Current Progress and Potential Microbial Cornucopia for Plastic Degradation

Plastic pollution has emerged to be the biggest global concern in the modern day. The production of large volumes and different varieties of plastics has led to their huge accumulation and contamination in environmental matrices. Along with plastics, there are additional problems posed by microplastics and related chemicals like phthalates that leach into surrounding resources, thereby polluting them and causing health hazards to living organisms. Thus, their degradation becomes an immediate concern. Although some strategies like photodegradation have been suggested to tackle plastic menace, microbial degradation has been found to be the most effective one. Several microbes have been isolated, characterized, and screened for plastic degradation. Various screening procedures provide more potent microorganisms that break down a variety of plastics by producing several specific and non-specific enzymes. These microbes constitute bacteria, fungi, and other classes like diatoms and microalgae. In-depth studies linked to potent microbes like Ideonella sakaiensis and establishment of databases like PlasticDB make the process more convenient. Further, advancements in molecular techniques like metagenomics and genetic engineering have opened doors for prospecting newer tactics against this global issue. This chapter deals with the microbial cornucopia that are capable of metabolizing various types of plastics and their allied aspects.