A plastic-eating insect may help solve the trash problem that has choked the Earth for a long time, scientists have concluded in a new study. The larvae of the lesser-eating Kenyan mealworm can digest plastic, making it the only insect species native to Africa capable of doing it, The New York Post reported. The study was published in the Nature Journal.
“By studying these natural ‘plastic-eaters,’ we hope to create new tools that help get rid of plastic waste faster and more efficiently,” Fathiya Khamis, a senior scientist at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology and the person behind the study, said.
Mr Khamis and his team found the worm is the pupae of an Alphitobius darkling beetle. It possesses enzymes which can break down polystyrene, a major ingredient in styrofoam. It runs rampant in aquatic ecosystems and has a long durability.
The mealworm might provide an efficient and eco-friendly alternative to the traditional recycling methods that are usually expensive and can paradoxically increase pollution.
To test the capabilities of the worm, the researchers held a month-long trial and showcased their gut bacteria.
During the study period, the worms were given plastic polystyrene and bran — a nutrient-dense food.
The results showed the worms consumed polystyrene more efficiently when given with bran, compared with the polystyrene-only diet. They managed to break down 11.7% of the total polymer.
They also survive at a higher rate, indicating the importance of a nutritious diet.
Khamis said the worms that broke down polymer had higher levels of certain bacteria, the enzymes of which they now look forward to isolating to “create microbial solutions that will address plastic waste on a larger scale”.
“Instead of releasing a huge number of these insects into trash sites (which is not practical), we can use the microbes and enzymes they produce in factories, landfills, and cleanup sites,” Khamis added.
