Researchers have identified a new bacterium that feeds on polyurethane, a kind of plastic that is difficult to recycle or destroy.
研究人員發現了一種以聚氨酯為食的新細菌，聚氨酯是一種很難回收或 被破壞的塑料。
Scientists say the discovery could help reduce a flood of hard-to-recycle plastics that are ending up in the world's landfills and polluting oceans.
科學家表示，這一發現可能有助於減少大量難以回收的塑料，這些塑料最終被填埋在世界各地，汙染海洋。
A team from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, found the new strain of soil bacteria.
德國萊比錫亥姆霍茲環境研究中心的一個小組發現了這種新的土壤細菌。
It was identified in an area that contained a large amount of plastic waste.
這種細菌是在一個有大量塑料垃圾的地區發現的。
The team discovered the bacteria were feeding on polyurethane diol, a substance widely used in many different products.
該小組發現，這些細菌以聚氨酯二醇為食，聚氨酯二醇是一種被廣泛應用於許多不同產品中的物質。
The researchers estimated that in 2015, polyurethane made up 3.5 million tons of Europe's plastics.
研究人員估計，2015年， 歐洲350萬噸塑料由聚氨酯製成。
One problem is that recycling polyurethane requires a lot of energy.
但問題之一在於，回收聚氨酯需要大量的能量。
The plastic material does not melt when heated.
這種塑料材料加熱時不會熔化。
Most polyurethane-based products end up in landfills, where they can release dangerous chemicals.
大多數聚氨酯製成的產品最終會被填埋，在土壤中會釋，放出危險的化學物質。
The team found that the bacterium, identified as Pseudomonas putida, can produce enzymes that eat away at polyurethanes.
該小組發現，這種被鑑定為惡臭假單胞菌的細菌能夠產生吞噬聚氨酯的酶。
This would make it possible to break down the material in the environment.
這將使在環境中分解這種材料成為可能。
The results were recently reported in a study in the publication Frontiers in Microbiology.
研究結果最近發表在《微生物學前沿》雜誌上。
Hermann Heipieper helped write the report.
赫爾曼.海派珀協助撰寫了這份報告。
He said in a statement the finding "represents an important step in being able to reuse hard-to-recycle (polyurethane) products."
他在一份聲明中表示，這一發現「代表著在再利用難回收(聚氨酯)產品方面邁出了重要的一步。」
The research is part of a European Union program that seeks to find useful microorganisms.
這項研究是歐盟尋找有用微生物計劃的一部分。
The goal is to identify living things that can help turn oil-based plastics into substances that can be broken down biologically.
他們的目標是找出能夠將油基塑料轉化為生物降解物質的生物。
Similar experiments have been carried out in the past.
過去也進行過類似的實驗。
In 2011, Yale University students discovered a fungus that could feed on polyurethane plastic even in a place without air, like at the bottom of a landfill.
2011年，耶魯大學的學生發現了-種真菌，即使在沒有空氣的地方，比如垃圾填埋場底部，也能以聚氨酯塑料為食。
Since then, scientists around the world have identified other kinds of fungi that can break down polyurethane.
從那時起，世界各地的科學家已經發現了能夠分解聚氨酯的其他種類的真菌。
In 2017, a team of scientists identified a fungus that can feed on plastic by breaking down the main chemicals holding it together.
2017年，一個科學家團隊發現了一種以塑料為食的真菌，它能分解塑料中的主要化學物質。
The German study noted that plastic-eating bacteria could be easily controlled and produced for industrial use.
德國研究指出，食用塑料的細菌可以很容易地控制和生產，從而被用於工業用途。
The researchers said the next step is to identify more information about the bacterial enzymes that can break down polyurethane.
研究人員說，下一步是確認更多關於能夠分解聚氨酯的細菌酶的信息。
Some scientists advise against introducing man-made enzymes or microorganisms into the environment that could be harmful.
一些科學家建議不要將人造酶或微生物引入環境中，否則可能會對環境造成危害。
Scientist Douglas Rader wrote about the issue in a 2018 article for the Environmental Defense Fund.
科學家道格拉斯.雷德在2018年為環境保護基金組織撰寫的一篇文章中談到了這個問題。
He said much more study should be carried out to learn about "the complex relationships between plastics and marine ecosystems.
他說，應該開展更多的研究來了解「塑料和海洋生態系統之間的複雜關係」。
Such research is needed "before we can take drastic action such as" putting plastic-eating bacteria into the ocean, Rader wrote.
在我們採取諸如將食用塑料的細菌引入海洋「這樣的極端行動之前」，這些研究是必要的，雷德寫道。
The group Plastic Oceans International reports that scientists estimate more than 8 million tons of plastic are thrown into the world's oceans every year.
國際塑料海洋組織報告稱，科學家估計每年有超過800萬噸的塑料被扔進世界各地的海洋。
An estimated 300 million tons of plastic is produced yearly worldwide.
據估計，全世界每年生產3億噸塑料。
Plastic Oceans International says about half of that amount is created for one use only.
國際塑料海洋組織表示，其中大約一半為一次性使用製造。