Biosurfactants for Plastic Biodegradation

The introduction of biosurfactants into modern study has sparked avenues of research across many areas, as a result of their low ecotoxicity, biodegradability, tolerance to environmental extremes, and their inherent ability to reduce surface/interfacial tensions. This has led researchers to assess the current barriers which prevent their large-scale industrial use, a significant factor of which is their high production cost. Researchers have also been pondering how to enhance our ability to discover new biosurfactants, increase their production rates, and, additionally, how to use them to answer big issues such as plastic pollution. This article will be looking into the answers that literature has so far generated in dealing with such questions, covering the development of biosurfactant screening technologies and the movement from traditional optimization strategies to biotechnological strategies, while dealing with how the two are able to be used together to further maximize final yields. Furthermore, the properties of biosurfactants which have been highlighted in previous research and how these may potentially be utilized in dealing with plastic pollution, namely the issue of microplastic output from wastewater facilities will be assessed.