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Plastic eaters

THERE may finally be an answer to disposing off the scourge of environment: plastics. Researchers at the National institute of Bioscience and Human Technology in Japan have homed in on wro bacteria that decompose polyvinyl allcohol (PvA) and polylactic acid.

PvA is used in textile mills largely to prevent fibres from fraying. It is unpopWar with environmentalists because it does not decompose naturally, though can easily be washed away. The new found bacteria discovered in collabo sedan with chemical producer Rakuto K&sei Industrial Co provides an ideal ionswer to dealing with PVA because Illwy can completely decompose it in ancentrations of 0.2 per cent in merely four days. Polylactic acid is less environmentally belligerent and is best tackled IV the second new bacteria, discovered Jaiinfly with researchers from the 8nWersity of Tsukuba, which can demmi4xise 30 per cent of it in four days.