Table 2.
Recorded taxa of fungi that are known to degrade plastics.
| Fungus | Polymer Hydrolysed | Class | Family | Environment | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascomycota | |||||
| Acremonium kiliense | PE | Sordariomycetes | Bionectriaceae | Soils | [37] |
| Acremonium sp. | PHB, Poly[3 HB-co-(10 mol%) 3HV] | Sordariomycetes | Bionectriaceae | Soils | [38] |
| Alternaria alternata | PE, LDPE | Dothideomycetes | Pleosporaceae | Dumpsites, Mangrove stands | [19,39] |
| Alternaria brassicicola | - | Dothideomycetes | Pleosporaceae | Not mentioned | [40] |
| Alternaria dauci | PUR | Dothideomycetes | Pleosporaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Alternaria solani | PS-PUR | Dothideomycetes | Pleosporaceae | Soils, Wall paints (Latex), Pieces of plastic debris | [42] |
| Alternaria sp. | PUR | Dothideomycetes | Pleosporaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Arxula adeninivorans | - | Saccharomycetes | Trichomonascaceae | Not mentioned | [43] |
| Aspergillus caespitosus | LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Mangrove stands | [19] |
| Aspergillus fischeri | PCL | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [44,45] |
| Aspergillus flavus | PE, HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PCL, PS-PUR, PEA, PPA, PBA | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [12,42,44,46,47,48] |
| Aspergillus fumigatus | PHB, Poly[3HB-co-(10 mol%) 3HV], HDPE, LDPE, PS-PUR, Sky-Green, Poly[3HB-co-(7–77 mol%) 3HV], PHV, Poly[3HB-co-(13–61 mol%) 4HB], PES, PEA, PBA, PCL, PBS | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [12,38,42,49,50,51,52,53,54] |
| Aspergillus glaucus | PE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Mangrove Soils | [55] |
| Aspergillus japonicus | LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Polythene polluted sites | [56] |
| Aspergillus nidulans | LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Dumpsite | [54,57] |
| Aspergillus Niger | PE, HDPE, LDPE, PVC, Sky-Green, PEA, PPA, PBA | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [12,47,48,50,56,58,59,60,61,62,63,64] |
| Aspergillus nomius | LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Landfill soils | [65] |
| Aspergillus ochraceus | LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom) baglog | [63] |
| Aspergillus oryzae | LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Not mentioned | [54,66,67] |
| Aspergillus penicilloides | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Biological products | [68] |
| Aspergillus sp. | PE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Sea water | [69] |
| Aspergillus sydowii | PE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Dumping sites, Mangrove rhizosphere soils | [2] |
| Aspergillus terreus | LDPE, HDPE, PS-PUR, PE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [2,12,19,42,45,49] |
| Aspergillus tubingensis | PU | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [70] |
| Aspergillus ustus | Sky-Green, PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils, Deep Sea | [50,71] |
| Aspergillus versicolor | HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PEA, PPA, PBA | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils, Degraded polyimides, Marine water | [47,48,71,72] |
| Aureobasidium pullulans | PCL, PEA, PPA, PBA | Dothideomycetes | Saccotheciaceae | Not mentioned | [48,73] |
| Bionectria sp. | PUR | Sordariomycetes | Bionectriaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Candida guilliermondii | PHB | Saccharomycetes | Candidaceae | Deep sea | [71] |
| Cephalosporium sp. | PHB | Sordariomycetes | Incertae sedis | Not mentioned | [74] |
| Chaetomium globosum | HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PCL, PEA, PPA, PBA | Sordariomycetes | Chaetomiaceae | Soils | [44,47,48] |
| Chaetomium sp. | PE | Sordariomycetes | Chaetomiaceae | Groundnut | [46] |
| Chrysonilia setophila | HDPE, LDPE, PVC | Sordariomycetes | Sordariaceae | Soils | [47] |
| Cladosporium cladosporioides | PU | Sordariomycetes | Chaetomiaceae | Plastic debris in a shoreline of a lake | [6] |
| Cladosporium sp. | PHB | Sordariomycetes | Chaetomiaceae | Not mentioned | [74] |
| Colletotrichum fructicola | LDPE | Sordariomycetes | Glomerellaceae | Not mentioned | [64] |
| Curvularia lunata | PE | Dothideomycetes | Pleosporaceae | Dumpsites | [39] |
| Curvularia protuberata | Sky-Green | Dothideomycetes | Pleosporaceae | Soils | [50] |
| Debaryomyces hansenii | PHB | Saccharomycetes | Debaryomycetaceae | Deep sea | [71] |
