More Microbes That Can Degrade Plastics in Places with Heavy Plastic Pollution
Published:14 Dec.2021 Source:Chalmers University of Technology
The number of microbial enzymes with the ability to degrade plastic is growing, in correlation with local levels of plastic pollution. That is the finding of a new study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, that measured samples of environmental DNA from around the globe. The results illustrate the impact plastic pollution is having on the environment, and hint at potential new solutions for managing the problem.
The problems of global plastic pollution are all too widespread, as mass-production of plastic has exploded in the last 70 years or so -- from around 2 million tonnes per year to around 380 million. This has given sufficient evolutionary time for various microbes present in the environment to respond to these compounds, and many different enzymes have been discovered in previous studies with the ability to degrade different plastics.