Plastic pollution is ubiquitous, posing a significant environmental and human health concern. Recent research has discovered bacteria capable of breaking down plastic in one of the stomachs of cows. Scientific experiments have shown that three types of plastic can be broken down by microorganisms in the cow's rumen. Since the 1950s, humans have produced over 8 billion tons of plastic\u2014the equivalent of the weight of a billion elephants\u2014primarily in packaging, disposable containers, and PET bottles. Plastic pollution is ubiquitous, and people are unknowingly ingesting and inhaling microplastic particles in water and air. In recent years, researchers have been working to develop microbial capabilities to break down this challenging material. Microorganisms are known to break down natural polyesters, such as those found in tomato and apple peels. Because cows' diets contain natural polyesters, scientists hypothesized that their stomachs harbor a high concentration of these microorganisms, capable of breaking down these polyesters. To test this theory, Dr. Doris Ribitsch of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna and colleagues collected rumen fluid from cattle at an Austrian slaughterhouse. Ribis noted that a typical dairy cow produces about 100 liters of rumen fluid. \"You can imagine how much rumen fluid is wasted at slaughterhouses every day.\" Scientists immersed three types of polyester in rumen fluid: PET (a synthetic polymer commonly used in textiles and packaging), PBAT (a biodegradable plastic often used in compostable plastic bags), and PEF (a biomaterial made from renewable resources). Each plastic was tested in both film and powder form. The results showed that in laboratory conditions, all three plastics were broken down by microorganisms in the cow's stomach, with the powder breaking down faster than the film. Ribis said the next step is to identify the most important microorganisms among the thousands of microorganisms present in rumen fluid and the enzymes they produce. Once the enzymes are identified, they can be produced and used in recycling plants. Research suggests that it takes a combination of enzymes to effectively break down plastic. Currently, most plastic waste is incinerated. A small amount is melted down and used to make other products, but in many cases, the plastic is damaged and cannot be reused. Another method is chemical recycling, which converts plastic waste back into basic chemicals, but this is not an environmentally friendly process. Using enzymes to process plastic waste is an environmentally friendly chemical recycling method. Source: Environmental Information Center (https:\/\/e-info.org.tw\/node\/231595)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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