What will help to overcome the pollution?

Recently, scientists from the University of Sydney were able to completely break down polypropylene in just 140 days with the help of two microscopic species of fungi that live in the soil. Species that feed on plastic in laboratory experiments Aspergillus terreus And Engyodontium album.

Today it became clear that More than 400 microorganisms that naturally break down plasticand mushrooms are gaining a lot of attention for their versatility and powerful blend of enzymes.

At the basic chemical level, plastic is a chain of carbon atoms with different side chains that give each plastic specific properties. There are so many different types of plastic that it’s nearly impossible to recycle if you put them all together. Most plastic waste is either incinerated or dumped in landfills.

Fungi can break the plastic down into simpler molecules that will then be absorbed or released. The method requires pretreating the material with ultraviolet light, heat or a chemical reagent.

The next step for researchers is creation of a technology prototype that can be applied on an industrial scale.