This is the key part:
Microorganisms in the worms' guts biodegrade the plastic in the process
The question is whether we can harness these bacteria to break down plastics in landfills.
Microorganisms in the worms' guts biodegrade the plastic in the process
The question is whether we can harness these bacteria to break down plastics in landfills.
One of the main reasons we use plastics is because they are great barriers against bacteria and other grossness. We wrap food in plastic, put dirty diapers and dog poop in plastic, put garbage in plastic, wrap raw meat in plastic, use plastic for medical equipment. All because it reliably keeps out (or in) the bad stuff.
What happens if there are plastic-eating bacteria all over the world? Imagine what it would feel like if everywhere we currently used plastic we were using uncoated paper instead? What kind of sanitization problems would we be experiencing?
Also, there are plenty of other things to hold food that can be used instead of plastic. I doubt sanitation would be the main problem.
To quote Aristotle: "Nature abhors a vacuum"
So I quit driving and I avoid styrofoam, etc. My hypothesis is that people with CF get these infections because we hang onto petrochemical residues greater than average. I want as little as possible to do with them. I have gradually gotten healthier.
Based on that, my guess is that if you do not have CF and do not have an inordinately high level of plastics/petrochemicals in your system, you are probably not at risk from microorganisms that biodegrade such things. For most humans, these microogarnisms are not dangerous. In fact, some of the infections that kill people with CF are incredibly common -- literally as common as dirt and found in dirt -- and are generally deemed harmless to normal humans.
However, do realize that common wisdom in alternative medicine groups (and South American tribal medicine men, etc) is that first the bad stuff has to come out. Kind of like with drug withdrawal, if this helps, it will get worse before it gets better. Much like drug withdrawal, that interim transition stage can be hellish.
I do consume sodas sold in 2 liter bottles. So I don't completely avoid all plastics. But I try like hell to avoid styrofoam and other soft plastics. When offered a choice at the deli, I ask for the hard plastic container instead of the styrofoam one.
/unsolicited advice
No, that's a very bad way to test your hypothesis. Assuming your goal is to really get to the root of a problem, you really shouldn't be allowing/asking individuals to test their ideas on themselves.
Have you spoken to doctors about your issues with plastics? It could very well be that your problem is to do with something else, but you're masking it by making premature assumptions based on what you think might be the cause. Perhaps even on faulty causal links that could do with some domain-knowledge, rather than guessing.
>"I have a form of cystic fibrosis. People with cystic fibrosis sometimes die from infections that normal people simply do not get. I looked up some of these infections, and some of them are used by scientists to biodegrade petrochemical spills because they eat petrochemicals. Plastics come from petrochemicals."
You self-diagnosed based on what appears to be a rather shaky link. And it appeared like you were suggesting to the other person to do the same for their condition because of an argument that appears to look like this:
P1. "People with cystic fibrosis sometimes die from infections a,b,c" P2. "Some of the a,b,c 'infections' are used by scientist to biodegrade petrochemical spills" P3. "Plastics come from petrochemicals" P4. "People with CF hang on to petrochemicals (why? because of their condition?)" C1. Therefore plastics make cystic fibrosis worse. or C2. Avoiding plastics makes cystic fibrosis symptoms better.
Either way, shaky links means assumptions are being made. Rather seek medical attention, or at the very least read the literature regarding any causal links between these things.
Then someone with psoriasis said they think plastics may be an issue for them. Suggesting someone reduce their exposure to a thing they think they are reacting negatively to is the most conservative suggestion you can make. It is a basic first step that does not require consulting a physician first to make that decision for yourself. Such a suggestion does not preclude them also seeking medical attention. Nor does it preclude them from reading up further.
You are making an issue out of absolutely nothing. You are also butting into my choices about how I take care of myself and asking me to justify them to you, which is incredibly inappropriate. I don't owe you an explanation or justification and commenting on my anecdotal experience related to the topic of styrofoam and microbes was in no way an invitation for people to insert themselves into my life in that manner.
So, I am done here. I would appreciate it if you would let it go.
Sorry, didn't mean to upset you. I'll just leave it.
Or I should say lignin was once like plastic. Nothing could break it down, and huge coal formations were formed because of it.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mushroom-evolution...
But, nothing lasts forever. There will come a day when plastics can be broken down much more easily than they are now.
Probably what it feels like now when people predominantly use paper bags and paper wrap. Plastic is great, material-wise, but it's hardly our single defense against health problems.
Instead of uncoated paper, what about waxed paper? It's impermeable on a reasonably long timescale, and is fully biodegradable too.
Personally, the inertness of plastics really suggests recycling and reusing; it's somewhat sad that we've invented materials that can last almost forever, and yet so many people are treating them as disposable and creating waste in the process.
Also, don't forget what the clearcoat is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene#Biodegradation "... rates of styrene degradation ranged from 0.14 to 0.4 a−1. This is an order of magnitude faster than the most rapid rate of polystyrene degradation identified... Pseudomonas putida is capable of converting styrene oil into the biodegradable plastic PHA. This may be of use in the effective recycling of Polystyrene foam, otherwise thought to be non-biodegradable."
[1] http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/fundamentals/biology_anaer...
Though I swear they were well coordinated...
Admittedly, that is being a bit pedantic, the question would still seem to hold if you were talking about traditional waste dumps, I have no idea about the environmental makeup of those. Although my understanding is that the number of dumps, in the U.S. at least, has dramatically decreased of the last few decades.