Scientists have discovered a fungus that can eat plastic in ocean environments.
A recently discovered marine fungus may offer hope in the fight against plastic waste, which totals over 880 billion pounds annually and often ends up in oceans, posing a threat to marine ecosystems. With plastic production set to triple by 2060, the search for organisms capable of breaking down plastic becomes increasingly urgent.
A team from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research has uncovered a sea fungus, Parengyodontium album, that can break down polyethylene, a common plastic found in ocean litter. This fungus, one of only four known species of plastic-consuming marine fungi, resides among marine litter and degrades plastic at a rate of about 0.05% per day.
The process is dependent on sunlight, as the fungus only breaks down plastic that has been exposed to the sun’s UV rays. Although the fungus converts the plastic into carbon dioxide, the emitted amount is minimal, similar to the levels humans emit when breathing.
Many plastics that sink into deeper ocean layers without sun exposure remain intact. However, lead researcher Annika Vaksmaa believes there may be other fungi in these deeper areas that could degrade plastic.
The search for nature’s solution to plastic pollution is not new. In 2001, Japanese scientists discovered a bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis, capable of breaking down plastic.
Furthermore, in 2011, a fungus called Pestalotiopsis microspora was found in the Amazon rainforest, which can break down plastic polymers. Pestalotiopsis microspora can survive in both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor environments, making it a promising candidate for addressing plastic pollution from landfills to underwater waste.
Researchers are still exploring solutions to the plastic pollution crisis, aiming to discover more nature-based remedies similar to the Parengyodontium album fungus.
