Science

Plastic-Degrading Microbes: A Revolutionary New Solution

Microbes that can degrade plastic at low temperatures have been found in the Alps and Arctic. This could be a solution to the huge problem of disposing of plastic waste that is piling up in landfills and clogging up the world's oceans.

Bacteria capable of degrading plastic at temperatures above 30°С were already known to mankind. But using them in industry requires a lot of energy, which is costly and leads to greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

Now, scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute WSL have discovered microorganisms that can break down plastic at 15 °С, which could be a revolutionary solution for recycling. The results of their study were published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Microbiology  

This discovery can have a very important role in solving the ecological problems facing humanity. One of those problems is the pollution of the environment, which is proceeding at a much faster rate than humanity will manage to clean it. Therefore, it is necessary to make huge investments in new technologies that will help to significantly stop the current trends of garbage accumulation.

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