Wax-Worm Saliva May Help Save the Earth; Important Implications for Future Sustainable Plastic Disposal Shown in New Study

A new study led by a team from the Spanish National Research Council has important implications for the future of sustainable plastic disposal and the health of this planet.

Newsweek reported that a molecule in wax-worm saliva had been discovered to break down one of the most-polluting plastic forms minus the need for high-energy inputs.

Essentially, plastic pollution is one of the biggest dangers to marine life, and up to 12.7 million tons of plastic are in the ocean each year.

As plastic production continues increasing, its toxin content will also spread into human communities.

Polyethylene Accounting for 30 Percent of Plastic Production

According to Clemente Fernandez Arias, a co-author of the study, Polyethylene accounts for roughly 30 percent of plastic production.

It is mostly used for single-use objects like food packaging and plastic bags. Polyethylene is one of the hardest plastics to recycle and dispose of.

Past studies have shown how certain bacteria species and fungi can break disposable plastic bottles using specialized enzymes. These are biological molecules that increase the chemical reaction rate.

For instance, the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis can digest a plastic used to make water bottles, also called PET, and the fungus Aspergillus tubingensis has been found to break down polyurethane or PU, which is used to make foam, clothing, and adhesives.

Nonetheless, until now, no biological organisms have been able to digest the most widely produced plastic form.

Few Microorganisms Growing on Polyethylene

Arias also explained that there are a few microorganisms that can grow on polyethylene, as well, although polyethylene needs to be oxidized first.

In other words, there's a need for oxygen to be introduced into the molecular structure of the world before it can be broken down.

This can occur in the natural environment following years of exposure, or it can take place in the lab using radiation or heat. Either way, such a process uses a lot of time and energy.

This most recent study published in Nature Communication has shown that enzymes isolated from wax worms, the greater wax moth's larvae, can carry out this oxidation step at room temperature in less than one hour.

This vitally bypasses the slowest, most energy-intensive step of the degradation process. According to Federica Bertocchini, another co-author of the paper, a lower temperature would be needed, and less energy would be spent on breaking down the plastic.

Wax Worm Enzyme Discovery

In nature, plastics slowly break down into smaller fragments that ultimately cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Animals frequently ingest these microplastics. Consequently, they can end up in human food, not to mention in the water supply.

Even though most of these fragments pass through the bodies fast, they contain a range of poisonous chemicals that, after repeated exposure, could pose a risk to human health, a related BBC report said.

Arias explained there is a need to reduce plastic use sharply; otherwise, there won't be any solution. He added that sometimes, it is necessary to use this plastic-type because "we have nothing else like it.

This discovery of the wax-worm enzymes opens up a range of probabilities for plastic-waste management, not to mention low-cost recycling in the future.

Related information about how worms help solve plastic pollution is shown on DW Planet A's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Plastics in Science Times.