Soil microbes turn out to be the best plastic-eaters around
Hou X, Jing R, Lin Y, Chen Z, Li C
Soil Health
The soil in your garden beds may already host bacteria capable of chewing through the plastic mulch fragments and synthetic fibers that accumulate there over years of use.
Researchers combed through 78 studies to find every microorganism known to break down microplastics, the tiny plastic bits that end up in soil, oceans, rivers, and even animal guts. It turns out the bacteria living in soil are the champions at this job, outperforming those found in water or animal digestive systems. The team is now working out how to grow these microbes in large batches so they could one day be used to clean up plastic-polluted farmland and other sites.
Key Findings
197 microplastic-degrading microorganisms or taxa were identified across soil, marine, freshwater, and animal gut environments from 78 studies.
Degradation efficiency ranked soil highest, followed by freshwater, then marine and animal gut, which were roughly tied.
Bacillus bacteria and certain bacterial consortia performed well across multiple environments, while Rhodococcus, Oceanimonas, and Enterobacter excelled in specific settings.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists reviewed 78 studies and cataloged 197 microorganisms that can break down microplastics, finding that soil-dwelling microbes are the most effective at the job, ahead of freshwater, marine, and gut microbes.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Microbially driven microplastic degradation: From mining functional microbiota to enhancing remediation potential in diverse environments.
Microplastic (MPs) pollution poses a global threat to ecosystems and human health. Traditional physicochemical methods face limitations like high cost, inefficiency, and secondary pollution, unders...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Street trees cut heat deaths by 39 percent in European cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...
Phytoremediation uses living plants to clean up soil, air, and water contaminated with hazardous substances. This approach is significant for plant science because it demonstrates plants' remarkable ability to absorb and metabolize pollutants, revealing key mechanisms of plant physiology and
arrow_forward Explore topic