Summary
This is the first time that an insect species native to Africa has been found to do this. The Kenyan lesser mealworm can chew through polystyrene and host bacteria in their guts that help break down the material.
Plastic pollution levels are at critically high levels in some African countries. By studying these natural “plastic-eaters’ we hope to create new tools that help get rid of plastic waste faster and more efficiently. We can use the microbes and enzymes they produce in factories, landfills and cleanup sites.
Mealworms on the polystyrene-bran diet were able to break down 11.7% of the total polystyrenes. Bacteria such as Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Citrobacter and Klebsiella are known to produce enzymes capable of digesting synthetic plastics.
The Kenyan lesser mealworm’s ability to consume polystyrene suggests that it could play a role in natural waste reduction. The research is unique because it focuses on insect species native to Africa, which have not been extensively studied in the context of plastic degradation.
