Introduction:

Plastics are man-made materials from organic compounds, mostly produced

from fossil fuels like crude oil, coal, and gas. The word "plastic" is derived from
the Greek word "plastikos," which roughly translates to being able to be
shaped be moulded into various forms. Because of their reasonable price, low
density, strength, chemical resistance, and versatility, plastics have become an
indispensable component of everyday life. Packaging, agriculture, construction,
healthcare, transportation, and a great number of consumer products rely on
plastics. Since the mid-20th century, global production of plastics has rapidly
increased to hundreds of millions of tonnes yearly. The most widely used
plastics are PE, polypropylene, PVC, and PS. Polyethene is widely used in
packaging because of its strength and chemical inertness. However, those same
properties that prove so useful to industry make plastics resistant to natural
degradation. Widespread plastic use and lack of effective waste disposal have
led to enormous plastic accumulation in both terrestrial and marine
environments, becoming one of the most significant environmental problems
globally. Most traditional plastics either do not biodegrade or need a very long
period, often hundreds of years, for degradation and take decades to
disappear.
This accumulation in soil impairs water infiltration, threatens marine and
terrestrial wildlife, and generates microplastics that can enter food chains and
cause potential human health risks. The traditional waste management
methods include landfilling, incineration, and recycling; these alone are not
able to solve this growing problem. As a result, eco-friendly and sustainable
solutions are of current interest, mainly microbial biodegradation. This method
uses microorganisms and their enzymes to degrade long polymer chains. An
effective plastic degradation methodology needs to be developed for the
mitigation of plastic pollution and the reduction of its long-term impact on
environmental pollution.
Biodegradation is the process by which living things, mainly tiny organisms
called microorganisms, help break down harmful substances using their
enzymes. It is a natural process where living organisms break down organic
materials, including plastics, into simpler parts. Plastics break down because of
several environmental factors. These include temperature, moisture, the
presence of oxygen, acidity, light, and chemical conditions, as well as the
actions of living organisms. Biodegradable polymers usually have weak spots in
their structure, like ester, amide, or carbonate bonds. These weak spots make
them more likely to be broken down by microbes. Microbial degradation is the
process in which certain enzymes break down large chain molecules into
smaller pieces called oligomers and monomers. These smaller pieces are then
taken in by microorganisms and used for energy and growth. When there is
enough oxygen, this process creates carbon dioxide and water. However,
without oxygen, it produces carbon dioxide, water, and methane. Factors like
molecular weight, how ordered the structure is, and the makeup of copolymers
greatly affect how quickly and how much a material breaks down naturally.
Because there is a lot of synthetic plastic being made and piling up around the
world, the process of breaking down these plastics by microbes is very
important. It helps to lessen how long plastic stays in the environment and
makes it easier to recycle plastic waste naturally.
Plastic pollution, specifically from the material polyethene and polythene, is a
significant environmental issue in Ahmedabad despite regulatory and
management focuses. According to the Municipal Corporation data, plastic
constitutes 250–300 metric tons of daily solid waste for the city, and on
average, generating per capita generation is about 10.9 kg/annum of plastic
waste, in which high-density polyethene (HDPE) and low-density polyethene
are the dominant fractions. The Ahmedabad municipal corporation (AMC) has
initiated recycling programmes as well as educated people on taking care of
plastic waste. They have sourced > 51,100 M-tons of plastics recycled in
industrial products. But the non-segregation of plastic waste from households
continues to render these initiatives less effective and contributes to the
ongoing havoc due to heaps in landfills. The scale of the problem is evident
from the 2025 Sabarmati River cleanup, where volunteers gathered a mere 166
metric tons of plastic waste. This effort also makes you realise how large and
persistent a problem plastic littering is in cities.
Before exposure to microorganisms, the degree of biodegradation can also be
measured by weight lost. High temperatures and ultraviolet rays, combined
with chemical reactions, can cause substantial loss of molecular weight to large
pieces and thus increase their biodegradability. The reasonably priced methods
of achieving these results, together with their functionality, make them a
practical means by which polyethene can be prepared for use in the
environment. The extent of biodegradation of polyethene is typically expressed
as the percentage of weight reduced.
In addition to bacteria, some types of fungi, such as Aspergillus, Cladosporium,
Fusarium, Penicillium, and Phanerochaete, are also involved in breaking down
polyethene (PE), which is generally more effective than bacterial action. The
following characteristics enable Fungi to outdo Bacteria: (1) they can attach
themselves to the surfaces of water-resistant plastics, (2) they can produce
enzymes which can break down the tough fibre of plastics, and (3) they can
survive under extreme conditions. Research into the ability of fungi to degrade
polyethene has used a method of measuring weight loss, showing that, for
example, even under controlled laboratory conditions, Aspergillus niger and A.
Japonicus were shown to reduce the dry weight of low-density polyethene
(LDPE) by 5% and 11% respectively or about 1% each month. Other studies
have demonstrated similar results from Fusarium species FSM-10 and
Aspergillus species FSM-3. These species demonstrated a reduction of
approximately 8% to 9% of the LDPE's weight. Fungal species possessing this
activity have been identified in various habitats, including landfill sites and
mangrove forests, and were isolated using specialised cultivation methods
using mineral media, with PE as the only carbon source. Researchers have
recently identified five species of fungus that have been studied in relation to
the degradation of polyethene (PE). Penicillium simplicissimum, Aspergillus
flavus, Nidulans, P. chrysogenum, and P. oxalicum are some of the most
commonly cited fungal species used to examine the effectiveness of fungi in
degrading both Low Density Polyethene (LDPE) and High Density Polyethene
(HDPE). The investigations have shown that fungi have an interaction with the
polymers, both LDPE and HDPE. In order to examine how the fungi interact
with the polymer, two advanced analytical techniques were primarily used:
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).
The SEM and AFM images provided the ability to visualise the growth of
biofilms on the polymer surfaces and also provided clear evidence that the
fungi were able to make significant changes to the surface morphology of the
plastic after colonising it. Evidence from these studies strongly indicates that
fungi are responsible for the biodegradation of PE products.

