Ethan Clarke
Plastic-degrading bacteria are a potential solution to the global plastic waste crisis. Scientists have discovered bacteria that feed on plastic, which may revolutionize recycling. These bacteria can break down plastics into relatively harmless substances such as carbon dioxide, water, and decayed biomass. They can be found in various environments, including soil, wastewater, and natural waters. The discovery of these bacteria has led to the development of new methods to prevent biofouling and reduce plastic waste. Researchers are also working on enhancing the bacteria's plastic-degrading abilities through genetic engineering. The hope is to find or create bacteria that can break down multiple types of plastics efficiently. This could significantly reduce plastic pollution and mitigate its detrimental impact on the planet.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, New York City |
| Source | Soil, sediment, sludge, wastewater, salt marshes, mangroves, petrochemical plants, industrial wastewater, marine habitats |
| Type of Plastic | Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyurethane (PU), Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Expanded polystyrene (EPS), Polyethylene (PE), Polyamide (PA), Polycaprolactone (PCL) |
| Type of Microorganism | Bacteria, Fungi |
| Number of Species | 436 species of bacteria and fungi |
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What You'll Learn
In waste water from petrochemical plants
Bacteria that degrade plastic can be found in a variety of places, including waste water from petrochemical plants.
In recent years, scientists have discovered several species of bacteria that can break down plastics, offering a potential solution to the global plastic waste crisis. One notable discovery was made by researchers in Japan, who found a bacterium that could penetrate the surface of plastic and break apart its chemical bonds. This bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis, was found in plastic debris from sediment, soil, wastewater, and sludge from a plastic bottle recycling site in Osaka, Japan.
Wastewater from petrochemical plants, in particular, has been identified as a source of potential PET-degrading bacteria. Research published in the journal Microbiology found that members of the genera Pseudomonas and Acidovorax, growing in industrial wastewater, possess the enzymes required to break down terephthalic acid, an intermediate metabolite of PET degradation. The researchers, led by Tamara Nazina from the Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, used bioinformatics analysis to evaluate the diversity of bacteria on the surface of PET samples exposed to wastewater. They found noticeable degradation on the surface of PET samples incubated in wastewater but not in seawater or freshwater.
These findings have important implications for the prevention of biofouling and the development of new standards for discharging wastewater containing plastic-degrading bacteria to ensure environmental safety. Aristilde, an associate professor of environmental engineering, and her team at Northwestern University have also made significant contributions to this field. They studied the bacterium C. testosteroni and discovered that it has the innate ability to degrade PET plastics down to monomers, the small building blocks that form polymers. By using advanced microscopy and omics techniques, they observed how the surface of the plastic material changed over time and identified the specific enzyme responsible for breaking down the plastic.
While the discovery of bacteria that can degrade plastics in wastewater from petrochemical plants is promising, further research is needed to understand the potential impact of these microorganisms on natural waters and surface reservoirs. As such, the researchers suggest that the discharge of recycled water from petrochemical plants should be monitored for the presence of plastic-degrading bacteria to ensure environmental safety.
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In salt marshes on the coast of Jiangsu, China
The salt marshes on the coast of Jiangsu, China, present a unique ecological niche for microorganisms, with a high diversity of microbial strains. An international team of scientists identified 55 bacterial and 184 fungal strains that can break down a biodegradable polyester called polycaprolactone (PCL), commonly used in polyurethane production. This discovery highlights the potential for plastic degradation within these ecosystems.
The process of bio-prospecting involves studying microbial strains in natural environments to understand their ability to decompose and bio-assimilate multiple types of plastics. By isolating and examining the microorganisms in the salt marshes of Jiangsu, scientists can identify promising candidates for breaking down plastic. Streptomyces and Jonesia cf. Quinghaiensis are two bacterial strains found in the area that show potential for plastic degradation.
The plastic-degrading capabilities of the bacteria and fungi in Jiangsu's salt marshes can be attributed to the enzymes they produce. These enzymes break down complex organic compounds and plastics into smaller molecules, such as carbon dioxide, water, and decayed biomass. By understanding the biochemical processes involved, scientists can work towards designing efficient enzymes to tackle plastic waste biologically.
The discovery of plastic-degrading microorganisms in Jiangsu's salt marshes is part of a broader effort to address the pressing challenge of plastic pollution. Scientists worldwide, including in Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand, are exploring natural environments, such as mangroves, to uncover new microbial species that can break down plastics. These efforts demonstrate the potential for microbes to play a crucial role in mitigating the harmful impacts of plastic waste on the planet.
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In mangrove swamps on the coastlines of Vietnam and Thailand
The successful discovery of plastic-eating microbes in these mangrove swamps could be a significant breakthrough in the fight against plastic pollution. Current methods of plastic recycling are inadequate, as they involve crushing and grinding, which degrades the quality of the plastic. As a result, the recycled plastic can only be used for lower-value applications, and often ends up as road filler, never to be recycled again. Incineration is the only permanent way to dispose of plastic, but this contributes to the climate crisis by releasing carbon and noxious chemicals into the atmosphere.
