Bugs across globe are evolving to eat plastic, study finds

[Judi Lynn]

Surprising discovery shows scale of plastic pollution and reveals enzymes that could boost recycling

Damian Carrington Environment editor
@dpcarrington
Tue 14 Dec 2021 08.52 EST

Microbes in oceans and soils across the globe are evolving to eat plastic, according to a study.

The research scanned more than 200m genes found in DNA samples taken from the environment and found 30,000 different enzymes that could degrade 10 different types of plastic.

The study is the first large-scale global assessment of the plastic-degrading potential of bacteria and found that one in four of the organisms analysed carried a suitable enzyme. The researchers found that the number and type of enzymes they discovered matched the amount and type of plastic pollution in different locations.

The results “provide evidence of a measurable effect of plastic pollution on the global microbial ecology”, the scientists said.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/14/bugs-across-globe-are-evolving-to-eat-plastic-study-finds

[Thomas Hurt]

1. There is monster movie here somewhere. I cloud of locusts descend on the neighbors Beemer...

and they eat it to bare metal.

[cbabe]

2. 'I have one word for you: plastics.'