Human activities have left a detrimental impact on the Earth and its environment – from oil spills leaking into the ocean to tons of plastic products overwhelming our landfills. Even if we were to alter our habits completely, much of the damage we have caused cannot be fully reversed. Researchers have tested numerous techniques to reduce the amounts of contaminants and pollutants in our environment, but many of these methods are expensive and time-consuming, yielding slow results. Fortunately, there may be a solution hiding right below our feet: fungi.
Known for their skills in biodegradation, fungi are typically thought of as organisms that break down organic matter – possibly decaying trees, fecal matter, or dead plants and animals. However, different types of fungi can also decompose, filter out, or absorb not only synthetic matter but also toxic compounds and contaminants. Scientists have been using this unique quality in fungi in a process called mycoremediation. This method may help clear our soil and water pollution and tackle our immense plastic problem.
As awesome as this is, just imagine if these plastic eating fungi and bacteria end up spreading beyond the desired landfills and pollution zones and gets into our homes, businesses and factories. Imagine having to have your house fumigated because all your plastic items are slowly but surely rotting away right in front of you…
That’s a pretty extreme “what if” scenario. Plastics and climate change are already doing those things in a way so I don’t see how that can invalidate the good here. There is certainly a middle ground.
Hey, on the flip side of that same plastic coin, imagine if they could make these organisms into a safe to consume pill form, where the fungi and/or bacteria could consume all the microplastics in our brains, blood, testicles…
But then it would consume the good micro plastics
Shit, I didn’t consider the dissolved condom theory…
So, ah, a lot of electrical wiring is insulated with plastic… including the wiring in your walls, in vehicles, in communication systems…
Plus you have components like capacitors which require plastic membranes to function, and most circuit boards are on plastic substrates.
That’s not related to the type of plastic pollution that the article is proposing fungi as a remedy for. I think that’s clear. Seems like an odd place ot make a case for the importance of plastics
Mercedes already has known issues with their wiring harnesses intentionally degrading, to be biodegradable, and they won’t even cover that shit under warranty.
And I think you’re missing the point we’re trying to make. The plastic eating fungi and bacteria might be intended to only be applied to areas we consider pollution, but those organisms don’t give a shit what we do or don’t consider pollution vs important stuff.
In a world slap full of plastic, such organisms are simply like FOOD, NOM NOM!
Life finds a way…
I hear your point, I don’t know who “we” is. I believe you and the prior commenter are missing the point of the article entirely. This is about harnessing nature for our benefit to fight plastic pollution. An extreme problem contributing to climate change and threatening all of our lives. You are both arguing a straw man to try to undermine the article which it seems you have missed the point of entirely. The idea that fighting plastic pollution means fungi will invade your home and destroy the plastics in your devices is not logical. This is in no way a Jurassic Park type of scenario and that logic is a bit absurd. Plastic pollution has colonized the earth. Fighting it with something harmless like nature isn’t comparable.
You are both arguing a straw man to try to undermine the article which it seems you have missed the point of entirely.
Fungi spread. It’s part of their behavior. If a fungi is bred to specifically feed on a particular type of plastic, it will do that, outside of waste treatment facilities and outside of human control. This is not a “straw man”, it is a directly relevant concern. The fungi will not know the difference between plastic pollution and plastic that is keeping infrastructure from falling apart.
something harmless like nature
How did you reach this conclusion? Nature is anything but harmless, it’s a meat grinder.
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Oh no, we totally get the desired benefits, I’m pretty sure everyone does.
But this is getting a bit past pure nature, they’re bioengineering these organisms to be even more effective at eating plastics and stuff much faster and more rapidly.
The question becomes, what happens when/if such organisms get out of control, in a world full of a basically new food source to them?
What happens when someone deploys these organisms maliciously, in a plastic manufacturing center or a Walmart or something?
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An organism with plentiful nutrients and no natural predators in an environment will proliferate as an invasive species. This is, in fact, worth considering as a Jurassic Park scenario.
These folks are not saying “we shouldn’t do this because of the risks.” They’re saying “I hope those who would take this action attempt to understand and control those risks before an adverse affect like unnatural proliferation were to occur.”
You can both be right.
That’s much more thoughtful and constructive than any other comment. Thank you. I absolutely agree that two things can be true at the same time and risks are worth considering. That was not the feedback I was receiving however. I do believe the primary and most important threat to be considered here is plastic pollution and the article proposes something to aid in combating it. Who is right shouldn’t be the foremost concern in a healthy discussion. We can adjust how we implement solutions, absolutely, but shooting them down entirely gets us nowhere.
Many of these fungi are white-rot fungi, which use ligninolytic enzymes like manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, and laccase to break down lignin. However, according to research, these compounds effectively degrade specific types of plastics like polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). There are also fungal enzymes called esterases that are capable of breaking down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyurethane (PUR). These enzymes are derived from different kinds of fungi, and in laboratory conditions, they have been proven effective in breaking down plastics (12).
PE, PVC, and PUR are exactly the types of plastics used in electrical insulation
Did you even read the article?
I posted it so that can be assumed and the question comes across as combative. My point still stands. I don’t know what yours is.
PVC in a landfill is the same as PVC protecting wiring that is currently in use, or in plumbing. What exactly is going to prevent this fungus from spreading and destroying existing infrastructure?
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Ill Wind (1995), by Kevin J. Anderson
The largest oil spill in history prompts the oil company to release an untested designer virus to break down the oil spill. This designer virus is an oil eating microbe designed to consume and break down anything made from petrocarbons like oil, petrol… and plastic.
Before long the microbe has adapted to propagate through the air, emptying car tanks and destroying all plastics.
My concern is the toxins propagating through the trophic chain. But it can’t be worse than the alternative.
Now that I think of it, something that invalidates our oil dependency could just be what we need right now.
