Does Bacteria eats Plastics???

Due to plastic’s resilience against degradation and its proliferation in industry, the issue of plastic pollution has evolved to become a threat to global ecology. Plastic pollution arises from both terrestrial and marine sources.

Generally plastics gets degrades in the ocean by UV Lights, However researchers have recently demonstrated the Plastic eating bacteria which eats plastic and converts into Carbon di oxide and other molecules. Thus this plastic eating bacteria is known as Rhodococcus ruber which belongs to the taxon of nocadioform actinomycetes . These are Gram positive bacteria are found in diverse environmental niches and being abundant in soil, water , and marine environment.

MECHANISM OF MICROBIAL DEGRADTION OF PLASTIC

The Bacterium rhodoccus ruber forms an bio-film and it has been measured that plastic disappears under the biofilm.Based on the laboratory trials researchers estimates that this bacteria is capable to breakdown about 1% of the available plastic pollutant per year.

We know that this microbial degradation could not be a final solution to the huge problem of all the plastics in the world. Hence this research could act as an basic principle to resolve the huge solution!!