<![CDATA[This study aims to review the development of technologies and scientific evidence regarding the potential of fungal isolates as biodegradation agent for polyethylene (PE) plastic waste, with a particular focus on isolation sources, isolation methods, and characterization techniques used in recent research. A descriptive-analytical literature review approach was PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, SciSpace, and SINTA, covering original and review articles published between 2015 and 2026 total of 10 articles. The review shows that fungi of the genus Aspergillus, including A. niger, A. clavatus, A. flavus, A. oryzae, A. tamarii, and A. ochraceopetaliformis, were the most frequently reported low-density polyethylene (LDPE) degraders, alongside other promising genera such as Cladosporium, Neopestalotiopsis, Colletotrichum, and Trichoderma. Most isolates were obtained from landfill soil and plastisphere biofilms, and were selected using Mineral Salt Medium enriched with LDPE as the sole carbon source. Degradation was mainly characterized through weight-loss measurement combined with FTIR and SEM, and in several studies also AFM, tensile strength testing, and GC-MS analysis. Weight loss ranged from 4.25% to 54.34% depending on the isolate, incubation duration (7-90 days), and plastic pretreatment, with Neopestalotiopsis phangngaensis achieving the highest reported degradation. These findings highlight the substantial but highly variable potential of fungal isolates for PE bioremediation and underline the need for standardized experimental protocols in future research]]>
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