A fungus that can decompose durable plastic in 140 days is found in the soil

Polypropylene used for food containers and bottle caps is a durable plastic that takes a long time to degrade, but it was found that a fungus that can completely decompose polypropylene in just 140 days was found.

Biodeterioration of pre-treated polypropylene by Aspergillus terreus and Engyodontium album | npj Materials Degradation

Scientists Discover Backyard Fungi That Can Break Down Tough Plastic in Just 140 Days : ScienceAlert

Plastic is generally known as a substance that degrades and decomposes slowly, and is theoretically considered easy to recycle. However, when different types of plastic are mixed together, it is difficult to separate and recycle them. Polypropylene in particular is a serious environmental problem due to its high non-degradability and low recycling rate of only 1%. It's a problem.

A research team led by Amira Farzana Samat of the University of Sydney focused on two fungi, 'Aspergillus terreus' and 'Engyodontium album', that live in the soil.

The research team conducted experiments using two fungi and confirmed that aluminum-coated polypropylene sheets decomposed after 140 days.

However, even if bacteria decompose polypropylene, it does not mean that ``it is OK if bacteria adhere to polypropylene'', and it is necessary to pretreat polypropylene with ultraviolet rays, heat, and chemicals.

Ali Abbas, a chemical engineer who participated in the experiment, said the method, like other fermentation processes, can be scaled up, but has not been optimized for industrial scale and , also commented that it would not replace efforts to reduce plastic waste.