ReviewApplied and environmental microbiology2019
Plastics: Environmental and Biotechnological Perspectives on Microbial Degradation.
Review in Applied and environmental microbiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 234 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
234 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 832 citations in OpenAlex.
- Potential routes of plastics biotransformation involving novel plastizymes revealed by global multi-omic analysis of plastic associated microbes.Scientific reports · 2024Pooled it
- Emerging investigator series: microplastic sources, fate, toxicity, detection, and interactions with micropollutants in aquatic ecosystems - a review of reviews.Environmental science. Processes & impacts · 2022Pooled it
- Marine bacteria and fungi: the hidden treasure of oceans in the biodegradation of microplastics and hydrocarbons integrated with omics technologies.Archives of toxicology · 2026Review
- A versatile Bacillus esterase reveals a carboxylesterase blueprint for PET intermediate degradation.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Polyethylene biotransformation by an earthworm gut-derivedRoyal Society open science · 2026Article
- Polyurethane-Derived Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Sources, Human Exposure, and Toxicological and Health Effects.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Recent Advances in Plastic Waste Biodegradation: Microorganisms, Enzymes, Invertebrates, and Evidence Standards.Biology · 2026Review
- Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film degradation potential of marine fungi isolated from microplastics, beach sand, and coastal seawater.Biodegradation · 2026Article
- Review
- Review
- Archaea-driven bioremediation of polyolefins and polyesters in extreme environments.Biodesign research · 2026Review
- Functional dynamics and interactions within the bacterial community responsible for biodegradable plastic degradation during aerobic composting.Biodegradation · 2026Article
- An Evidence-Level Framework for Evaluating Enzyme-Mediated Plastic and Microplastic Transformation.Microorganisms · 2026Review
- Biological and synthetic biology strategies for polystyrene degradation: mechanisms, microbial advances, and circular economy perspectives.Biodegradation · 2026Review
- Experimental, Genomic, and Structural Evidence Supporting Putative PET-Hydrolases in Thermophilic Bacteria Isolated From Hot Springs in Cajamarca, Peru.MicrobiologyOpen · 2026Article
- Industrial WWTP Sludge as a Reservoir of Putative Plastic-Degrading Enzymes: Insights Into Microbial Community Structure.Microbial ecology · 2026Article
- Bacterial community colonization with minimal alteration of plastics in suboxic sediments from a marine methane seep.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2026Article
- Bacterial degradation of aromatic ester pollutants in agro-ecosystems: implications for bioremediation.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2026Review
- Engineering and Application of a Thermostable MHETase for PET Depolymerization.ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering · 2026Article
- Mechanistic Insights into PET-MPs-Aggravated Ischemic Stroke via Integrated Computational-Experimental Approaches.Environmental science & technology · 2026Article
174 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Plastics are widely used in the global economy, and each year, at least 350 to 400 million tons are being produced. Due to poor recycling and low circular use, millions of tons accumulate annually in terrestrial or marine environments. Today it has become clear that plastic causes adverse effects in all ecosystems and that microplastics are of particular concern to our health. Therefore, recent microbial research has addressed the question of if and to what extent microorganisms can degrade plastics in the environment. This review summarizes current knowledge on microbial plastic degradation. Enzymes available act mainly on the high-molecular-weight polymers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and ester-based polyurethane (PUR). Unfortunately, the best PUR- and PET-active enzymes and microorganisms known still have moderate turnover rates. While many reports describing microbial communities degrading chemical additives have been published, no enzymes acting on the high-molecular-weight polymers polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, ether-based polyurethane, and polyethylene are known. Together, these polymers comprise more than 80% of annual plastic production. Thus, further research is needed to significantly increase the diversity of enzymes and microorganisms acting on these polymers. This can be achieved by tapping into the global metagenomes of noncultivated microorganisms and dark matter proteins. Only then can novel biocatalysts and organisms be delivered that allow rapid degradation, recycling, or value-added use of the vast majority of most human-made polymers.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.