Environmental pollution due to plastic is becoming a concentration, drawing
concern throughout the world. The wax moth larvae possess the potential for
biodegradation of different types of plastic with or without the involvement of the
intestinal microbiome in the larval gut. Similarly, mealworms and Tenebrio molitor
have been reported to cause the degradation of polyethene and polystyrene mixtures.
According to scientific literature, superworms such as Zophobas atratus can cause
polystyrene degradation. The plastic is biodegradable with many bacterial genera,
including Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Stenotrophomonas, Rhodococcus, Staphylococcus,
Streptomyces, Bacillus, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and others. A few
other invertebrates with complex gut microbiomes also possess this property of plastic
biodegradation.
Keywords: Plastic degradation, The wax moth.
