5 ms·

Yup! those fiberglass boat hulls? dissolved in hours!

xyzzyz 4y ago
Fiberglass is not plastic. It’s glass, bonded by epoxy resins. I guess epoxies are a kind of plastic, but they’re completely different chemicals than the polymers typically used in plastic items, and so likely would be immune to enzymes in question.
- spqr0a1 4y ago
  Plenty of fiberglass uses polyester resin rather than epoxy.
- sideshowb 4y ago
  Unless the bugs evolve, but it's not like they have a track record of that /s
  - DennisP 4y ago
    If they're completely different chemicals, then it's just as likely that one of the many bugs already in the environment will evolve to eat epoxy. The plastic-eating bugs wouldn't have any particular advantage.
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- spookthesunset 4y ago
  Maybe not the fiberglass… but those bugs might eat all kinds of other plastic. I mean could you imagine bacteria in the wild that enjoys snacking on PET, polypropylene or ABS? Society might literally crumble!
  - FredPret 4y ago
    There are so many plastic water pipes and buried cables
cpeterso 4y ago
And then the ocean water and plastic-eating enzymes make their way into the fresh water supply, dissolving plastic pipes and appliances everywhere. Sounds like a J. G. Ballard novel.
- happyopossum 4y ago
  PVC and ABS are used in water pipes, PET is used in bottles. It seems unlikely that these bacteria would have the ability to break down 3 completely different types of ‘plastic’.
  - aidenn0 4y ago
    HDPE is used in both plastic bottles and freshwater plumbing (under the name PEX).
    - pawelk 4y ago
      From the Wikipedia page on PEX (Cross-linked polyethylene) > It is also used for natural gas and _offshore oil applications_, chemical transportation, and transportation of sewage and slurries. So yeah, a bacteria capable of dissolving that shouldn't be released anywhere near an offshore oil pipeline.
      - hinkley 4y ago
        Tyvek is also polyethylene.
  - Angostura 4y ago
    Life ... uh - you know the rest
  - ChrisLomont 4y ago
    Even widespread destruction of any one of those would cause massive destruction to humanity as machines, pumps, pipes, water plants, sewage plants, transportation systems, and more fail. Water touching plastic components are everywhere.

Fiberglass is not plastic. It’s glass, bonded by epoxy resins. I guess epoxies are a kind of plastic, but they’re completely different chemicals than the polymers typically used in plastic items, and so likely would be immune to enzymes in question.

spqr0a1 4y ago
Plenty of fiberglass uses polyester resin rather than epoxy.
sideshowb 4y ago
Unless the bugs evolve, but it's not like they have a track record of that /s
- DennisP 4y ago
  If they're completely different chemicals, then it's just as likely that one of the many bugs already in the environment will evolve to eat epoxy. The plastic-eating bugs wouldn't have any particular advantage.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
spookthesunset 4y ago
Maybe not the fiberglass… but those bugs might eat all kinds of other plastic. I mean could you imagine bacteria in the wild that enjoys snacking on PET, polypropylene or ABS? Society might literally crumble!
- FredPret 4y ago
  There are so many plastic water pipes and buried cables

cpeterso 4y ago

And then the ocean water and plastic-eating enzymes make their way into the fresh water supply, dissolving plastic pipes and appliances everywhere. Sounds like a J. G. Ballard novel.

happyopossum 4y ago
PVC and ABS are used in water pipes, PET is used in bottles. It seems unlikely that these bacteria would have the ability to break down 3 completely different types of ‘plastic’.
- aidenn0 4y ago
  HDPE is used in both plastic bottles and freshwater plumbing (under the name PEX).
  - pawelk 4y ago
    From the Wikipedia page on PEX (Cross-linked polyethylene) > It is also used for natural gas and _offshore oil applications_, chemical transportation, and transportation of sewage and slurries. So yeah, a bacteria capable of dissolving that shouldn't be released anywhere near an offshore oil pipeline.
    - hinkley 4y ago
      Tyvek is also polyethylene.
- Angostura 4y ago
  Life ... uh - you know the rest
- ChrisLomont 4y ago
  Even widespread destruction of any one of those would cause massive destruction to humanity as machines, pumps, pipes, water plants, sewage plants, transportation systems, and more fail. Water touching plastic components are everywhere.