Researchers have discovered a new bacterium that feeds on polyurethane, a kind of plastic that is difficult to recycle or destroy. Scientists say the discovery could help reduce a flood of hard-to-recycle plastics that are ending up in the world's landfills (垃圾填埋地) and polluting oceans.
A team from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, found the new type of soil bacteria. It was spotted in an area that contained a large amount of plastic waste. The team discovered the bacteria were feeding on polyurethane diol, which was widely used in many different products.
One problem is that recycling polyurethane requires a lot of energy. The plastic material does not melt when heated. Most polyurethane-based products end up in landfills, where they can release dangerous chemicals. The team round that the bacterium can produce enzymes (酶) that eat away polyurethane. This would make it possible to break down the material in the environment. The results were recently reported in a study in the publication Frontiers in Microbiology. Hermann Heipieper helped write the report. He said in a statement the finding “represents an important step in being able to reuse polyurethane products.”
German study noted that plastic-eating bacteria could be easily controlled and produced for industrial use. The researchers said the next step is to find more information about the bacterial enzymes that can break down polyurethane.
Scientist Douglas Rader wrote about the issue in a 2018 article for the Environmental Defense Fund. He said much more study should be carried out to learn about the complex relationships between bacteria and marine ecosystems. "Such research is needed before we can take action such as putting plastic-eating bacteria into the ocean," Rader wrote.
