Microbial engineering strategies for synthetic microplastics clean up: A review on recent approaches.

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol

Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Parc Científic i Tecnològic de la Universitat de Girona, c/Emili Grahit, 101, Edifici H2O, 17003 Girona, Spain; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, India.

Published: March 2023

AI Article Synopsis

  • Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments found in everyday products, particularly cosmetics, which have harmful effects on both marine and land organisms.
  • This review focuses on understanding the sources, spread, and breakdown of microplastics in aquatic environments, along with the factors that influence this biodegradation process.
  • The paper also explores engineering techniques in microbial biotechnology, highlighting genetic engineering methods for plastic degradation and addressing the challenges faced in plastic removal based on recent studies.

Article Abstract

Microplastics are the small fragments of the plastic molecules which find their applications in various routine products such as beauty products. Later, it was realized that it has several toxic effects on marine and terrestrial organisms. This review is an approach in understanding the microplastics, their origin, dispersal in the aquatic system, their biodegradation and factors affecting biodegradation. In addition, the paper discusses the major engineering approaches applied in microbial biotechnology. Specifically, it reviews microbial genetic engineering, such as PET-ase engineering, MHET-ase engineering, and immobilization approaches. Moreover, the major challenges associated with the plastic removal are presented by evaluating the recent reports available.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2022.104045DOI Listing

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