Environmental Networking Platform for Children and Youth by SAMSUNG E&A
Stay connected with Eco-generation :
| Share 
| 
- Home >
- Our Actions >
- Ambassador report
12
Comments
Wax worm, solution to plastic pollution ! |
|---|
|
by Deepak Subedi | 29-10-2018 15:34
|
|
Of the 300 million tons of plastic produced globally each year, only 10 percent is recycled, according to the World Watch Institute. A chunk of the rest ends up polluting landfills and oceans, ultimately blighting communities and damaging marine ecosystems. But scientists say a common insect — the wax worm — could be the answer to this global pollution crisis. In their new research published in the science journal, Current Biology, a team of European scientists reveal the larva of the wax moth can easily chew through the common plastic, polyethylene. Furthermore, they found the worms can chew big holes in a plastic shopping bag within 40 minutes. That’s big news, considering a trillion plastic bags are used each year − that’s nearly 2 million per minute, according to the Earth Policy Institute. The findings were actually discovered by accident — the scientists noticed plastic bags containing the wax worms became permeated with holes. After 12 hours, the bag was significantly shredded and scientists found the worms had left behind ethylene glycol, a sign they really did break the plastic down. Though the insects don’t normally eat plastic, wax moths lay their eggs in beehives and the worms hatch and live on beeswax, which is described by lead researcher Federica Bertocchini as “a sort of natural plastic.” The scientists believe it’s possible the digestion of beeswax and polyethylene could involve similar types of chemical bonds. “We are planning to implement this finding into a viable way to get rid of plastic waste, working towards a solution to save our oceans, rivers, and all the environment from the unavoidable consequences of plastic accumulation,” Bertocchini said. “However, we should not feel justified to dump polyethylene deliberately in our environment just because we now know how to bio-degrade it.” This isn’t the first research about wax worms and polyethylene. In 2014, another team of scientists found bacteria in wax worms’ digestive systems could start degrading polyethylene after two months — not nearly as quickly as Bertocchini’s sample. But Woods Hole Oceanographic marine biologist Tracy Miner told National Geographic the focal point should still be on recycling more and producing less plastic. Source : Internet
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous : We have only got 12 years!
12 Comments
Greetings Deepak
I hope you are doing well!
Thank you so much for this report!
Keep writing
Green cheers
Regards
Hema
Posted 22-03-2020 11:07
Greetings deepak
I hope you are doing well
Thank you so much for this report.
I hope to read more from you.
Keep up with great works
Green cheers
Regards
Basanta
Posted 16-03-2020 04:03
Gyeongrin mentor, Namaste
yes nature is very amazing, wax worm can be good alternatives, but more research have to be done, because of its slow rate we have to look for faster biodegradable solution, or have to produce more wax worms.
Posted 01-11-2018 22:19
Ayazhan Salmenova, Namaste
yes my agriculture friend is also doing a same research in wax worm, i knew this from him.
Posted 01-11-2018 22:17
hello Joon Ho Mentor Namaste
Although wax worm can degrade plastic but its rate is very slow, i agree with you, to prevent plastic pollution we have to decrease in the overall plastic pollution.
Posted 01-11-2018 22:16
Hello Deepak!
It is truly amazing that even with so much development in our science technique fields, there always seem to be some mystery left in our nature that we can apply to solve our problems. The science of nature is a value that we should take in with more gratitude and try to protect it from further destruction. Hope this finding on wax worms could lead to good results in the degradation of plastics!
Thanks for the report :)
Posted 31-10-2018 23:42
One of my friends actually has them at his house and does research about them, they're very cool.
Posted 31-10-2018 22:35
Hello Deepak, a couple of regional ambassadors from Nepal have submitted the report about use of wax worm to prevent further plastic pollution.
Using wax worms would definitely reduce the total amount of plastic pollution to the public but the emission of plastic materials is faster and larger than the eating capability of wax worms.
Such alternative mean to prevent plastic pollution is good for sustainable society, but I do hope the decrease in the overall plastic pollution.
Thanks for your report! :)
Posted 31-10-2018 20:22
YES it would be great news i f these worms can effectively degrade plastic, Hope scientist develop genetically modified creature to completely consume plastic. And our prime duty is plastic reduction, refusal and reuse, and proper waste management.
Posted 31-10-2018 14:05
yes further study on such insects and bacteria may help to overcome the plastic pollution. Hope scientist develop genetically modified creature to completely consume plastic. thanks for your words in my report. @Rosa Domingos.
Posted 31-10-2018 14:02
Deepak,
It would be a great news if the wax worms can effectively degrade our plastics to safe us from the plastic problems. As you have rightly said, that doesn't dicard the motion of plastic reduction, refusal and reuse, and proper waste management.
Thanks for the report.
Posted 30-10-2018 21:19
Hi Deepak!
It's amazing that nature has a way of rebounding, but due to the rate at which we are messing it up, I am particularly amazed at the fact that wax worms have adapted to such extreme conditions. This is the time to maximise their inherited trait to aid in plastic pollution reduction. Change will not be rapid, but will see change now that scientists are looking into this issue further.
Thank you for reporting Deepak!
Posted 29-10-2018 19:10