Experiments have shown that a species of mealworm native to Africa can effectively degrade an extremely common type of plastic, with potential implications for the treatment and recycling of waste made from it.
Polystyrene-eating larvae
If the United Nations considers that theAfrica does not produce more than 5% of the plastic in the world, it is the second continent most affected by this type of pollution.
Described in the review Scientific Reportsthe creature is a subspecies of the genus Alphitobiuswhose larval period lasts approximately two months. In tests, researchers found that it could effectively digest polystyrene, which is widely used in food packaging and the packaging and transportation of many products.
It turned out that the larvae consumed almost 50% of the plastic they were fed, and the efficiency with which they carried out this task increased when the polystyrene was mixed with bran. According to the researchers, this is the first time that such an ability has been demonstrated in a mealworm native to the African continent.
Extensive analyzes revealed that several strains of bacteria (Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Klebsiella…) living in their intestines helped them break down the complex polymers in plastic into simpler compounds, which they then assimilated without their health being affected.
« We could use microbes and the enzymes they produce in factories and landfills »
For the team, the next step will be to specifically identify the enzymes involved in the breakdown of polystyrene, which could also be used for large-scale processing of plastic waste.
« Instead of releasing large numbers of these insects, we could use the microbes and enzymes they produce in factories and landfills », Estimates Fathiya Khamis, co-author of the new study.
Because environmental conditions in Africa may differ from those in other parts of the world, such findings could have broad implications for eliminating this source of pollution.
In 2022, a study showed that enzymes present in the saliva of a wax worm could degrade plastic bags in just a few hours at room temperature.