| Diaporthe italiana | LDPE | Sordariomycetes | Diaporthaceae | Not mentioned | [64] |
| Edenia gomezpompae | PUR | Dothideomycetes | Phaeosphaeriaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Emericellopsis minima | PHB, Poly[3HB-co-(30 mol%) 3HV] | Sordariomycetes | Incertae sedis | Not mentioned | [75] |
| Eupenicillium hirayamae | - | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Mangrove stand | [19] |
| Eupenicillium rubidurum | - | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Not mentioned | [45] |
| Eupenicillium sp. | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [76] |
| Exophiala jeanselmei | Polyether | Eurotiomycetes | Herpotrichiellaceae | Soils | [77] |
| Fusarium moniiforme | PCL | Sordariomycetes | Nectriaceae | Not mentioned | [78] |
| Fusarium oxysporium | Poly[3HB-co-(12 mol%) 3HV], HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PET | Sordariomycetes | Nectriaceae | Soils | [47,79,80,81] |
| Fusarium solani | LDPE, HDPE, PVC, PCL, PS-PUR, PHB, PET | Sordariomycetes | Nectriaceae | Soils | [12,42,47,49,50,78,81,82,83,84] |
| Fusarium sp. | PE, PCL | Sordariomycetes | Nectriaceae | Soils, Dumpsites | [44,85] |
| Gliocladium roseum | PS-PUR | Sordariomycetes | Hypocreaceae | Not mentioned | [86] |
| Gliocladium virens | LDPE | Sordariomycetes | Hypocreaceae | Not mentioned | [60] |
| Glomerella cingulata | - | Sordariomycetes | Glomerellaceae | Not mentioned | [87,88] |
| Guignardia mangiferae | PUR | Dothideomycetes | Phyllostictaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Humicola insolens | - | Sordariomycetes | Chaetomiaceae | Not mentioned | [89] |
| Lasiodiplodia sp. | PUR | Dothideomycetes | Botryosphaeriaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Leptosphaeria sp. | PU | Dothideomycetes | Botryosphaeriaceae | Plastic debris in a shoreline of a lake | [6] |
| Malbranchea cinnamomea | - | Eurotiomycetes | Onygenaceae | Not mentioned | [90] |
| Monascus sp. | PU | Eurotiomycetes | Monascaceae | Plastic contaminated soils | [91] |
| Monilinia fructicola | - | Leotiomycetes | Sclerotiniaceae | Not mentioned | [92] |
| Myceliophthora thermophila | - | Sordariomycetes | Chaetomiaceae | Not mentioned | [93] |
| Nectria sp. | PUR | Sordariomycetes | Nectriaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Paecilomyces farinosus | Poly[3HB-co-(12 mol%) 3HV], PHB, Sky-Green | Eurotiomycetes | Thermoascaceae | Soils | [50,79] |
| Paecilomyces lilacinus | PHB, PCL, Poly[3HB-co-(12 mol%) 3HV] | Eurotiomycetes | Thermoascaceae | Soils | [79,94] |
| Paecilomyces marquandii | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Thermoascaceae | Biological products | [67] |
| Paecilomyces variotii | - | Eurotiomycetes | Thermoascaceae | Mangrove stands | [19] |
| Paraphoma-like | - | Dothideomycetes | Phaeosphaeriaceae | Barley phylloplane | [95,96] |
| Penicillium adametzii | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Biological products | [68] |
| Penicillium argillaceum | PCL | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Not mentioned | [53] |
| Penicillium chermisinum | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Freshwater | [97] |
| Penicillium crysosporium | Poly[3HB-co-(7 mol%) 3HV] | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Not mentioned | [98] |
| Penicillium daleae | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Biological products | [68] |
| Penicillium dupontii | PCL | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Not mentioned | [53] |
| Penicillium funiculosum | PCL, PHB, PHV, Poly[3HB-co-(7, 14%) 4HB], Poly[3HB-co-(7, 27, 45, 71%) 3HV], PEA, PPA, PBA | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [44,48,50,94,99,100] |
| Penicillium griseofulvum | PU | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Plastic debris in a shoreline of a lake | [6] |
| Penicillium janthinellum | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Freshwater | [97] |
| Penicillium minioluteum | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [50] |
| Penicillium orchrochloron | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Biological products | [68] |
| Penicillium oxalicum | HDPE, LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils of a plastic dumping site | [26] |
| Penicillium pinophilium | PHB, LDPE | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [50,60,101] |
| Penicillium restricum | PHB | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Biological products | [68] |
| Penicillium roqueforti | PLA | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Not mentioned | [102] |
