Current progress towards understanding the biodegradation of synthetic condensation polymers with active hydrolases

Natural and synthetic polymers represent a challenging source of raw materials to harvest and control in our environment. All polymeric materials eventually deteriorate and degrade over time due to changes in the inter- or intramolecular bonding resulting from biological and/or environmental exposure. Microorganisms use a combination of cellular hydrolytic and oxidative chemical processes to release carbon sources from polymers. Specifically, polyesters and polyurethanes are susceptible to hydrolysis by catabolic enzymes released by fungi, bacteria and archaea in the environment, and these polymer classes make up 35% of global polymer production. This review focuses on the activity of lipases, cutinases, esterases and proteases with polyesters and polyurethanes reported in articles from 2018 or later as well as new advances and key trends in both fundamental and applied biodegradation research efforts. (c) 2020 Society of Industrial Chemistry

Automated summary

Natural and synthetic polymers degrade over time due to changes in bonding, with microorganisms using chemical processes to release carbon sources. Polyesters and polyurethanes, making up 35% of global polymer production, are susceptible to degradation by enzymes released by microorganisms. This review focuses on recent research on biodegradation of these polymers.