A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management

Microplastics are plastic fragments of 5 or fewer mm in diameter, becoming an environmental nuisance. It threatens ecosystem health and functioning and impacts biotic and abiotic components. Microbial bioremediation is a promising and ecologically sound method for removing microplastics waste. This...

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Main Authors: Leela Kaur, Neeraja Godara
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Bologna 2024-12-01
Series:EQA
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eqa.unibo.it/article/view/20475
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author Leela Kaur
Neeraja Godara
author_facet Leela Kaur
Neeraja Godara
author_sort Leela Kaur
collection DOAJ
description Microplastics are plastic fragments of 5 or fewer mm in diameter, becoming an environmental nuisance. It threatens ecosystem health and functioning and impacts biotic and abiotic components. Microbial bioremediation is a promising and ecologically sound method for removing microplastics waste. This review focuses on the various classifications followed for microplastics, their sources and the methods of bioremediation and the legal management of the microplastics. We discuss the role of fungi, bacteria, algae in the biodegradation of microplastics. It is shown that bacteria and fungi have efficiency in breaking down microplastics either aerobically or anaerobically on both land and water ecosystems. The review also focused on the enzymes utilized in the biodegradation of different types of plastic polymers secreted by a variety of bacterial, fungal and algal species. Enzymes such as polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase, mono 2-hydroxyethyl terephthalic acid hydrolase, poly 3-hydroxyoctanoate depolymerase and cutinase like enzyme have potential to degrade microplastics and can be helpful to sustainable bioremediation approaches. It discusses the legal action taken by countries and organizations to lessen plastic garbage entering the environment and encourage sustainable plastic usage patterns by stringently implementing the laws and rules and drafting policies. The concomitant implication of bioremediation approaches and legal actions can prevent microplastics contamina-tion in the environment.
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spelling doaj-art-b58c1460905249e78b8a4bc663cbd11e2025-01-10T11:17:45ZengUniversity of BolognaEQA2039-98982281-44852024-12-0166527310.6092/issn.2281-4485/2047518846A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal managementLeela Kaur0Neeraja Godara1Department of Environmental Science, Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner, RajasthanDepartment of Environmental Science, Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner, RajasthanMicroplastics are plastic fragments of 5 or fewer mm in diameter, becoming an environmental nuisance. It threatens ecosystem health and functioning and impacts biotic and abiotic components. Microbial bioremediation is a promising and ecologically sound method for removing microplastics waste. This review focuses on the various classifications followed for microplastics, their sources and the methods of bioremediation and the legal management of the microplastics. We discuss the role of fungi, bacteria, algae in the biodegradation of microplastics. It is shown that bacteria and fungi have efficiency in breaking down microplastics either aerobically or anaerobically on both land and water ecosystems. The review also focused on the enzymes utilized in the biodegradation of different types of plastic polymers secreted by a variety of bacterial, fungal and algal species. Enzymes such as polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase, mono 2-hydroxyethyl terephthalic acid hydrolase, poly 3-hydroxyoctanoate depolymerase and cutinase like enzyme have potential to degrade microplastics and can be helpful to sustainable bioremediation approaches. It discusses the legal action taken by countries and organizations to lessen plastic garbage entering the environment and encourage sustainable plastic usage patterns by stringently implementing the laws and rules and drafting policies. The concomitant implication of bioremediation approaches and legal actions can prevent microplastics contamina-tion in the environment.https://eqa.unibo.it/article/view/20475microplasticstoxicitybioremediationbiodegradationlegal action
spellingShingle Leela Kaur
Neeraja Godara
A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management
EQA
microplastics
toxicity
bioremediation
biodegradation
legal action
title A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management
title_full A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management
title_fullStr A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management
title_full_unstemmed A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management
title_short A review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management
title_sort review on bioremediation of microplastics and its legal management
topic microplastics
toxicity
bioremediation
biodegradation
legal action
url https://eqa.unibo.it/article/view/20475
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