Addressing Microplastic Pollution: What Can Bioelectrochemical Systems Offer?

Abstract

Plastic waste, particularly from microplastics (MPs), has become a pervasive pollutant in aquatic environments, while conventional wastewater treatment plants remain largely ineffective at removing these persistent contaminants. Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) have emerged as promising platforms for sustainable environmental mitigation, integrating microbial metabolism with electrochemical processes for the concomitant removal of contaminants and resource recovery. Despite decades of research, the application of BES in MP remediation remains at an embryonic stage, facing significant challenges related to degradation efficiency, mechanistic understanding, reactor design, and process scalability. This Perspective argues that BESs, particularly when integrated with bioelectro-Fenton processes and microbial electrosynthesis, can offer a transformative pathway for coupling MP degradation with the production of value-added chemicals. Existing scientific and engineering lacunae that limit the practical implementation of BES are uncovered, and a conceptual blueprint is envisioned to guide the development of next-generation BES technologies for sustainable MP remediation and circular resource recovery. By highlighting key research priorities and future opportunities, this Perspective aims to stimulate interdisciplinary efforts to consolidate the potential of BES-based MP mitigation as a viable remediation strategy.