Bacteria in cow’s stomach can break down plastic

5 Jul 2021

Bacteria in cow’s stomach can break down plastic

Bacteria in cow’s stomach can break down plasticPlastic pollution is a serious problem we face today. So, scientists are always searching for new ways to solve the problem.

A new study says that microbes found in cows' stomachs can gobble up certain kinds of plastic. This includes polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used in soda bottles, food packaging and artificial fabrics. Microbes are tiny creatures that can be seen only through microscopes. They include bacteria and viruses.
What does the study say?
There are some microbes that are able to degrade a natural type of polyester called cutin. Cutin is found in the peels of tomatoes or apples. As they eat plants, cows often end up eating a lot of cutins. So scientists believed that their stomachs would contain such microbes.

So, scientists took liquid from the rumen, a compartment of a cow’s stomach. Microbes live in the rumen and they digest or ferment foods that cows eat. Scientists found that the microbes found that they could degrade not only PET but also two other plastics — polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT).

Most of the microbes they found are bacteria. And many of them specifically belong to the Pseudomonas family. These bacteria have been shown to break down plastics in the past.

Now, scientists want to study the plastic-eating bacteria found in the cows' stomachs further. In the future, they could create more such microbes to help stop plastic pollution.

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