Editing Polystyrene (section)

===Organisms===
Polystyrene is generally considered to be non-biodegradable. However, certain organisms are able to degrade it, albeit very slowly.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ho |first1=Ba Thanh |last2=Roberts |first2=Timothy K. |last3=Lucas |first3=Steven |title=An overview on biodegradation of polystyrene and modified polystyrene: the microbial approach |journal=Critical Reviews in Biotechnology |date=August 2017 |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=308–320 |doi=10.1080/07388551.2017.1355293|pmid=28764575 |s2cid=13417812 }}</ref>

In 2015, researchers discovered that [[mealworm]]s, the larvae form of the darkling beetle ''Tenebrio molitor'', could digest and subsist healthily on a diet of EPS.<ref name="news.stanford.edu">{{cite web |title=Plastic-eating worms may offer solution to mounting waste, Stanford researchers discover |author=Jordan, R. |date=29 September 2015 |url=http://news.stanford.edu/pr/2015/pr-worms-digest-plastics-092915.html |website=Stanford News Service |publisher=Stanford University |access-date=4 January 2017 |archive-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108134659/https://news.stanford.edu/pr/2015/pr-worms-digest-plastics-092915.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="mealworms">{{cite journal |vauthors = Yang Y, Yang J, Wu WM, Zhao J, Song Y, Gao L, Yang R, Jiang L |title = Biodegradation and Mineralization of Polystyrene by Plastic-Eating Mealworms: Part 1. Chemical and Physical Characterization and Isotopic Tests |journal = Environmental Science & Technology |volume = 49 |issue = 20 |pages = 12080–6 |date = October 2015 |pmid = 26390034 |doi = 10.1021/acs.est.5b02661 |bibcode = 2015EnST...4912080Y }}</ref> About 100 mealworms could consume between 34 and 39 milligrams of this white foam in a day. The droppings of mealworm were found to be safe for use as soil for crops.<ref name="news.stanford.edu"/>

In 2016, it was also reported that superworms (''[[Zophobas morio]]'') may eat expanded polystyrene (EPS).<ref>{{cite web |title=Think you can't compost styrofoam? Mealworms are the answer! |url=http://livingearthsystems.com/mealworms-compost-styrofoam/ |publisher=Living Earth Systems |website=Blog |date= 2016-10-08|access-date=4 January 2017}}</ref> A group of high school students in [[Ateneo de Manila University]] found that compared to ''Tenebrio molitor'' larvae, ''Zophobas morio'' larvae may consume greater amounts of EPS over longer periods of time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Aumentado |first1=Dominic |title=A Comparative Study of the Efficacy of ''Tenebrio molitor'' Larvae and ''Zophobas morio'' Larvae as Degradation Agents of Expanded Polystyrene Foam |website=Academia |url=https://www.academia.edu/43122081}}{{primary source inline|date=September 2020}}</ref>

In 2022 scientists identified several bacterial genera, including ''[[Pseudomonas]]'', ''[[Rhodococcus]]'' and ''[[Corynebacterium]]'',  in the gut of superworms that contain encoded enzymes associated with the degradation of polystyrene and the breakdown product styrene.<ref name="Sun et al. 2022">{{cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=Jiarui |last2=Prabhu |first2=Apoorva |last3=Aroney |first3=Samuel T. N. |last4=Christian |first4=Rinke |title=Insights into plastic biodegradation: community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials |journal=Microbial Genomics |date=2022 |volume=8 |issue=6 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.1099/mgen.0.000842 |doi-access=free |pmid=35678705 |pmc=9455710 }}</ref>

The bacterium ''[[Pseudomonas putida]]'' is capable of converting [[styrene]] oil into the [[biodegradable plastic]] [[Polyhydroxyalkanoates|PHA]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Roy |first=Robert |url=http://www.livescience.com/technology/060307_styrofoam_cup.html |title=Immortal Polystyrene Foam Meets its Enemy |publisher=LiveScience |date=2006-03-07 |access-date=2019-01-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Ward PG, Goff M, Donner M, Kaminsky W, O'Connor KE |title = A two step chemo-biotechnological conversion of polystyrene to a biodegradable thermoplastic |journal = Environmental Science & Technology |volume = 40 |issue = 7 |pages = 2433–7 |date = April 2006 | pmid = 16649270 |doi = 10.1021/es0517668 |bibcode = 2006EnST...40.2433W }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Biello |first1=David |title=Bacteria Turn Styrofoam into Biodegradable Plastic |journal=Scientific American |date=27 February 2006 |url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bacteria-turn-styrofoam-i/}}</ref> This may someday be of use in the effective disposing of polystyrene foam. It is worthy to note the polystyrene must undergo pyrolysis to turn into styrene oil.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}