Plastic eating bacteria adapt to pollution

Categorie(s): Ecology

December 19, 2021 Source:IPS

DNA research has shown that locations that are  badly polluted with microplastics contain more bacteria that can break down these  plastics. This illustrates the impact of plastic pollution on the environment, buut it also shows the way to solutions.
In seventy years  the global plastic production rose from these seventy years microbes had time to react on theirs chemistry. Earlier research has  found several enzymes that can break down these synthetic compounds.

Scientists from  the Chalmers University in Sweden have been testing DNA in hundreds of locations worldwide, looking for bactyeria that can break down plastics. They compaired theid results  with official data about plastic pollution.

The environment reacts

“With our models we have been able to show that there is a strong correlation between the plastic-eating power of the worldwide microbiome with the seize of the plastic pollution.” says Aleksej Zelezniak (University docent System Biology). “Tjhis is an important example of the environment ‘s reaction on the pressure of mankind’s activities.”
The scientists tell they were surpriesd by the  many bacteria they found.  “At this moment we do not know much about these plastic eating bacteria and we did not expect to find so many in so many habitats”, says Jan Zrimec, (scientist at the National Institute for Biology in Slovenia). “This is a surprising  discovery, that illustrate the seize of the problem.”

Recycling

Every year some 8 million tonnes of plastic  ends up in the oceans – and this takes much time to disappear. An average PET bottle can take hundreds of years to be broken down to the chemical elements. Scientists think their results can maybe be used to find the enzymes  ans adapt them to be used in new recycling processes.

“The next step  would be to test the most promising candidates in the lab and study their  qualities  and the speed of  demolition”, says Zelezniak. “And next you could develop microbial communities  with specific functions to break down specific types of polymers (plastics and other synthetic  materials).”

Source: IPS, December 2021

Read more about  the  plastic eating bacteria  in the oceans