Unlocking the biotechnological and environmental perspectives of microplastic degradation in soil-ecosystems using metagenomics

Abstract

Microplastics are ubiquitous and continue to migrate and transform. The potential hazards of microplastics to the environment and organisms, including humans, have attracted great concerns worldwide. Microplastics enter the soil ecosystems via different sources such as mulch degradation, plastic landfills, organic fertilizer, transport, etc., and occur widely with a significant spatial difference. Microplastics interact with the physicochemical properties of soil and negatively impact plants, animals and environmental health. More than 400 bacterial species have been identified as potential plastic degraders, but little is known about these organisms' structure, dynamics, and functional abilities in plastic-contaminated environments. Here, in this review, we have highlighted the distribution and transportation of microplastics in terrestrial environments. We then discussed the synergistic efficacy of soil and earthworm-gut microbiomes towards the effective degradation of microplastics and highlighted the role of metagenomic approaches in assessing the diverse plastisphere.