Sources, sinks, and solutions: how decaying fungi may devise sustainable farming practices for plastics degradation in terrestrial ecosystems

Soils are major reservoirs of plastic particles, an issue that agricultural activities have aggravated. Thus, devising eco-friendly, safe, and cost-effective strategies for enhanced degradation of plastic particles in soil and arable land has been a landmark over the last couple of years. Rot fungi are being used as cleaning agents for plastic-laden soils due to their ability to recycle organic matter and degrade toxic compounds. This article systematizes and outlines the metabolic and biochemical processes of rot fungi in the degradation of plastic particles. It provides a framework for soil policies addressing microbiota's role in soil resilience, emphasizes the potential accumulation of plastic particles on plants' edible parts, and frames the role of rot fungi in this pertinent issue. It also highlights the potential boost that advanced computational tools may provide to this research field.