Researchers have made a remarkable discovery about how certain bacteria found in wastewater can break down plastic and use it as a food source. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for developing innovative solutions to tackle the growing issue of plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is a global concern, and this research could be a game-changer in our efforts to clean up the environment.
Incredible Tricks of Bacteria
The report, appearing in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, centers on a major group of environmental bacteria, called Comamonadacea. In urban rivers and wastewater systems, the bacteria have long been known to flourish on plastics but their precise function was unknown.
But now, scientists at Northwestern University have literally solved the mystery. Comamonas bacteria nibble off plastic into bits referred to as nanoplastics, they found. They then excrete a unique enzyme that decomposes the plastic even more. The ring of carbon atoms in the plastic can then be used by the bacteria as a food source; thus, by feeding on the plastic waste.
It is an incredible discovery that these wastewater bacteria can degrade and devour plastic completely, an unexpected feature which has important implications for what we considered about the problem of plastic pollution.
Applications and Implications
Whether used in bioplastics or any industrial process requiring plastic, the researchers see this discovery as opening routes for developing new bacteria-based engineering applications to work on recalcitrant plastic waste that pollutes drinking water and does damage to marine wildlife. We have shown systematically for the first time that a wastewater bacterium is more than capable of performing PHA biodegradation, degradation, scission and assimilation from such a starting plastic material,” says Aristilde. And it’s incredible that this bacterium can do the whole nine yards, and we pinpointed a critical enzyme required for plastic dismantling. This is one feature that could be harnessed to deal with the world waste plastic.”
The researchers also point to the significance of how well we understand over time about the behavior of plastics in wastewater. Most believe that nanoplastics flow into wastewater treatment plants as waterborne particles, Aristilde said, but this research calls to attention that microbes encouraged conditions for the generation of some nanoplastics. The article is essential, as we continue to investigate strategies for better management and removal from billions of kilograms of plastic waste that pollutes the waters.
Re-purpose and Recycle Plastic. Linear Layout Manager Implications
Imagine how this could be used to rethink plastic pollution, if even one-tenth of the world’s single-use plastics were exposed to this bacterium. Plastic bottles… | polyethylene terephthalate (PET for short) is a type of plastic commonly used in food packaging, soda bottles etc — it’s among the worst polymers, non-degradable.
According to this research, 12% of global plastics production is in the form of PET and that up to half of all microplastics found in wastewaters could be made up of PET. Our ability to utilise these bacteria could open up new avenues for dealing with an important environmental problem.
As Aristilde said, “This is something that could be manipulated and used to eliminate plastics in the environment.” So whilst more needs to be understood about the promise of this discovery, it takes us some way towards being able to tackle one of the world’s biggest type or pollution problems which are having increasingly bad effects on our ecosystems.
