Guo Hongqin, Zhao Xin, Yang Kai, Cui Li
Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China.
Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China.
J Environ Sci (China). 2025 Nov;157:417-429. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2024.12.004. Epub 2024 Dec 7.
Insects have become an efficient and eco-friendly bioreactor for plastics and even micro/nano-plastics biodegradation. However, the optimal conditions for rearing insects to maximize plastic biodegradation and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, hindering its practical applications. We investigated the effects of multiple rearing factors on plastics degradation efficiency of Tenebrio molitor larvae, including larval instar, water addition frequency, plastic specific surface area and plastic types. The functional gut microbes and enzymes associated with the improved efficiency were further explored. Our findings revealed that adult larvae achieved the highest plastics degradation efficiency when receiving regular water additions without causing drowning of insects on hydrophobic plastics. Additionally, they effectively ingested foam plastics of polystyrene, polyethylene and polyurethane without prior comminution and densification. The biodegradation processes involving oxidation, cleavage and depolymerization of plastics were all demonstrated. Furthermore, foam plastic type-dependent functional microbes and enzymes that contributed to the efficient plastic degradation were identified. This work provides valuable insights into the practical applications of insects for sustainable plastics biodegradation.
昆虫已成为用于塑料甚至微/纳米塑料生物降解的高效且环保的生物反应器。然而，饲养昆虫以最大化塑料生物降解的最佳条件及其潜在机制仍不清楚，这阻碍了其实际应用。我们研究了多个饲养因素对黄粉虫幼虫塑料降解效率的影响，包括幼虫龄期、加水频率、塑料比表面积和塑料类型。进一步探索了与提高效率相关的功能性肠道微生物和酶。我们的研究结果表明，成虫幼虫在定期加水且不会导致昆虫在疏水性塑料上溺水的情况下，实现了最高的塑料降解效率。此外，它们无需预先粉碎和压实就能有效摄取聚苯乙烯、聚乙烯和聚氨酯泡沫塑料。展示了涉及塑料氧化、裂解和解聚的生物降解过程。此外，还鉴定出了与高效塑料降解相关的依赖泡沫塑料类型的功能性微生物和酶。这项工作为昆虫在可持续塑料生物降解中的实际应用提供了有价值的见解。
