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In my view this is the most likely way microplastics will be removed from the ecosystem, as there is neither the collective will to clean it up nor will there l
by surfpel 4y ago
In my view this is the most likely way microplastics will be removed from the ecosystem, as there is neither the collective will to clean it up nor will there likely be a way to clean it up through human intervention within a reasonable timeframe.
In a way, plastic pollution is like a rapidly growing and untapped market that could be taken advantage of by microbes. A whole microbial ‘industry’ could take hold to process the various types of plastics along with the waste products that are generated when broken down by other microbes.
- paulmd 4y agoIt's nice that plastics/microplastics will be gone but it's still very concerning in terms of their plasticizers and other impurities/contaminants making their way into the food chain, as those are potential endocrine disruptors.
- wpm 4y agoAlso it’ll mean all of our non-waste plastic will be pretty useless, since the bacteria aren’t going to discriminate.
- surfpel 4y agoNot necessarily. They can still be infused with antimicrobial chemicals. The longevity of the plastic would then also be determined by those additives, since those would have their own half life too.
- aiisjustanif 4y agoThe humans better make collective will I guess. It’s our responsibility.