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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Nature’s Plastic Predators: A Comprehensive and Bibliometric Review of Plastivore Insects
Polymers, Vol.16(12), 1671
2024
Abstract
Unprecedented plastic production has resulted in over six billion tons of harmful waste. Certain insect taxa emerge as potential agents of plastic biodegradation. Through a comprehensive manual and bibliometric literature analysis, this review analyses and consolidates the growing literature related to insect-mediated plastic breakdown. Over 23 insect species, representing Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and 4 other orders, have been identified for their capacity to consume plastic polymers. Natural and synthetic polymers exhibit high-level similarities in molecular structure and properties. Thus, in conjunction with comparative genomics studies, we link plastic-degrading enzymatic capabilities observed in certain insects to the exaptation of endogenous enzymes originally evolved for digesting lignin, cellulose, beeswax, keratin and chitin from their native dietary substrates. Further clarification is necessary to distinguish mineralisation from physicochemical fragmentation and to differentiate microbiome-mediated degradation from direct enzymatic reactions by insects. A bibliometric analysis of the exponentially growing body of literature showed that leading research is emerging from China and the USA. Analogies between natural and synthetic polymer’s degradation pathways will inform engineering robust enzymes for practical plastic bioremediation applications. By aggregating, analysing, and interpreting published insights, this review consolidates our mechanistic understanding of insects as a potential natural solution to the escalating plastic waste crisis.
Details
- Title
- Nature’s Plastic Predators: A Comprehensive and Bibliometric Review of Plastivore Insects
- Authors/Creators
- Joseph Boctor - Murdoch UniversityGunjan Pandey - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationWei Xu - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsDaniel V. Murphy - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsFrances C. Hoyle - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Publication Details
- Polymers, Vol.16(12), 1671
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Grant note
- CSIRO-Murdoch University-Industry Bioplastics Innovation Hub program Murdoch University PhD scholarship
- Identifiers
- 991005680462107891
- Copyright
- © 2024 by the authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems; Food Futures Institute
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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24 File views/ downloads
55 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.60 Herbicides, Pesticides & Ground Poisoning
- 3.60.2078 Microplastics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Polymer Science
- ESI research areas
- Chemistry