Biorremediação de xenobióticos provenientes dos plásticos através de microrganismos

Abstract

Worldwide, it is estimated that the production of thermoplastics since 1950 has exceeded 9 billion tons of plastics, resulting in serious socio-environmental problems due to incorrect disposal. Due to the characteristics of these synthetic residues, when dumped in landfills, oceans, lakes and rivers, they compromise the fauna and flora due to substances known as xenobiotics that are difficult to degrade. Because of these compounds, polymers end up accumulating in the environment because they are synthetic components and because they have additives that can alter their structure and may make these thermoplastics recalcitrant. A strategy used to minimize environmental damage is recycling, which is divided into three types: mechanical, chemical and energetic. Since mechanical recycling is the most used because it is the most economical and because it has a certain efficiency, the amount recycled is far from equating with the production of new thermoplastic polymers. Given the above, the development of this study aimed to carry out a literature review about alternative routes for the treatment of these wastes, aiming at their treatment by bioremediation by microorganisms with the potential to degrade these compounds. With the development of this work, it was noted that fungi are potential agents for treatment due to their high degradation characteristic and also for the production of biosurfactants that help to break down the xenobiotics present in polymers, in addition to their use as a source of carbon, happy for the decrease of these compounds in the environment.