Emerging biotechnological and eco-remediation strategies for the biodegradation and removal of micro/nanoplastics from the environment: A comprehensive review

The proliferation of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems have proven to be a major menace to biodiversity, ecosystems, and environmental sustainability. The sources of these intractable contaminants are the fragmentation of macroplastic waste, primary particles like tire wear, synthetic fibers, personal care products, and discharges of industries. The minuscule size of MPs and NPs, their great mobility as well as resistance to degradation make them avoid traditional filtration and wastewater treatment systems. This enables them to be concentrated along food webs and causes great threats to the human health and the wildlife. Concentrating on the most innovative biotechnological and eco-remediation methods, this paper gathers the latest advances in the method of the biodegradation and elimination of MPs and NPs. The connection between environmental adaptability and microbial degradation of polymer-specific processes and microalgae, as well as synthetic microbial consortia, is explored. It also brings to the forefront progresses in enzyme mediated depolymerization, including the discovery of oxidative enzymes, and hydrolases that degrade plastic. Moreover, the biosorption, phytoremediation, and bio-based or green nanomaterials potential is evaluated as the promising, environment-friendly, approaches to capture and transformation of pollutants. The technical and analytical challenges of determining, quantifying, and predicting the movement, aging, and ecological fate of MPs and NPs in complex environmental matrices are also discussed in the paper, and how metabolic engineering, systems biology, omics technologies and nanobioremediation could enhance the effectiveness, selectivity and field implementation.