Scientists affiliated with the Nairobi-based International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) on Monday announced the discovery of a promising solution to the plastic waste menace in the lesser mealworm.
Scientists at the ICIPE have discovered that the larvae of a species of darkling beetle known scientifically as Alphitobius are capable of consuming plastics, which have contributed to global pollution.
Fathiya Khamis, ICIPE senior scientist and lead researcher of the study, said the researchers have also identified a consortium of important bacteria in the gut of the mealworm, which helps in the digestion of plastic.
"Although often mistaken for ordinary worms, mealworms are the larvae of the darkling beetles. Worldwide, yellow mealworms, the larvae of a darkling beetle species called Tenebrio molitor, have been used to biodegrade plastic," Khamis said in a statement released in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
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According to Khamis, this is the first time that the African native smaller mealworms' ability to decompose plastics has been recorded.
She stated that while Africa generates only 5 percent and uses 4 percent of global plastic, there is an increase in the usage of single-use plastic, making the continent the second most polluted.
Khamis said scientists tested the ability of the lesser mealworm to consume polystyrene, one of the major microplastics that is fast accumulating both in land and water bodies.
Abdou Tenkouano, ICIPE director-general, said the research boosts a growing body of innovations for a circular economy. "We can exploit this knowledge to solve the plastic waste pollution while also harnessing the benefits of mealworms, which are part of the population of highly nutritious edible insects," Tenkouano said.
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He said that the ICIPE study also increases knowledge on bioremediation, the use of microbes to clean up contaminated ecosystems, soil and groundwater applications.
Evalyne Ndotono, a co-researcher, said that researchers are conducting additional studies to understand the process through which mealworms consume polystyrene and whether they gain any nutritional benefits from the material. She noted that polystyrene waste comes from the commercial application of its most common form, Styrofoam, a material that is used in food storage containers, packaging of equipment, disposable plates and cups, and insulation in construction.