Type Description Common Uses

Polyethylene Most widely used LDPE: carry bags, films; HDPE:

 Type Description Common Uses

(PE) plastic water bottles, pipes

Polypropylene Heat-resistant & Food containers, syringes,

(PP) strong automotive parts

Durable & chemical- Water pipes, wire insulation,

PVC
resistant flooring

Disposable plates, foam

Polystyrene (PS) Lightweight & brittle
(thermocol), insulation

Transparent & Cold drink bottles, edible oil

PET
recyclable containers, fibers

Polycarbonate High-strength & Safety glasses, helmets,

(PC) transparent electronic components

Toys (LEGO), electronic

ABS Impact-resistant
housings, vehicle parts

Textiles, ropes, gears, machine

Nylon Synthetic fiber
parts

Does not melt on Bakelite: switches; Epoxy:

Thermosetting
reheating adhesives

Renewable Compostable bags, disposable

Bioplastics
resources cutlery

References :
 Yusra Gulzar, Nida Tabassum Khan. Biodegradation of Plastics by Fungi.
Journal of Medical and Clinical Case Reports 1(9).
[Link]
 Plastics Polymers Degradation by Fungi DOI:
[Link]
 Hindawi Applied and Environmental Soil Science Volume 2022, Article ID
8286344, 7 pages [Link]
 Asiandu AP, Wahyudi A, Sari SW 2021 – Biodegradation of plastics waste
using fungi: A review. Current Research in Environmental & Applied
Mycology (Journal of Fungal Biology) 11(1), 1–15, Doi
10.5943/cream/11/1/1
 Fesseha H, Abebe F. Degradation of plastic materials using
microorganisms: A review. Public Health Open J. 2019; 4(2): 57-63. doi:
10.17140/PHOJ-4-136
 Nakei MD, Misinzo G, Tindwa H and Semu E (2022) Degradation of
polyethylene plastic bags and bottles using microorganisms isolated
from soils of Morogoro, Tanzania. Front. Microbiol. 13:1077588. doi:
10.3389/fmicb.2022.1077588
 Okoye Rosemary et al; “Biodegradation of Polythene by Fungi Isolated
from Waste Disposal Areas in Gusau Metropolis” Middle East Res J.
Microbiol Biotechnol., 2025 Jul-Aug 5(4): 69-7
 Muhonja CN, Makonde H, Magoma G, Imbuga M (2018)
Biodegradability of polyethylene by bacteria and fungi from Dandora
dumpsite Nairobi-Kenya. PLoS ONE 13(7): e0198446.
[Link]
 Biodegradation (2025) 36:71 [Link]
10170-0
 Isolation of Plastic Degrading Fungi from Plastic Dumped Sites. Nanhini
A1* and Anandhi JJJ2 Department of Botany (PG), Lady doak
college,india DOI: 10.23880/oajmb-16000290
 Biodegradation potential of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) using
Aspergillus niger and Phanerochaete chrysosporium Pankaj R. Sutkar1 ·
 Smriti S. Hadkar1 · Subodh A. Kamble2 · Vinayak P. Dhulap1|
[Link]
 Ayeni et al. Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2022) 46:182
[Link]