Change Your World Week Winter 2022 (Archived)

What is the problem with plastic waste?

The use of plastics in everyday items as well as manufacturing processes has led to a deluge of slowly-degrading materials entering our oceans and the food chain. 

This waste is a threatening issue for marine and terrestrial ecosystems due to the mass production of PET single-use plastics.

Each year PET wastes account for the death of

1 MILLION sea birds, and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles.

According to Ocean Conservancy, the amount of plastic being produced and consumed is predicted to double over the next 10 years.

Not only is this an issue for animals, but it is also harmful when it enters human food chains. Incidental ingestion in humans can lead to adverse health effects such as immune disorders, congenital diabetes, and cancer. 

The pervasiveness of this issue lies with the partial breakdown of discarded plastics and synthetic fiber treatment that results in the dispersal of microplastics, nanoplastics, & microfilms.

Why not just recycle?

Only ~10% of plastics worldwide are recycled. The other 90% ends up in landfills, incinerators, or worse: in our waterways, rivers, the ocean, and marine environments.

While recycling is still an important habit in everyday life it is crucial to look at other methods to cut down on that 90%.

Plastic-eating microbes

One of the most challenging issues in dealing with microplastics is capturing the small, sometimes microscopic particles so they can be removed from the environment and degraded. Many groups of microbiologists have found sustainable ways to remove polluting microplastics from the environment through the use of bacteria.

In 2014, a team of researchers uncovered the ability of a species of bacteria called Ideonella sakaiensis to feed off PET. Through its specialized enzymes, the found bacteria are able to cut the plastic polymer into smaller pieces. It then eats these pieces and eventually converts them into carbon dioxide and water. 

In a similar way, another team of researchers has engineered a bacterial biofilm able to capture microplastics. The bacteria being examined is called Pseudomonas aeruginosa and it has been engineered to be capable of immobilizing and incorporating floating microplastics. These microbes act as nets trapping and grouping microplastics causing them to sink to the bottom of the water. 

Opportunity for Utilization

With these findings, researchers have been racing to develop the industrial-scale implementation of these bacteria. 

• A key attribute to utilizing these microbes is the lack of added external chemicals required to break down plastics. It is a much greener approach that is overall less energy-dependent, more environmentally conscious, and it is capable of targeting specific plastics found within the surrounding waste. 

While there has been some limitation in terms of how fast the bacteria are able to do this, every day researchers are finding more ways to enhance the abilities of these bacteria. 

Taking Action

The following flier and survey are part of an observational study being done by Professor Balan about the use of single-use plastics on campus. 

Please consider taking this survey to contribute to Professor Balan's observational study on single-use plastics at Delta

References

Brandon, Anja, et al. “Plastics in the Ocean.” Ocean Conservancy, 26 Jan. 2022, oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/.

“Microplastics Analysis: Thermo Fisher Scientific - US.” Microplastics Analysis | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US, www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/environmental/environmental-contaminant-analysis/microplastics-analysis.html?cid=7010z000000v8Yc&s_kwcid=AL!3652!3!427831528703!p!!g!!microplastic&ef_id=Cj0KCQiAgP6PBhDmARIsAPWMq6ksVpzvgeaPuEPLtSGJnrNOGmyG2eCcel8Vcn1OXi_iVUvT8CsPx0UaAnNiEALw_wcB:G:s&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgP6PBhDmARIsAPWMq6ksVpzvgeaPuEPLtSGJnrNOGmyG2eCcel8Vcn1OXi_iVUvT8CsPx0UaAnNiEALw_wcB.

“The Role of Microbes in Plastic Degradation.” Environmental Waste Management, 2016, pp. 355–384., doi:10.1201/b19243-16.

“Scientists Find Way to Remove Polluting Microplastics with Bacteria.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 28 Apr. 2021, www.theguardian.com/science/2021/apr/28/scientists-find-way-to-remove-polluting-microplastics-with-bacteria.

US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “What Are Microplastics?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, 13 Apr. 2016, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html.

“Are Plastic-Eating Bacteria the Solution to Ocean Pollution? It's Not That Simple, Science Shows.” Environmental Defense Fund, www.edf.org/blog/2018/07/13/are-plastic-eating-bacteria-solution-ocean-pollution-its-not-simple-science-shows.

Chen, Angus. “A Plastic-Eating Bacterium Might Help Deal With Waste One Day.” NPR, NPR, 10 Mar. 2016, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/10/469972237/this-plastic-eating-bacterium.

“Contact Members of Congress.” Research!America, 3 Feb. 2022, www.researchamerica.org/advocacy-action/how-be-advocate/contact-members-congress.

Das, Surajit, and Dash Hirak Ranjan. Microbial Biodegradation and Bioremediation. Elsevier, 2022.

Knott, Brandon C., et al. “Characterization and Engineering of a Two-Enzyme System for Plastics Depolymerization.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117, no. 41, 2020, pp. 25476–25485., doi:10.1073/pnas.2006753117.

“Our Planet Is Drowning in Plastic Pollution. This World Environment Day, It's Time for a Change.” #BeatPlasticPollution This World Environment Day, www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/.

Yoshida, Shosuke, et al. “A Bacterium That Degrades and Assimilates Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate).” Science, vol. 351, no. 6278, 2016, pp. 1196–1199., doi:10.1126/science.aad6359.