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Polymer Biodegradation Process
(1) Biodeterioration: microorganisms form biofilms and deteriorate the substrate surface. (2) Depolymerization: microorganisms release extracellular enzymes to depolymerize the substrate. (3) Bioassimilation: small molecules are consumed as metabolites by cells. (4) Mineralization: molecules are converted into benign products, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, methane, and water. Redrawn from (Haider et al., 2019).
