Litter such as plastic detergent bottles, crates, buoys, combs, and water bottles blanket Kanapou Bay, on the Island of Kaho’olawe in Hawaii. (Image credit: NOAA)
Every year, humans produce more than 900 billion lbs of plastic, and that rate is rapidly increasing. Most of the products we use today are made of or contain plastics. One of the most common plastics in consumer products is polyethylene (PE). Unfortunately, much of this plastic ends up in our oceans. While this waste originates from many countries, China is responsible for approximately 30% of the pollution. Do some reading on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch if you want a glimpse into how large the issue is.
Many attempts have been made to address the issue including collecting the debris for recycling purposes. But as our consumption continues to increase, the problem keeps growing. It looks like nature may finally be fighting back.
A plastic particle (red) is colonized by the marine fungus Parengyodontium album (image: Annika Vaksmaa/NIOZ)
Researchers from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research have discovered a fungus that is capable of breaking down particles of polyethylene with one caveat: the polyethylene must have UV radiation from sunlight exposure. We know that UV radiation alone can break down PE, but this new discovery finds that the fungus Parengyodontium album aids in the breakdown at a rate of about 0.05% per day. To date, only four species of plastic degrading marine fungi have been discovered.
P. album lives together with other marine microbes in thin layers on plastic litter in the ocean. Due to its requirement for UV exposure, it’s ineffective on plastics that aren’t floating at the surface or have plunged to deeper depths. Nonetheless, it’s a start and it’s highly likely there are other fungi that are yet to be discovered that’ll join the fight.
I’m curious how we can leverage discoveries like this. Can we add dormant fungi to product labels or even the printing ink, guaranteeing colonization when the item eventually ends up in the ocean? While I hate to think we’re going to rely on fungi and bacteria to tackle our pollution, I do wonder how we can use them to our advantage, knowing that reducing pollution seems to be a losing proposition for now. Let me know what you think.
Read the whole paper here.
