Marine scientists discovered an ocean-borne fungus chomping through plastic trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
  • KidnappedByKitties@lemm.ee
    66·
    8 个月前

    Sounds like great news, no?

    Just as we had a time before fungus digesting plant matter, we’ve now had a time before fungus digesting plastics.

    “Soon” we’ll get bacteria and insects doing the same, and all our plastic buildings will need to be protected just as the wood ones.

    • 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works
      8·
      8 个月前

      Not really good news for the plastic that isnt waste. Plastic pipes or structures in buildings that were meant to last decades we dont want eaten away by fungus

      • Balder@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        8 个月前

        Still it’s a positive net balance for the planet if it happens this way. But I think the “plastic safety” (in a food sense) would also end?

      • Kiernian@lemmy.world
        1·
        8 个月前

        To say nothing of how much cabling is covered by plastic.

        Audio

        Video

        Vehicular

        Aviation

        Appliances…

        …Telecommunications…

        …Power…

    • Chocrates@lemmy.world
      3·
      8 个月前

      For earth and the surviving creatures on it this is probably great news, but this is probably going to be a problem for humans in the short term. Plastic is this magic material that is immune to degradation and microbes, now that is no longer the case.

      Ultimately that will be a good thing, but think about sanitized plastic medical equipment, now it can slowly be eaten up by microbes that we didn’t have to worry about before.

    • mister_monster@monero.townEnglish
      33·
      8 个月前

      Yup. Plastic’s main selling point, it’s durability, is no longer going to be a factor when choosing it as a material.