A review on Plastisphere

Babita Bikash Nandi

Abstract

Plastic waste contamination has emerged as a growing ecological issue of great significance. Plastic has been found in various environments, including within the human body, creating a growing threat to both ecosystems and people. In the ocean, plastic debris undergoes gradual fragmentation into tiny particles known as microplastics due to the disruption of physical and chemical processes. These microplastics serve as a habitat for diverse microbial communities, such as fungi, diatoms, and bacteria, which form biofilms called plastisphere on the surface of the plastic. In the present review, we summarized the studies related to its formation and things classified in plastisphere. There is also a major distribution found in the plastisphere world. The crucial part to biodegrade the plastics in marine environment is also discussed. The composition of the microorganism community in the plastisphere can be greatly influenced by the depth at which microplastics are found in the ocean and the nutrients present in the surrounding saltwater. There is a rising curiosity surrounding the contribution of bacteria and other microorganisms in breaking down environmentally harmful plastics. The aim is to harness their potential and find effective ways to address the issue of plastic pollution. This includes exploring the possibility of using their abilities to develop improved enzymes for more efficient recycling facilities, landfills, and tackling plastic waste in the oceans. The plastisphere attracts higher creatures such as algae and tiny invertebrates, establishing a complex and dynamic ecosystem on floating plastic particles.

Abstract

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