That’s true. I meant we stopped actively using them when building new houses. Though now that I think about it, even that is maybe not true everywhere. But at least it’s something you could change once you identify the problem. Microplastics have permeated everything, they can be found in the depths of the Mariana Trench. There is no getting rid of them (as far as we know).
All atoms in the biosphere cycle regularly aside from some very longstanding ones.
If you identify the chemical makeup of the monomer (corroded plastic, micro plastic, whatever you want to call it), there’s nothing stopping you from hypothetically finding or creating enzymes which can digest it. The only reason it hasn’t happened naturally yet is due to a lack of evolutionary pressure to digest the weird compounds we’ve been making up until now.
Set up farms of modified mycelium or bacteria to scrub the plastics, and stop using many or set up required end of life treatment for plastic manufacturers, and you’ll very rapidly make a dent in plastic spread.
Further, modify wild biota, such as mushrooms, bacteria, etc to have the ability to produce the same enzymes for assisting in cleanup.
Big project, yes, but technically feasible. We’ve done more extreme things.
I’d just point out that these microorganisms will definitely escape into the wild at some point and then durabilty for plastics will be similar (maybe?) to that for wood (there was also a period in time when trees evolved when microorganisms had to catch up to degrade it, presumably it was full of wood everywhere that just wasn’t rotting).
Imagine a future where your PC screen or mobile phone has an expiry date and it’s not due to planned obsolescence. Maybe that’s not so bad after all, now that I think about it.
Honestly, my mind went first to the transport industry. Cars, busses, trucks, hell even trains and bikes (ebikes would have more plastic than the classic sort though). There’s plastic in everything. For things like wiring insulation, seats, circuit boards. Maintanance on big transport rigs is sometimes spotty as it is, would love to see what happens when there’s more things that can degrade them.
I honestly like the idea, but I wonder how many things that we take for granted because of plastic would go away?
I really dislike the fact that every single thing from the food isle comes packaged in at least one layer of plastic.
But I like that I can take a vinyl pressed 40 years ago and play it.
I agree with wood, it’s a very nice material, but indoors where you have a nice controlled environment or outdoors if treated. Coming to a hardware store near you - treated plastic?
In a practical sense there are lots of things here that run in the face of this. Plastics aren’t necessarily a good source of energy, for example, so whether plastivore bacteria could ever practically decay plastics in the way you’re imagining self sufficiently is dubious. The main purpose of the wild modifications is to provide a means to digest, but that comes at the cost of energy in the enzymes being produced to do that. We see an overall economic benefit, but it may mutate out rapidly if it’s not actually providing a singular benefit to the organism.
Plastic generally already corrodes outdoors very readily. That’s the primary source of micro plastic is that exact corrosion. Those that don’t would be equivalently hard to digest.
We still have lead pipes in a number of places… its not like we snapped our fingers and all the lead pipes were magically gone.
In fact, the US government is giving out grants to states right now to help them remove lead pipes.
That’s true. I meant we stopped actively using them when building new houses. Though now that I think about it, even that is maybe not true everywhere. But at least it’s something you could change once you identify the problem. Microplastics have permeated everything, they can be found in the depths of the Mariana Trench. There is no getting rid of them (as far as we know).
Sure there is.
Its just not economically viable (meaning it won’t make anyone more money than not doing it), so its not going to happen anytime soon.
Not trying to be combative, but genuinely curious: What ways are there to remove microplastics from organisms?
All atoms in the biosphere cycle regularly aside from some very longstanding ones.
If you identify the chemical makeup of the monomer (corroded plastic, micro plastic, whatever you want to call it), there’s nothing stopping you from hypothetically finding or creating enzymes which can digest it. The only reason it hasn’t happened naturally yet is due to a lack of evolutionary pressure to digest the weird compounds we’ve been making up until now.
Set up farms of modified mycelium or bacteria to scrub the plastics, and stop using many or set up required end of life treatment for plastic manufacturers, and you’ll very rapidly make a dent in plastic spread.
Further, modify wild biota, such as mushrooms, bacteria, etc to have the ability to produce the same enzymes for assisting in cleanup.
Big project, yes, but technically feasible. We’ve done more extreme things.
I’d just point out that these microorganisms will definitely escape into the wild at some point and then durabilty for plastics will be similar (maybe?) to that for wood (there was also a period in time when trees evolved when microorganisms had to catch up to degrade it, presumably it was full of wood everywhere that just wasn’t rotting).
Imagine a future where your PC screen or mobile phone has an expiry date and it’s not due to planned obsolescence. Maybe that’s not so bad after all, now that I think about it.
Well I recommended modification of wild biota anyway so yeah, that’s the idea.
I live in a 70 year old wood framed house with a 20 year old wooden desk, walk on 30 year old wooden floors, have 15 year old wooden doors…
Meanwhile I’d easily wager 80% or more of plastics have a dwell time once deployed of a few days.
In reality, without being in relatively harsh conditions, it’s unlikely for plastics to degrade very quickly even with highly effective digestion.
Honestly, my mind went first to the transport industry. Cars, busses, trucks, hell even trains and bikes (ebikes would have more plastic than the classic sort though). There’s plastic in everything. For things like wiring insulation, seats, circuit boards. Maintanance on big transport rigs is sometimes spotty as it is, would love to see what happens when there’s more things that can degrade them.
I honestly like the idea, but I wonder how many things that we take for granted because of plastic would go away?
I really dislike the fact that every single thing from the food isle comes packaged in at least one layer of plastic.
But I like that I can take a vinyl pressed 40 years ago and play it.
I agree with wood, it’s a very nice material, but indoors where you have a nice controlled environment or outdoors if treated. Coming to a hardware store near you - treated plastic?
In a practical sense there are lots of things here that run in the face of this. Plastics aren’t necessarily a good source of energy, for example, so whether plastivore bacteria could ever practically decay plastics in the way you’re imagining self sufficiently is dubious. The main purpose of the wild modifications is to provide a means to digest, but that comes at the cost of energy in the enzymes being produced to do that. We see an overall economic benefit, but it may mutate out rapidly if it’s not actually providing a singular benefit to the organism.
Plastic generally already corrodes outdoors very readily. That’s the primary source of micro plastic is that exact corrosion. Those that don’t would be equivalently hard to digest.