Scientists discover fungus that breaks down plastic

A marine fungus, Parengyodontium album, has been found to break down plastic. This was recently announced in the journal Science of the Total Environment. The fungus lives on plastic waste in the ocean and breaks down polyethylene (PE), provided it has been exposed to UV light.

An international research team, including scientists from NIOZ and Utrecht University, conducted research in the gyre of the North Pacific Ocean. This ring-shaped ocean current collects large amounts of plastic. Researchers took plastic from this gyre to the laboratory and discovered the fungus P. album on it.

Traceable carbon and breakdown rate

In the lab, the fungus was placed on specially labeled plastic. “These so-called 13C isotopes remain traceable in the food chain,” explains researcher Annika Vaksmaa. The experiment showed that P. album breaks down polyethylene at a rate of 0.05 percent per day. The fungus converts most of the released carbon into CO2, which is emitted in small quantities.

Role of UV light

UV light is crucial for the breakdown of plastic by P. album. Without UV light, the fungus cannot break down the plastic. This means that the fungus is only effective with plastic that floats close to the ocean surface. Researchers are hopeful that more plastic-degrading fungi can be found in deeper parts of the ocean. Currently, only four types of marine fungi are known to have this capability.

Scientias.nl