Physicochemical and microbial treatments for plastics, microplastics, and nanoplastics

Abstract

Plastic pollution is one of the most threatening environmental and public health problems. In 2023, total plastics production reached 322 million metric tons, from which more than 50% are thrown into the oceans, rivers, or lakes. Plastics are recalcitrant compounds that remain in nature and the built environment for decades due to their durability and stability. Accumulation of plastic has been reported even inside human's body as micro and nanoplastics can enter the food chain. Given the relevance of plastic waste pollution for our society and ecosystems, we analyzed the literature on plastic degradation from 1974 to 2025 and conducted a bibliometric analysis focused on physicochemical and microbial treatments for plastics. Our results showed that plastics' hydrophobicity and crystallinity are the main polymer degradation challenges. Polyethylene and polypropylene are the most researched plastics. Microbial degradation is frequently chosen for plastics degradation, while UV oxidation has been the most used physicochemical treatment. Hybrid plastic degradation treatments must be conducted from a transdisciplinary perspective. In this review, we synthesize the main techniques used to characterize plastics and microbial strains highly studied for plastics degradation. The field of plastic degradation is quickly unfolding and expanding its boundaries.