Amazonian Mushroom Eats Indestructible Plastics

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://gizmodo.com/5880768/amazonian-mushroom-eats-indestructible-plastics

We use polyurethane to make just about everything—garden hoses, furniture, the entirety of my local 99-cent store. It's easy to produce, durable, and dirt cheap. What it isn't is recyclable—there isn't a single natural process that breaks it down. That is until a newly-discovered Amazonian fungus takes a bite.

Pestalotiopsis microspora (not shown) is a resident of the Ecuadorian rainforest and was discovered by a group of student researchers led by molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel as part of Yale's annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory. It's the first fungus species to be able to survive exclusively on polyurethane and, more importantly, able to do so in anaerobic conditions—the same conditions found in the bottom of landfills. This makes the fungus a prime candidate for bioremediation projects that could finally provide an alternative to just burying the plastic and hoping for the best. [Fastcoexist]

Holy shit, Shrooms that eat plastics.. Now imagine if these shrooms spread rapidly and attach to all plastics, everywhere. All of our products, phones, computers, etc. could all be at risk.

[Myk JL 1,731]

They're Amazonian, so we just need to put their power bracelets together to render them powerless. That or try to convince them that destroying The Kindle would be a bad business decision on their part. Although that wouldn't stop them from eating Apple products. I wonder if a Zune would give them indigestion.

On a more serious note though why are they still putting plastic into land fills? Seems like a wast of plastic.

[CabbitGirl 4,018]

plastics usually get thrown into landfills if people a.) don't separate their garbage in the first place, or b.) the town that collect garbage does not offer separate recycling pick up so everything goes to the same place. it'd be a good idea if they could come up with a way to implement them into landfill sites! i wonder if they'll eat away at the lining at the bottom as well, or attack things other than plastic?

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I can see where this is going... we'll dump the fungus in landfills. the mushrooms will spread uncontrollably... escaping the landfill and invading natural habitats.

[CabbitGirl 4,018]

DX that's exactly what I'm thinking is going to happen :/

[Khellendross 1,260]

Unfortunately this will end up being the cheap solution to this problem, i foresee them just spraying this stuff all over landfills, especially overseas in countries like India, where garbage of this nature is a huge problem.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I can see where this is going... we'll dump the fungus in landfills. the mushrooms will spread uncontrollably... escaping the landfill and invading natural habitats.

Yes! The beginning of the end of our society will begin with mushrooms.