Page 55 - Plastics News April 2020

Lobsters found to grind plastics down into
'secondary microplastics’

here is a lot to learn about how plastic waste moves
Tthrough the marine environment, but researchers
are continually coming up with new ways of tracking its
path. A study by scientists in Italy has shown a light on
the way lobsters digest plastic particles, finding that
their stomach actually grinds them up into tiny
fragments that can pose a risk to smaller creatures in the
food chain. Millions of metric tons of plastic waste wash
into the seas each year, where the corrosive forces of the
ocean break it down into smaller fragments that are
incredibly hard to track. However, studies have told us
that they can cause aneurysms in fish, that sea turtles
and birds mistake their scent for food and that
underwater avalanches are driving them into the deep
ocean, where its effects on those inhabiting the seafloor
are largely unknown. Among those deep-sea organisms is
the Norway lobster, or Nephrops norvegicus, which
resides on the seabed. The new study carried out by
scientists at Italy's Universitá Politecnica delle Marche
and Universitá degli Studi di Cagliari sought to establish
calcified plates that grind against one another. This
what happens when these types of low-lying species
ingest plastic waste.The study built on previous research breaks these smaller particles into even smaller ones,
that had established lobsters do ingest tiny fragments of which are assumed to be expelled by the lobster and
plastic known as microplastics, and that other released into the ocean. “These findings highlight the
crustaceans can break plastic particles down into existence of a new peculiar kind of “secondary”
microplastics, introduced in the environment by
smaller pieces as they are digested. So the researchers
gathered lobsters from the Mediterranean Sea to see biological activities, which could represent a significant
whether similar processes might be at play. The team's pathway of plastic degradation in a secluded and stable
environment such as the deep sea,” the authors
observations revealed that the larger fragments of
plastic tend to get stuck in the lobster's stomach. The write.The research was published in the journal
smaller particles, however, make their way into a so- Environmental Science and Technology.
called “gastric mill,” where food is broken down by small

Scientists discover bacterium that thrives
on toxic 'Plastic waste'

ccording to a study published in the journal Frontiers
Ain Microbiology, scientists have discovered a
bacterium that can feed on toxic plastic. The bacterium
was discovered at a waste site where plastic is
discarded. As per reports, the bacterium is the first one
that can attack polyurethane. In addition to the
breakdown of plastic, it also uses it as fuel to provide
power to the process. Every year, a million tonnes of
plastic are generated by manufacturers in factories and
industries. They produce commodities such as sports
shoes, nappies and other household materials for journal Frontiers in Microbiology, identified a new strain
multiple purposes. The research, published in the

APRIL 2020 52 Plastics News