PLASTIC FANTASTIC
Food for fungi
By Plasteurope.com staff
“Fungi are the grand recyclers of the planet and the vanguard species in habitat restoration,” Paul Stamets once told us. The American mycologist was, of course, talking about the vital role mushrooms and their relatives play in converting naturally occurring substances in the environment. Yet as efficient as they have long been in the biosphere, it turns out that fungi might lend their recycling talents equally to the plastisphere.
“Fungi are the grand recyclers of the planet and the vanguard species in habitat restoration,” Paul Stamets once told us. The American mycologist was, of course, talking about the vital role mushrooms and their relatives play in converting naturally occurring substances in the environment. Yet as efficient as they have long been in the biosphere, it turns out that fungi might lend their recycling talents equally to the plastisphere.
 It’s no hallucination: certain species of fungi can eat plastics (Photo: Pexels/Chris G) |
Researchers at the University of Potsdam and the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries have discovered that certain fungi have a great appetite for plastics waste made of polyurethane and polyethylene and chew on it until the material is broken down into its ecologically uncritical components – without any pre-treatment of the plastics.
Anyone who has ever had experience with “tinea pedis” – irritating athlete’s foot – or “amanita muscaria” – poisonous fly agarics – may find this hard to believe, but science proves it: mushrooms can be saviours.
— Translated by Andru Shively
09.08.2024 Plasteurope.com [255703-0]
Published on 09.08.2024