PVC and ABS are used in water pipes, PET is used in bottles. It seems unlikely that these bacteria would have the ability to break down 3 completely different types of ‘plastic’.
> It seems unlikely that these bacteria would have the ability to break down 3 completely different types of ‘plastic’.
FTA: "The research scanned more than 200 million genes found in DNA samples taken from the environment and found 30,000 different enzymes that could degrade 10 different types of plastic."
Right - presumably those 10 different types of plastic are broken down by different enzymes among those 30,000, which are found in different genes among those 200 million.
Even widespread destruction of any one of those would cause massive destruction to humanity as machines, pumps, pipes, water plants, sewage plants, transportation systems, and more fail. Water touching plastic components are everywhere.
I suppose plastics are a bit like antibiotics. The more we use it, the more nature will adapt.
On the other hand, we probably still have decades, if not hundreds of years, before we see the full effect. Plenty of time to prepare alternatives that doesn't carry a usable form of energy inside.
