Posted on 06/17/2022 10:34:41 AM PDT by 11th_VA
A plump larva the length of a paper clip can survive on the material that makes Styrofoam. The organism, commonly called a “superworm,” could transform the way waste managers dispose of one of the most common components in landfills, researchers said, potentially slowing a mounting garbage crisis that is exacerbating climate change.
In a paper released last week in the journal of Microbial Genomics, scientists from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, showed that the larvae of a darkling beetle, called zophobas morio, can survive solely on polystyrene, commonly called Styrofoam. The findings come amid a flurry of research on ways bacteria and other organisms can consume plastic materials, like Styrofoam and drinking bottles.
Now, the researchers will study the enzymes that allow the superworm to digest Styrofoam, as they look to find a way to transform the finding into a commercial product. Industrial adoption offers a tantalizing scenario for waste managers: A natural way to dispose and recycle the Styrofoam trash that accounts for as much as 30 percent of landfill space worldwide…
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
What is the waste product?
The highest volume item in the landfills is disposable diapers.
What is the waste product?
—
Methane and CO2 ...
just a guess ...
Cool, just put a few eggs in every Big Gulp
Say goodbye to your insulation?
What garbage crisis?
Will it consume leftists without being killed by the slime?
Does it do congresscritters easily and without pause?
Send me a truckload.
Is there any chance that they could be implanted with AI? I’m looking for Tremors meets The Terminator.
They’re kinda gray and goo-like.🤣
“The highest volume item in the landfills is disposable diapers.”
Nope.
I find healthy click beetle larvae in piles of dirty plastic dust in my basement shop. A little plastic, a little whitewash, they’re as happy as can be.
Umm, let's see, they could incubate them in Wuhan? Can you say, “unintended consequences” fast, three times?
Bill Gates would like us to eat the worms before they get that big.
This is Washington Post? Where is the mention of racism, homophobia and the legacy of slavery?
Sounds good on paper but inevitably these creatures get released into an environment and end up as an invasive species.
Imagine plastic eating parasites being released at an oil refinery. Or a nuclear power plant. Doesn’t sound like much but it could be a major disaster.
Waste product? Like wind and solar I suppose. No deleterious components emitted. Right? 🐂💨💩😂🙌💸💸💸
Well, there is that question as well.
A Gas is always one of the waste products
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