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boligenic t1_iv24i74 wrote

I always wondered how nature would respond to microplastics, it seems the bad guys use them against us then?

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LoquatBear t1_iv27hz7 wrote

I'm actually surprised a bacterium hasn't evolved the ability to digest plastic en masse yet. I believe they've found some rare bacteria with the ability but it will be interesting if that gene becomes commonplace. Imagine a world where plastics can rot just like everything else.

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Thin_Catch827 t1_iv38q6d wrote

Yeah, but depending on the compounds that the bacteria break it down into, you might then find yourself dealing with skyrocketed levels of some new chemical pollutant. What happens if the metabolic byproduct is a broad spectrum herbicide or pollinator killer that causes crop failures, a disruptor of our microbimes or developmental hormones, or even a plain old carcinogen? Oops.

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It_does_get_in t1_iv3m259 wrote

Couple discoveries this year:

"Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms"

also

"Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered the common Zophobas morio ‘superworm’ can eat through polystyrene, thanks to a bacterial enzyme in their gut. "

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