38426135 PMCID: PMC10903337 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Вiotic factors may be the driving force of plastic fragmentation along with abiotic factors. Since understanding the processes of biodegradation and biological depolymerization of plastic is important, a new methodological approach was proposed in this study to investigate the role of marine invertebrate digestive enzymes in plastic biodegradation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of enzymatic biodegradation of polyethylene fragments in the digestive gland homogenate of marine invertebrates differing in their feeding type (Strongylocentrotus nudus, Patiria pectinifera, Mizuhopecten yessoensis). Significant changes are found in the functional groups of the polymer after 3 days of incubation in the digestive gland homogenates of the studied marine invertebrates. A significant increase in the calculated CI (carbonyl index) and COI (сarbon-oxygen index) indices compared to the control sample was observed. The results suggest that digestive enzymes of studied organisms may play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of plastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Istomina
- V.I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Victor Chelomin
- V.I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Andrey Mazur
- V.I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Avianna Zhukovskaya
- V.I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Alexander Karpenko
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Marina Mazur
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
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Su X, Liu M, Dai H, Dou J, Lu Z, Xu J, He Y. Novel insight into the aging process of microplastics: An in-situ study in coastal wetlands. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 248:120871. [PMID: 37979566 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Coastal wetlands, the critical interface between the terrestrial and marine environments, provide a dynamic and unique environment for the aging of microplastics (MPs). Nevertheless, both abiotic and biotic processes that contribute to the aging of MPs in coastal wetlands have been largely neglected. In this study, the aging of MPs was continuously characterized in Hangzhou Bay, a representative coastal wetland in Zhejiang, China. Three-month exposure of polymers in sediment-water interface induced the aging phenomenon with embrittlement and exfoliation, as evidenced by simultaneous observed alternations in crystallinity and functional groups. A first-order kinetic model was fitted to describe the rate and degree of aging quantitatively. As evidenced by the carbonyl index, the residence time of all the examined MPs exhibited significant variance, ranging from 335 to 661 days. These variations might be caused by the selective attachment of plastic-degrading microorganisms (such as Moraxella sp. and Rhodococcus sp.). A positive correlation between the carbonyl index, the number of OTUs in the MP-associated biofilm, and irradiation was observed (p < 0.001), suggesting that the aging process may be co-regulated by natural sunlight and wetland microbial colonization. This study sheds new light on the long-term environmental fate of MPs and their associated ecological risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Su
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Meng Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hengyi Dai
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jibo Dou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhijiang Lu
- Department of Environmental Science and Geology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Jianming Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yan He
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Tabatabaei F, Mafigholami R, Moghimi H, Khoramipoor S. Investigating biodegradation of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in Tehran DWTPs. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 88:2996-3008. [PMID: 38096084 PMCID: wst_2023_360 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution is a growing concern and various methods are being sought to alleviate the level of pollution worldwide. This study investigates the biodegradation capacity of MPs by indigenous microorganisms of raw water from Tehran drinking water treatment plants. By exposing polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) MPs to selected microbial colonies, structural, morphological, and chemical changes were detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM), cell weight measurement, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy test, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Selected bacterial strains include Pseudomonas protegens strain (A), Bacillus cereus strain (B), and Pseudomonas protegens strain (C). SEM analysis showed roughness and cracks on PP MPs exposed to strains A and C. However, PE MPs exposed to strain B faced limited degradation. In samples related to strain A, the Raman spectrum was completely changed, and a new chemical structure was created. Both TGA and FTIR analysis confirmed changes detected by Raman analysis of PP and PE MPs in chemical changes in this study. The results of cell dry weight loss for microbial strains A, B, and C were 13.5, 38.6, and 25.6%, respectively. Moreover, MPs weight loss was recorded at 32.6% for PP MPs with strain A, 13.3% for PE MPs with strain B, and 25.6% for PP MPs with strain C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Tabatabaei
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran E-mail:
| | - Roya Mafigholami
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Moghimi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sanaz Khoramipoor
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
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