[ ENVIRONMENT ] Can plastic-eating bacteria offer a viable solution to the problem of oceanic waste?
Waste prevention is more efficient than attempts at restoration Recent studies have shown promising results regarding the potential of plastic-consuming bacteria in addressing plastic waste in the oceans. However, it is crucial to ascertain the feasibility of this objective rather than viewing it as a mere optimistic notion. Encouragingly, scientists have already identified various strains of bacteria that can effectively decompose specific types of plastic. What is the current state of this research and what is being investigated?
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hould we recall the catastrophic explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in April 2010, which had devastating repercussions on the environment of the Gulf of Mexico? Between April 20th and September 19th of that year, an estimated 700,000 tonnes of crude oil and 500,000 tonnes of natural gas, predominantly greenhouse gas methane, were discharged into the sea before the well was ultimately sealed. This event not only resulted in an environmental crisis but also posed a threat to the climate, as methane is 25 times more detrimental to the climate than CO2 when present in the atmosphere. While attempts were made to disperse the partially burning oil slick using specialized chemicals (according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than seven million liters of these products were sprayed), the gas caused relatively fewer issues. Contrary to the expectations of many experts who had anticipated severe environmental damage for years, this problem seemed to resolve itself. By September the escaping methane gas had almost completely disappeared. This occurrence was attributed to the actions of methane-degrading bacteria, which oxidized the gas and neutralized its harmful effects. Although methane levels inexplicably
A stark reminder of the dire consequences of plastic pollution as discarded plastic bottles and debris flood the ocean, threatening marine life and ecosystems.
dropped drastically after two months, just as suddenly as they had previously increased, it was made clear that microorganisms can be extremely helpful in solving environmental problems in the sea. Shortly afterwards, scientists succeeded in isolating and scientifically describing a new bacterium
from oil-contaminated samples from the Deepwater Horizon accident. Despite belonging to the Roseobacter group, one of the most significant groups of marine bacteria, this bacterium was assigned to a completely new genus known as Tritonibacter horizontis. Tritonibacter demonstrated the ability to utilize sugars, amino acids, and aromatic
compounds, such as those found in petroleum, as carbon and energy sources. This unique capability has raised hopes that these bacteria could potentially be utilized in future endeavors to combat oil spills in the ocean. Consequently, the global scientific community has been actively searching for other types of bacteria with even greater capacities
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