New research has boosted the prospect of using plastic-eating worms to help break down the 400 million tonnes of plastic waste produced each year.
The Kenya-based International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) says the research revealed the Lesser Mealworm (the larvae of the Alphitobius beetle species) is able to consume plastic.
A paper published in the Scientific Reports journal says the bacteria in the gut of the mealworm could be used to biodegrade this plastic. This meant that either the mealworm or the bacteria could be harnessed to deal with the waste “menace”.
“Worldwide, yellow mealworms, the larvae of a darkling beetle species called Tenebrio molitor, have been used to biodegrade plastic,” the centre’s Senior Scientist Dr Fathiya Khamis said.
“However, this is the first time that the Lesser Mealworms, which are native to Africa, have been documented to have this capacity.”
ICIPE says that globally, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually and less than 10 percent of it is recycled.
“Plastics may contain toxic chemicals, and the waste contaminates water, affects quality of soils, ecosystems and essential services, creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and ends up in the food chain,” the study report said.
“While Africa produces only 5 percent and consumes 4 percent of global plastic, there is increased use of single-use plastic. The continent is now the world’s second most polluted.”
In this latest research, ICIPE tested the ability of the Lesser Mealworm to consume polystyrene in styrofoam form.
Researcher Evalyne Ndotono said the mealworms were able to ingest nearly 50 percent of the styrofoam.
“We aim to conduct further studies to understand the process through which mealworms consume polystyrene, and whether they gain any nutritional benefits from the material,” she said.
“We will also explore the mechanisms of the bacteria in the lesser mealworm in the degradation of plastic. We want to understand if the bacteria are inherent in the mealworms, or if they are a defence strategy acquired after feeding on plastic.”
The future report is on the ICIPE website.
