Name of a recently discovered fungus Parengiodontium album, found among millions of microbes on plastic debris floating in the North Pacific Ocean. This is already the fourth known marine mushroom that can consume and break down plastic waste.

Specifically, the researchers noted: album It targets UV-sensitive polyethylene, the most commonly used plastic in consumer products such as water bottles and shopping bags, and the most common plastic pollutant in our oceans.

It was already known that ultraviolet light mechanically destroys plastic. However, our results show that plastic also promotes biodegradation by marine fungi.
– explained the study’s lead author, Annika Waksmaa, a marine biologist and biogeochemist from the Royal Netherlands Institute of Marine Research (NIOZ).

Although this discovery is promising, it does not give the green light to increasing single-use plastic consumption. Oceans are still full of harmful plastic pollutants, and minimizing plastic use remains a critical factor in protecting the marine environment.

Removing existing plastic from oceans remains a difficult and expensive task that often disrupts marine ecosystems.

*Detection of P. The album* is an exciting event, but it’s not a panacea. Under controlled laboratory conditions, this fungus degrades approximately 10% of UV-treated plastic. 0.05 percent per day for nine days. This means it would take an extremely long time for the fungus to significantly reduce the massive amounts of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, let alone the millions of metric tons of plastic that enter the ocean each year.

A step in the right direction

And yet the discovery of *P. album* encouraging. He suggests that there may be other organisms that break down plastic in the marine environment, which could lead to new methods of combating plastic pollution.

Marine mushrooms can break down complex carbon-based materials. It is likely that other species, in addition to the four species identified so far, contribute to the degradation of plastic.
– says Vaksmaa.

This breakthrough highlights the potential of biological solutions to environmental problems, as well as the importance of further research and innovation. While not a panacea, the discovery of *Parengyodontium album* offers hope for future reductions in plastic pollution.