Fungi in German lake feed on plastic

Millions of tons of plastic waste ends up in the world's oceans every year, posing a major environmental problem as it takes decades to degrade but scientists in Germany have found a glimmer of hope by identifying a fungi that can "eat" plastic.

An analysis at Lake Stechlin in north-eastern Germany into how microfungi grow on some plastics with no other carbon source to feed on has demonstrated some of them are capable of degrading synthetic polymers, said the team-leader.

Of 18 selected fungal strains, four proved to be particularly "hungry" which means they could efficiently utilize plastics, especially polyurethane which is used to make construction foam.

Polyethylene, used in plastic bags and packaging material, was much slower to degrade and microplastics from tire abrasion was the most difficult, largely because of additives like heavy metals.

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Hans-Peter Grossart, head of the research group at the Leibniz Institute of freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries division in the village of Neuglobsow understands the fungi's ability to utilize plastic as an adaptation to vast amounts of plastic carbon in the environment.

However, their enzyme activity is heavily dependent on external conditions such as temperature or micronutrients.

Grossart believes the microbial plastic destroyers could be used in sewage treatment plants or other facilities with controlled conditions. However, the fungi are unlikely to be a solution for stemming the global flood of waste.

"We should definitely try to release as little plastic as possible into the environment," Grossart told Reuters.

"Plastic is made from fossil carbon and if the mushrooms break it down, it's no different to us burning oil or gas and releasing CO2 into the atmosphere."

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Some 390 million tonnes of plastic were produced worldwide in 2021, data from the Plastics Europe plastics producer association show, up from 1.7 million tonnes in 1950. Although the recycling rate has increased in the last few years, less than 10% of plastic waste is still recycled worldwide.

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(Production: Oliver Ellrodt, Swantje Stein)