| Penicillium simplicissimum | PE, PHB, Poly[3HB-co-(7 mol%) 3HV], Sky-Green | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [50,76,85,97,98,103] |
| Penicillium sp. | PHB, HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PEA, PCL, polyalkylene dicarboxylic acids | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [47,104,105,106] |
| Penicillium verruculosum | Mater-Bi | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Soils | [50] |
| Pestalotiopsis microspora | PUR | Sordariomycetes | Sporocadaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Pestalotiopsis sp. | PUR | Sordariomycetes | Sporocadaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Phaeosphaeria sp. | PUR | Dothideomycetes | Phaeosphaeriaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Phialophora alba | - | Eurotiomycetes | Herpotrichiellaceae | Mangrove stands | [19] |
| Phoma sp. | HDPE, LDPE, PVC | Dothideomycetes | Didymellaceae | Soils | [45,47] |
| Plectosphaerella sp. | PUR | Sordariomycetes | Plectosphaerellaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Pleosporales sp. | PUR | Dothideomycetes | Rainforest | [41] | |
| Pullularia pullulans | PEA, PPA, PBA | Dothideomycetes | Saccotheciaceae | Not mentioned | [48] |
| Sirococcus conigenus | - | Sordariomycetes | Gnomoniaceae | Not mentioned | [107] |
| Spicaria spp. | PS-PUR | Incertae sedis | Incertae sedis | Soils, Wall paints (Latex), Plastic debris | [42] |
| Stagonosporopsis citrulli | LDPE | Dothideomycetes | Didymellaceae | Not mentioned | [64] |
| Talaromyces islandicus | - | Eurotiomycetes | Aspergillaceae | Not mentioned | [45] |
| Thermoascus aurantiacus | PHB, PCL, PBS | Eurotiomycetes | Thermoascaceae | Not mentioned | [53] |
| Thielavia terrestris | - | Sordariomycetes | Chaetomiaceae | Soils | [108,109] |
| Thyrostroma jaczewskii | LDPE | Dothideomycetes | Botryosphaeriaceae | Not mentioned | [64] |
| Trichoderma hamatum | LDPE, PS, PVC | Sordariomycetes | Hypocreaceae | Plastic waste material | [110,111] |
| Trichoderma reesei | - | Sordariomycetes | Hypocreaceae | Not mentioned | [112] |
| Trichoderma viride | - | Sordariomycetes | Hypocreaceae | Landfill soils | [65] |
| Verticillium Lecanii | PE | Sordariomycetes | Plectosphaerellaceae | Soils | [37] |
| Verticillium leptobactrum | PHB | Sordariomycetes | Plectosphaerellaceae | Soils | [38] |
| Xepiculopsis gramineae | PU | Sordariomycetes | Incertae sedis | Plastic debris in a shoreline of a lake | [6] |
| Zopfiella karachiensis | PUR | Sordariomycetes | Lasiosphaeriaceae | Rainforest | [41] |
| Basidiomycota | |||||
| Cryptococcus laurentii | PCL | Tremellomycetes | Tremellaceae | Soils | [44] |
| Cryptococcus magnus | - | Tremellomycetes | Tremellaceae | Barley Phylloplane | [95] |
| Cryptococcus sp. | PBS, PBSA | Tremellomycetes | Tremellaceae | - | [113] |
| Papiliotrema laurentii | PBS, PBSA | Tremellomycetes | Rhynchogastremaceae | Part of a microbiome analysis of an aircraft | [114] |
| Phanerochaete chrysosporium | LDPE, Poly[3HB-co-(7 mol%) 3HV], PVC | Agaricomycetes | Phanerochaetaceae | Soils | [60,108,115,116,117] |
| Pleurotus ostreatus | PE, LDPE | Agaricomycetes | Pleurotaceae | - | [16] |
| Polyporus circinatus | PHB | Agaricomycetes | Hymenochaetaceae | - | [74] |
| Pseudozyma antarctica | - | Ustilaginomycetes | Ustilaginaceae | Obtained from the culture collection of the Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM) of the Riken BioResource Center in Wako, Japan. | [118] |
| Rhodosporidium sphaerocarpum | PHB | Microbotryomycetes | Sporidiobolaceae | Deep sea | [71] |
| Tritirachium album | PLA | Tritirachiomycetes | Tritirachiaceae | - | [119] |
| Mucoromycota | |||||
| Mucor sp. | PHB, PVC | Mucoromycetes | Mucoraceae | - | [74,106] |
| Mucor hiemalis | HDPE, LDPE, PVC | Mucoromycetes | Mucoraceae | Soils | [47] |
| Rhizopus arrhizus | PCL, polyalkylene dicarboxylic acids | Mucoromycetes | Rhizopodaceae | - | [120] |
| Rhizopus delemar | PPA, PET copolymers with dicarboxylic acids | Mucoromycetes | Rhizopodaceae | - | [121,122] |
PHB: Polyhydroxybutyrate, PUR: Polyurethane, PCL: Polycaprolactone, PPA: Polyphthalamide, PBA: Polybutanamide, PHV: Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), PES: Polyethersulfone, PEA: Polyesteracetals, PBS: Polybutylene succinate, PBSA: Poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate), PET: Polyethylene terephthalate, HDPE: High-density polyethylene, PVC: Polyvinyl chloride, LDPE: Low-density polyethylene, PS-PUR: polyester-polyurethane, PP: Polypropylene, PS: Polystyrene, PE: Polyethylene, PU: Polyurethane. The “-” is used to show the data is not available in literature.