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Ένα βακτήριο μπορεί να δώσει λύση στη μάστιγα του πλαστικού

Ιάπωνες επιστήμονες ανακάλυψαν έναν μικροοργανισμό που τρέφεται με πλαστικό. Πρόκειται για μια ανακάλυψη που θα μπορούσε να αξιοποιηθεί στην ανακύκλωση στο πλαίσιο ανάπτυξης νέων μεθόδων διάσπασης του πλαστικού, που πνίγει τον σύγχρονο κόσμο και τον πλανήτη.

Οι ερευνητές ανακάλυψαν ότι το βακτήριο Ideonella sakaiensis έχει την ικανότητα , χρησιμοποιώντας ένα ζεύγος ενζύμων (βιολογικοί καταλύτες που χρησιμοποιούν τα ζώα για να διασπάσουν τις τροφές) να διασπά το τερεφθαλικό πολυαιθυλένιο, γνωστό ως PET, το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται για την κατασκευή συσκευασιών, ρούχων και μπουκαλιών.

Η διαδικασία της διάσπασης από τον μικροοργανισμό κρίνεται ως αργή, ωστόσο με περαιτέρω μελέτη θα μπορούσε να επιταχυνθεί η διαδικασία. Σύμφωνα με όσα ανακοινώθηκαν το βακτήριο χρειάστηκε έξι εβδομάδες για να διασπάσει εντελώς ένα μικρό κομμάτι πλαστικού PET χαμηλής ποιότητας. Η διάσπαση του υλικού ανώτερης ποιότητας που χρησιμοποιείται στις συσκευασίες θα διαρκούσε ακόμα περισσότερο.

Το PET χρησιμοποιείται κυρίως στην εμφιάλωση νερού και αναψυκτικών καθώς είναι ιδιαίτερα ανθεκτικό στο νερό και έχει μεγάλη διάρκεια ζωής. Αυτές του οι ιδιότητες ωστόσο, που για τη βιομηχανία είναι ισχυρά πλεονεκτήματα, για το περιβάλλον αποτελούν μια μάστιγα.

Σημειώνεται πως ετησίως, όπως γράφει το RT, παράγονται 310 εκατομμύρια τόνοι πλαστικού, ωστόσο μόνο το 14% των πλαστικών απορριμμάτων ανακυκλώνεται.

Σύμφωνα με την μελέτη, που δημοσιεύθηκε στο επιστημονικό περιοδικό Science, το βακτήριο «είναι σε θέση να χρησιμοποιεί το PET ως κύρια πηγή ενέργειας και άνθρακα». έτσι το Ideonella sakaiensis διασπά το PET σε τερεφθαλικό οξύ και αιθυλενογλυκόλη, δύο ενώσεις φιλικές προς το περιβάλλον.

«Μείναμε έκπληκτοι όταν διαπιστώσαμε πως ο μικροοργανισμός διασπούσε το PET, γιατί μέχρι στιγμής κυρίαρχη άποψη ήταν πως το PET είναι ένα μη βιοδιασπώμενο πλαστικό», δήλωσε ο Kohei Oda, ένας εκ των ερευνητών.

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