Potential for microbial plastic degradation via assimilation of non-carbon moieties in additives

Abstract

Additives such as stabilizers, plasticizers, and fillers are commonly used in relatively small amounts to enhance the structure of plastics. Notably, some of these additives, including moieties of compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, are essential for microbial proliferation. Most studies on plastic degradation have primarily focused on the potential of microorganisms to assimilate carbon from plastics to support their growth, a strategy that has yet to yield significant success. However, studies investigating the removal of non‑carbon moieties of additives from plastics, which could weaken their structure and thereby enhance fragmentation, remain largely unexplored. This review highlights the potential of harnessing microbial processes that target the non‑carbon moieties of additives to weaken the structural integrity of plastics. The weakened plastic may then become more accessible to heterotrophic microbes, thereby accelerating its degradation.