Plastic-degrading enzymes increasing in correlation with pollution
The number of microbial enzymes with the ability to degrade plastic is growing, in correlation with local levels of plastic pollution. That is the finding of a new study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, that measured samples of environmental DNA from around the globe. The results illustrate the impact plastic pollution is having on the environment, and hint at potential new solutions for managing the problem. The problems of global plastic pollution are all too widespread, as mass-production of plastic has exploded in the last 70 years or so – from around 2 million