Mahfooz Areej, Yasin Muhammad, Qayyum Mirza Abdul, Abbasi Asim, Hashem Abeer, Almutairi Khalid F, Abd Allah Elsayed Fathi, Farhan Muhammad, Aqueel Muhammad Anjum, Subhan Mishal
Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan.
Institute of Plant Protection, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif-University of Agriculture, Multan 66000, Pakistan.
Insects. 2024 Sep 16;15(9):704. doi: 10.3390/insects15090704.
Pollution coming from plastic polymers, particularly polyethylene (PE), poses a serious threat to both humans and animals. The biodegradation of plastics facilitated by insects is a crucial and eco-friendly approach that can be employed to combat this global concern. Recently, the larvae of the greater wax moth (L.) have been recognized as avid 'plastivores'. The current study was aimed at evaluating the feeding efficiency of larvae on PEs of various densities with a co-diet supplementation of wheat germ + honey and beeswax. The results reveal that maximum PE consumption (9.98 ± 1.25 mg) was recorded in the case of 1.0 mm thick PE after a 24 h interval; however, the same scenario also achieved the greatest reduction in larval weight (27.79 ± 2.02 mg). A significant reduction in PE mass (5.87 ± 1.44 mg) was also observed in 1.0 mm PE when fed beeswax; however, the larvae experienced minimal weight loss (9.59 ± 3.81 mg). The larvae exhibited a higher PE consumption in 1.0 mm PE, indicating that the lower the density of PE, the greater the consumed area. Moreover, the biodegradation levels were notably higher within the 24 h interval. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the density of PEs and the supplementation of the co-diet have an impact on PE biodegradation. Additionally, the utilization of for the biodegradation of PE proves effective when combined with beeswax, resulting in minimal weight loss of the larvae. Our findings offer initial insights into how larvae biodegrade polyethylene (PE) of four different densities, along with co-diet supplementation. This approach helps us evaluate how varying densities affect degradation rates and provides a better understanding of the larvae's capabilities. Additionally, our observations at three specific time intervals (24, 48, and 72 h) allow us to identify the time required for achieving degradation rates. Through examining these time points, our method offers valuable insights into the initial phases of plastic consumption and biodegradation.
来自塑料聚合物，尤其是聚乙烯（PE）的污染，对人类和动物都构成了严重威胁。昆虫促进塑料的生物降解是一种关键且环保的方法，可用于应对这一全球问题。最近，大蜡螟（L.）的幼虫已被认定为贪婪的“塑料食者”。当前的研究旨在评估幼虫在补充了小麦胚芽 + 蜂蜜和蜂蜡的混合饮食情况下，对不同密度聚乙烯的取食效率。结果显示，在24小时后，1.0毫米厚的聚乙烯的最大消耗量为（9.98 ± 1.25毫克）；然而，同样的情况下幼虫体重也减少最多（27.79 ± 2.02毫克）。当喂食蜂蜡时，1.0毫米厚的聚乙烯的质量也显著减少（5.87 ± 1.44毫克）；然而，幼虫体重减轻最少（9.59 ± 3.81毫克）。幼虫在1.0毫米厚的聚乙烯中表现出更高的消耗量，这表明聚乙烯密度越低，被消耗的面积越大。此外，在24小时内生物降解水平明显更高。总之，这些发现表明聚乙烯的密度和混合饮食的补充对聚乙烯生物降解有影响。此外，与蜂蜡结合时，利用[此处原文缺失相关内容]进行聚乙烯生物降解被证明是有效的，导致幼虫体重减轻最少。我们的研究结果初步揭示了[此处原文缺失相关内容]幼虫如何对四种不同密度的聚乙烯进行生物降解以及混合饮食补充的情况。这种方法有助于我们评估不同密度如何影响降解速率，并更好地了解幼虫的能力。此外，我们在三个特定时间间隔（24、48和72小时）的观察使我们能够确定实现降解速率所需的时间。通过检查这些时间点，我们的方法为塑料消耗和生物降解的初始阶段提供了有价值的见解。
