this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2024
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/16488358

Scientists Find Plastic-Eating Fungus Feasting on Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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[–] Azzu@lemm.ee 32 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I would really like to know what's the resulting materials after the breaking down, but the article doesn't say :(

[–] AutistoMephisto@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Well, given what we know about most commercial plastics, which are all derived from oil/complex hydrocarbons, the consumed plastic could be broken down into condensed carbon? Or would it be carbon gases? I'm speculating based on just what I know about plastics, what they are and how they're made.

[–] nulluser@programming.dev 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

So, a byproduct of this process is, potentially, greenhouse gases? Yay.

[–] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

And some toxic compounds.

[–] onion@feddit.de 10 points 11 months ago

I've heard living organisms tend to output carbondioxide

[–] mister_monster@monero.town 3 points 11 months ago

That's because this narrative is at odds with another environmentalist narrative.

Carbon compounds are oxidized by non plant organisms to form carbon dioxide.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago

The resulting material is fungus? That’s how eating works