Scientists found a new strain of bacteria that feeds on toxic plastic and uses it as food to power the process of breaking the plastic down. It’s the first known bacteria to attack polyurethane. The research team found the bacterium at a waste site where a considerable amount of plastic had been dumped.
Plastic In Landfills
Every single year millions of tons of plastics are manufactured to use in kitchen sponges, sports shoes, diapers, and foam insulation, though most of it ends up in landfills because it’s too thick to recycle.
When these strong types of plastic are broken down, it releases toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, which usually kill bacteria, until now. This newly discovered strain can survive this poisonous habitat. “These findings represent an important step in being able to reuse hard-to-recycle polyurethane products,” said one of the researchers from the team, Hermann Heipieper.
Since the 1950s, over eight billion tons of plastic have been produced, and most of it has ended up polluting the world’s oceans and lands.
New Strain Of Bacteria
The scientists identified the new strain to be Pseudomonas bacteria, which is a family known for being able to withstand harsh conditions, including acidic environments and high temperatures.
The team fed the bacterium key chemical elements of polyurethane in a laboratory. “We found the bacteria can use these compounds as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy,” Heipieper said. The research was published on March 27 in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
In the past, fungi has been used to break down polyurethane, but it never reached a large-scale use. The bacteria are much easier to harness for industrial use and could prove very efficient.
Mutant Enzyme
In 2018, a team of scientists created a mutant enzyme that breaks down PET bottles, potentially enabling the complete recycling of plastic bottles for the first time.
One of the researchers behind this development, Prof John McGeehan, explained:
The breakdown of certain polyurethanes can release toxic additives, which need to be handled carefully. This research group has discovered a strain that can tackle some of these chemicals. While there is still much work to be done, this is exciting and necessary research that demonstrates the power of looking to nature to find valuable biocatalysts. Understanding and harnessing such natural processes will open the door for innovative recycling solutions.
Conclusion
While scientists have identified the organism and some of its characteristics, a significant amount of work remains to complete before it can be used on a large scale to treat plastic waste. Heipieper believes it might be ten years before the bacterium could be used in large amounts. Therefore, he advises that in the meantime, it’s critical to reduce the use of tough plastics that can’t be recycled.
This new strain of bacteria, and the enzyme, is excellent news for plastics recycling. However, this doesn’t mean that the work of these organisms feasting on plastic can lead to a complete solution. Heipieper stresses that the primary goal should be to avoid plastic in the first place.
