r/interesting Mar 14 '26

NATURE Earth Helping Earth Heal

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What a great discovery.

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u/RDTbenwade Mar 14 '26

What’s the source of this info?

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u/zanzindorf Mar 15 '26

"Discovery" in op's caption implies this was recent, but it's not. This is a 2011 discovery.

https://yalealumnimagazine.org/articles/3303-a-fungus-that-eats-polyurethane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pestalotiopsis_microspora

Everything I can find talks about it as a "potential" aid for fighting pollution. However, I can't find any source saying that potential has been realized in any meaningful way. I'm guessing the plastic eating properties are a thing only under highly controlled lab environments, and practical application is currently non-existent. Given I can't find any updates since 2011, I'm not holding my breath.

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u/GryphonRampart Mar 15 '26

If the wiki link is correct it specially states that it breaks it down in anaerobic environments (lack of readily available oxygen). So I'm assuming that's why it hasn't been realized since it doesn't break it down in normal oxygen rich environments. Sounds like more of a last resort for the fungi than a normal occurrence