Scientists discover insects that feed on plastic, which could be used to combat white pollution
According to Xinhua News Agency, Chinese and American researchers reported in the new issue of the U.S. journal Environmental Science and Technology, yellow mealworms can swallow and completely degrade plastic, they have isolated polystyrene survival bacteria in the yellow mealworms, and preserved it. The study provides the first scientific evidence that microorganisms can effectively degrade polystyrene, providing new ideas for using biodegradation methods to treat "white pollution".
Yellow mealworms, also known as mealworms, are artificially farmed in large quantities for use as animal feed. In the past, researchers claimed to have isolated polystyrene degrading bacteria, but the lack of strong physical and chemical analysis evidence to support the microbial degradation of polystyrene, and the relevant microorganisms have not been recognized by the international microbiology center collection, so such research results are not recognized by the academic community.
Researchers at Stanford University and Beihang University in the United States observed in the laboratory that 100 yellow mealworms can swallow 34 to 39 milligrams of polystyrene plastic per day, equivalent to the weight of a small tablet. The plastic stays in the mealworms' intestines for less than 24 hours, and about 48 percent of it is degraded into carbon dioxide, while a small portion is absorbed. Studies have shown that polystyrene as a food source is just as healthy as normal mealworms, and that the waste can be used to fertilize soil for crops. The microbiome in the mealworm's gut plays a crucial role in the breakdown of the plastic. For the first time, researchers isolated a strain of bacteria from the intestines of yellow mealworms that can use polystyrene as the only growth nutrient, and stored the bacteria in the General Microbiology Center of the China Microbiological Culture Preservation Management Committee.
The latest research results of the Sino-US joint team not only provide strong scientific evidence for the microbial degradation of plastics for the first time, but also provide a new idea for developing technologies to biodegrade polystyrene plastic products. The joint team will also further study the degradation of different plastics by mealworms and other insects, which will provide a basis for the development of enzyme preparations and other biodegradation technologies to combat plastic pollution.