The ability of mealworms to digest and break down plastics has been challenged in a new study undertaken by researchers at the University of Western Australia.
Led by PhD student Zahra Tahroudi and co-authored by Dr Georg Fritz and Professor Rob Atkin, from UWA’s School of Molecular Sciences, in collaboration with Dr Jitendra Joshi from Woodside Energy, the study questions whether mealworms are a viable means of breaking down certain plastics, in particular polystyrene foam, used widely in packaging.
‘Environmental persistence’
“Previously it has been thought that mealworms could be used to help break down expanded polystyrene, a plastic foam notorious for its environmental persistence,” Dr Fritz commented. “We found evidence that challenges this assertion and underscores the need for alternative strategies to address polystyrene pollution.”
Past research had suggested mealworms could be used to help break down polystyrene, but the new study found that while there were some minor chemical changes to the plastic, they did not significantly help in biodegrading it.
Furthermore, the chemical alterations to the plastic came at a cost when it came to the survival and growth of the mealworms.
“The mealworms exhibited significant weight loss and decreased survival when polystyrene was their only food source, paralleling conditions of starvation,” Tahroudi added. “The minor chemical changes observed in the plastic were not beneficial and, in fact, pointed to the inherent toxicity of this process for the mealworms.”
Eco-friendly solutions
According to the authors, the study illustrates that more research is needed to determine eco-friendly solutions for reducing plastic waste.
“There is a need for a deeper investigation into more efficient biological and chemical approaches to manage expanded polystyrene waste,” Professor Atkin said. “We need to understand the limitations of potential biodegradation agents, which is critical to developing comprehensive and practical waste management solutions.”
The study was published in the Royal Society of Chemistry Journal. Read more here.
