Titel |
Polyethylene bio-degradation by caterpillars of the wax moth Galleria mellonella |
Subtitel |
|
Author |
Paolo Bombelli, Christopher J. Howe, Federica Bertocchini |
|
|
Abstract |
Plastics are synthetic polymers derived from fossil oil and largely resistant to biodegradation. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) represent ∼92% of total plastic production. PE is largely utilized in packaging, representing ∼40% of total demand for plastic products (www.plasticseurope.org) with over a trillion plastic bags used every year [1] . Plastic production has increased exponentially in the past 50 years ( Figure S1 A in Supplemental Information , published with this article online). In the 27 EU countries plus Norway and Switzerland up to 38% of plastic is discarded in landfills, with the rest utilized for recycling (26%) and energy recovery (36%) via combustion (www.plasticseurope.org), carrying a heavy environmental impact. Therefore, new solutions for plastic degradation are urgently needed. We report the fast bio-degradation of PE by larvae of the wax moth Galleria mellonella, producing ethylene glycol. |
Methods |
|
Results |
|
Conclusions |
|
|
|
dx.doi.org / URL |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.060 |
Published |
Current Biology |
Quellen:
- Spiegel.de Online: Forscherin entdeckt zufällig Plastik fressende Raupe