Type: Laboratory research
Location: Portugal
Researchers studying the marine fungus Zalerion maritimum investigated whether it could contribute to the biodegradation of polyethylene microplastics.
Under the experimental conditions, polyethylene pellets exposed to the fungus decreased in both mass and size, while chemical analyses provided further evidence of changes to the material.
This does not mean that fungi currently provide a practical method for cleaning plastic from the ocean. Instead, the experiment identifies a biological process that may warrant further investigation and demonstrates why marine fungi are an interesting area of environmental biotechnology research.
Explore the research:
Original polyethylene biodegradation study