The earthworm approach to processing plastic alternatives might just create more pollution.
Animals often ingest microplastics through several vectors, but few get as much exposure as soil-loving earthworms. As they tunnel, they eat the dirt to digest the organic matter. If the soil is contaminated with plastic, it can become a piece of the worms’ diets. While thisThat might be in part because the category is still fuzzy.
At the same time, a polymer derived from natural materials might not necessarily decompose by itself, leading to the potential for earthworms to find bioplastic particles in their diet. Wang says that existing research does not support a significant difference between bioplastics and petroleum-based plastics in terms of environmental pollution, even though degradable and non-degradable plastics present different levels of risk.
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