Plastic-eating bacteria, on the other hand, could break down plastics into relatively harmless and ubiquitous substances such as carbon dioxide, water, and decayed biomass. This process could help reduce global plastic waste and mitigate pollution.
Research in this area is ongoing, and scientists are attempting to turbocharge the powers of plastic-eating microbes to solve the global waste crisis. In the wild, a mutation in an enzyme that breaks down plastic might occur only once in every few thousand bacterial divisions. However, in a laboratory setting, scientists can subject enzymes to thousands of mutations to test their ability to degrade plastic.
In mangrove swamps, there is evidence that microbial species are capable of degrading plastics. Experiments have shown that polythene bags and plastic cups underwent biodegradation when incubated in mangrove soil for 6 and 9 months, respectively. Among the bacteria, Pseudomonas species degraded 20.54% of polythene and 8.16% of plastics in a one-month period. These findings suggest that mangrove soil is a promising source of microbes capable of breaking down plastics.
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In the form of engineered microbes
The discovery of plastic-degrading bacteria has led to a new frontier in recycling science, with the potential to solve the global waste crisis. Scientists have found that certain bacteria can feed on plastic, breaking down its chemical bonds and surviving on it as their sole food source. This has sparked interest in the potential of engineered microbes to tackle plastic pollution.
Engineered plastic-eating microbes are being developed to target multiple types of plastics, aiming for high efficiency and safety. The goal is to deploy these microbes globally to mitigate environmental plastic pollution and reduce plastic waste. This approach involves identifying microbes from natural sources and enhancing their pre-existing abilities to survive on plastics. By subjecting the enzymes produced by these microbes to various mutations, scientists aim to create "super-microbes" that can break down plastics more effectively.
One notable example of this approach is the work of Bell, who focuses on the enzyme PETase produced by the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis. By genetically engineering the regions of the enzyme that directly act on plastic, Bell creates numerous mutants with potential enhancements. The most promising candidates are subjected to further rounds of mutations to further improve their plastic-degrading capabilities. This process, described as "evolving the crap out of an enzyme," has led to the development of a PETase enzyme that can degrade PET plastics much faster than the original enzyme.
Another initiative, led by Vaskar Gnyawali, seeks to collaborate with academic institutions, industries, investors, and philanthropists to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and commercial impact. Gnyawali's work involves identifying and enhancing microbes that can break down multiple types of plastics, with the ultimate goal of deploying these microbes globally to address plastic pollution.
The development of engineered microbes that can efficiently degrade plastics offers a promising solution to the global plastic waste crisis. By enhancing the natural abilities of certain bacteria, scientists are creating powerful tools to tackle one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
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In plastic debris from sediment, soil, wastewater and sludge
In 2014, humans produced 311 million metric tons of plastic, which can take decades to break down. This has led to a search for bacteria that can degrade plastic to mitigate the environmental disaster caused by plastic waste.
In 2001, a group of Japanese scientists, led by Professor Kohei Oda from the Kyoto Institute of Technology, discovered a plastic-eating bacteria species, Ideonella sakaiensis, in a rubbish dump in the city of Sakai. This bacterium can break down PET plastics, which are one of the most abundant forms of plastic on Earth. Ideonella sakaiensis was found in plastic debris from sediment, soil, wastewater, and sludge.
To find this bacterium, the researchers collected 250 samples of plastic debris from various sources, including sediment, soil, wastewater, and sludge from a plastic bottle recycling site in Osaka, Japan. One soil sample contained a distinct microbial community that could survive on PET as its sole food source. The bacteria formed a slimy film on the plastic surface, breaking it down into smaller pieces and harvesting the carbon for energy.
Similarly, bacteria from the Comamonadaceae family have been observed growing on plastics in urban rivers and wastewater systems. These bacteria break down plastic into nanoplastics and use the carbon atoms as a food source.
These discoveries offer potential bioengineering solutions to tackle plastic waste and clean up our environment.
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Frequently asked questions
Bacteria that degrade plastic can be found in industrial wastewater, mangrove swamps, salt marshes, recycling sites, rubbish dumps, and the ocean.
Different types of bacteria and fungi have been found to degrade plastics such as polyurethane, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, expanded polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, and polyamide. Some bacteria can also degrade multiple types of plastics.
Bacteria can break down plastic by producing enzymes that break down the plastic into smaller molecules. These enzymes can also be engineered to be more efficient in breaking down plastics.
The discovery of bacteria that can degrade plastic is significant because it offers a potential solution to the global plastic waste problem. These bacteria can help reduce plastic pollution and improve human health and safety.
