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360298

Earthworms As An Emerging Biotechnological Intervention in the Mitigation of Microplastics

Article

Last updated: 01 Jan 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

Soils, food security and human health

Abstract

In the contemporary era, the disposal of plastic has emerged as a significant environmental concern, primarily due to the prevalence of non-biodegradable plastics in the environment. The decomposition of plastics through biological means is inherently slow, given the resistant nature of plastic polymers that are hard and insoluble in water. However, certain conducive conditions enable the degradation of microplastics by organisms such as earthworms. Earthworms play a pivotal role in this process through their gut microflora and mucous secretions, which actively contribute to the degradation of microplastics. This involvement triggers the production of microbial exoenzymes, stimulating microbial activity and leading to the depolymerization of plastics. Essentially, earthworms function as eco-engineers, fostering habitat conditions that enhance the rate of plastic biodegradation under specific environmental circumstances. Recent studies have introduced the concept of bioaugmentation as a potential approach to expand biological treatments for waste management, specifically targeting plastic biodegradation. This review comprehensively explores the role of earthworms' gut microflora and the associated microbial metabolic pathways involved in the degradation of plastics. The dire threat of plastic pollution to both human health and the environment is also acknowledged. In light of the current situation surrounding plastic pollution, there is a pressing need for a more critical and scientific approach for the remediation of pollutants. This review is dedicated to addressing this demand, emphasizing the urgency of adopting effective strategies for mitigating the impact of plastic waste on our ecosystems and, consequently, on human well-being.

DOI

10.21608/ejss.2024.290160.1772

Keywords

Microplastics, biodegradation, Gut-microflora, environment, Microbes, Pollutants

Authors

First Name

Aishwarya

Last Name

Sharma

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Division of Zoology, Department of Biosciences, Career Point University, Hamirpur (HP), India

Email

aishwaryasharma19697@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Shailja

Last Name

Kumar

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Division of Zoology, Department of Biosciences, Career Point University, Hamirpur (HP), India

Email

shailzakumari@yahoo.in

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Abhishek

Last Name

Singh

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan 0025, Armenia

Email

intmsc.abhi@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Ragini

Last Name

Sharma

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Panjab Agriculture University, India

Email

raginin2101@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Vishnu

Last Name

Rajput

MiddleName

D.

Affiliation

Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

Email

rajput.vishnu@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Hasmik

Last Name

S. Movsesyan

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia

Email

hasmikmov@ysu.am

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Tatiana

Last Name

Minkina

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

Email

tminkina@mail.ru

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Rupesh

Last Name

Singh

MiddleName

Kumar

Affiliation

Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, Braga, Portugal

Email

rupesh@utad.pt

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Hassan

Last Name

El-Ramady

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

soil and water dept. faculty of agriculture

Email

ramady2000@gmail.com

City

Kafr El-Sheikh

Orcid

0000-0002-1113-726X

First Name

Karen

Last Name

Ghazaryan

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan 0025, Armenia

Email

kghazaryan@ysu.am

City

-

Orcid

-

Volume

64

Article Issue

3

Related Issue

46704

Issue Date

2024-09-01

Receive Date

2024-05-16

Publish Date

2024-09-01

Page Start

1,219

Page End

1,238

Print ISSN

0302-6701

Online ISSN

2357-0369

Link

https://ejss.journals.ekb.eg/article_360298.html

Detail API

https://ejss.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=360298

Order

33

Type

Review papers

Type Code

25

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Journal of Soil Science

Publication Link

https://ejss.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Earthworms As An Emerging Biotechnological Intervention in the Mitigation of Microplastics

Details

Type

Article

Created At

23 Dec 2024