Fungal Degradation of Microplastics—An Environmental Need

Abstract

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 degradation involves environmental forces like ultraviolet (UV) light, water, temperature, and physical abrasion. However, there is increasing interest in microbial plastic degradation, which could positively impact the transformation of (micro)plastics in various environmental matrices. Most of the available research has focused on bacterial degradation, but there is mounting evidence on the impact of fungal degradation. This review discusses conventional and bacterial degradation, then discusses the advantages of fungal involvement in the degradation of microplastics. Biodegradation enhanced by fungal enzymes is a valuable tool that could greatly improve the removal of these microplastic pollutants from the environment. Due to some biochemical complexities, fungi are naturally omnipresent in marine and terrestrial environments under all sorts of climates. Fungi could thrive by themselves or in association with other microorganisms, which could also be applied in non-biotic plastic degradation processes as an alternative to other forms of plastic management in the environment.