Source: Laboratory Equipment

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Context

• Scientists found that Parengyodontium album degrades UV-exposed polyethylene plastic in the ocean.
• This discovery highlights potential solutions for plastic pollution, emphasizing the need for further research on other marine plastic-degrading organisms.

Details

Key Points

• Microbial Hope:
  • Fungus Parengyodontium album can degrade polyethylene (PE)
• Sunlight Activation:
  • Degradation requires prior exposure to UV radiation.
• Oceanic Ecosystem:
  • Fungus resides with other marine microbes on oceanic plastic litter.
• Pollution Hotspot Focus:
  • Research conducted in North Pacific Ocean plastic pollution hotspots.
• Degradation Rate Assessment:
  • PE breakdown rate by the fungus is approximately 0.05% per day.
• Deeper Ocean Exploration:
  • Future research aims to find other plastic-degrading organisms in deeper ocean layers.
• Environmental Significance:
  • Significant for managing marine plastic pollution and environmental conservation.
• Subtropical Gyre Accumulation:
  • Highlights accumulation of plastic in subtropical gyres like the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Location:

• The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre is one of five major gyres in the world's oceans.
• It is a large region of slow-moving ocean currents located in the northern Pacific Ocean, roughly centred between Hawaii and California.

Currents:

• The gyre is formed by the convergence of several surface currents, including the Kuroshio Current, the North Pacific Current, the California Current, and the Easterly Current.
• These currents circulate clockwise due to the influence of the Coriolis effect.

Subtropical Convergence Zone:

• The centre of the gyre is characterized by a region of high pressure and stable weather conditions, with minimal wind and upwelling. This area is also known as the Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ).

Sources:

Laboratory Equipment

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. A recent discovery offers a glimmer of hope for managing plastic pollution in the oceans. This discovery is related to the ability of a specific fungus to degrade which type of plastic? a)Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) b)Polystyrene (PS) c)Polyethylene (PE) d)Polypropylene (PP) Answer: c)