Breakthrough Discovery | Biodegradable Plastics Successfully Decompose in Deep Sea, Paving the Way for a Solution to Global Marine Pollution

A consortium of institutions including The University of Tokyo, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, and others, has demonstrated that various biodegradable plastics, excluding polylactic acid, can decompose in deep seabed locations near Japan. This pioneering research, the first of its kind globally, highlights the successful decomposition of biodegradable plastics by microorganisms at different depths (757 m to 5,552 m). The study not only identified new degrading microorganisms in the deep sea but also suggests that the proven biodegradable plastics could decompose in oceans worldwide, offering a promising solution to the pervasive issue of global plastic ocean pollution.

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