Abstract
Plastic is the challenge for every ecosystem and one of the abundant and omnipresent pollutants on the Earth today. Biodegradation of the plastic is a less explored domain of research, limited to the potential of bacteria and fungi as decomposers of few types of plastics. Partial degradation of some types of plastics by bacteria and fungi has been confirmed by studies. Ingestion of microplastics by soil microarthropods has been proposed, but confirmatory evidence on the possibility of plastic degradation by mites is not available. During the last three years of research work, we have collected information on the potential of mite-microbiome combination for targeting plastic degradation and soil fertility enhancement. Few species of oribatid mites have been identified as potential candidates for plastic consumption and digestion in laboratory cultures.
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