Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Chemical Engineering/Polymer Engineering Professor Bang Seok-ho’s research team announced the dangers of microplastics decomposed from microorganisms.
Plastic waste is not biodegradable in nature. When it enters the soil and the ocean, it is broken into microplastics and ultra-fine plastics with a size of less than 5 mm by photolysis and weathering over a long period of time. Because microplastics are not treated by water purification systems, they cause permanent pollution throughout the ecosystem. Waste plastics have a recycling rate of less than 10% due to various problems such as difficulties in separation and sorting technology and high processing costs.
Recently, with the discovery of microbes or proteins/enzymes that biodegrade waste plastics while minimizing their impact on the environment, recycling of waste plastics is gaining momentum. However, most plastics do not fully degrade due to their limited metabolic capacity and slow decomposition process. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the biological impact of previously unreported biodegradable microplastics to meet global demand.
Professor Bang Seok-ho’s research team used a microorganism (Rhodococcus Ruber C208) to induce biodegradation of nanoplastics and compared them. It was found that the nanoparticles have completely different physicochemical properties.
Biodegradation of polystyrene nanoparticles using microorganisms. Source: Sungkyunkwan University
It was found that biodegraded microplastics induce active oxygen and immune responses in skin epidermal cells, which are exposed first in the human body, compared to existing particles, leading to increased cytotoxicity.
Professor Seok-ho Bang and Professor Eun-yeol Lee explained that “this study will be the cornerstone of research on the harm of biodegradable plastics.”
The research results were published online on August 2 in the ‘Chemical Engineering Journal’.
Paper title: Cytotoxic Effect and Mechanism of Nano-Sized Polystyrene Degraded by Rhodococcus ruber C208
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2023-08-21 08:06:00
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