<i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i>-Mediated Bioremediation of Polylactic Acid Microplastics: Unveiling a Sustainable Solution.

ABSTRACT: Polylactic acid (PLA) is a compostable biopolymer with strong potential to replace petroleum-based plastics, yet its end-of-life degradation pathways under real-world conditions remain insufficiently understood at the molecular and structural levels. In this study, we investigate the physical-chemical mechanisms underlying the biodegradation of PLA microplastics by the edible white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus. Detailed studies on the microplastics' morphological, structural, and chemical changes reveal that after 30 days of fungal treatment, their surface presents small pores, with the concomitant formation of new carbonyl (CO), carboxyl (-COOH), and hydroxyl (-OH) groups, consistent with oxidative scission of ester bonds. Concomitantly, differential scanning calorimetry and X-r

SUBMITTER: Economou CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12713503 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature