We all know that pollution caused by plastic materials is a significant worldwide problem. But thanks to science, there are some ways we can deal with the issue. The latest solution proposed by physicists on the matter is represented by creating a super enzyme after combining PETase with MHETase.
PETase was actually a discovered bacteria in 2016 that was capable of breaking the molecular structure of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is one of the world’s most used plastics.
The super enzyme will be fully prepared until 2022
The combining result represents a viable technique for breaking down plastic materials on a large scale “within the next year or two.”
Professor John McGeehan from the University of Portsmouth, UK, declared:
When we linked the enzymes, rather unexpectedly, we got a dramatic increase in activity,
This is a trajectory towards trying to make faster enzymes that are more industrially relevant. But it’s also one of those stories about learning from nature, and then bringing it into the lab.
After the super enzyme is fully deployed, plastic bottles lying around shouldn’t represent a problem anymore. About 80 percent of plastic bottles destined for water end up in landfills. Each bottle releases harmful chemicals into the environment along the way as it decomposes. According to various studies, the toxins decomposing bottles of water release into the environment cause a variety of serious health issues, including cancer and reproductive problems.
The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP), said that land-based sources account for a maximum of 80 percent of the world’s marine pollution, as 60 to 95 percent of the waste being represented by plastics debris.
There you have it, plastic bottles are not something to mess around with – we’re talking about the health of us, our loved ones, as well as the one of our children and nephews.
