Biodegradation of Polystyrene Waste using Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Larvae as a Sustainable Waste Management Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/jese.v5i2.25188Abstract
Styrofoam is widely used as packaging for food, drinks and electronic goods. Usually stirofoam is only used once and thrown away. Styrofoam causes environmental problems, so efforts are needed to degrade it. Using larvae Tenebrio molitor is expected to be an innovative and environmentally friendly solution. The larval stage is used because larvae require large amounts of food for their growth. The larvae's food consists of organic waste such as fruit, vegetables, leaves, rice and others. In fact, stirofoam is considered organic waste because it is made from petroleum which contains hydrocarbons. T. molitor were chosen because they are not consumed by humans. This research aims to analyze the ability of T. molitor to be biodegradation agents for stirofoam. The research stages include cultivating T. molitor for 30 days and analysis which includes viability analysis and larval content using FTIR. The research method used is an experimental method with quantitative data collection. The results of the study showed that even though there was chewing activity, there was no stirofoam content in the bodies of T. molitor.
References
Boschi, A., Scieuzo, C., Salvia, R., Arias, C. F., Perez, R. P., Bertocchini, F., & Falabella, P. (2024). Beyond Microbial Biodegradation: Plastic Degradation by Galleria mellonella. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 32(5), 2158–2177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-023-03084-6.
Bożek, M., Hanus-Lorenz, B., & Rybak, J. (n.d.). The studies on waste biodegradation by Tenebrio molitor.
Campanale, C., Massarelli, C., Savino, I., Locaputo, V., & Uricchio, V. F. (2020). A detailed review study on potential effects of microplastics and additives of concern on human health. In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (Vol. 17, Issue 4). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041212.
Choi, D., Jung, S., Tsang, Y. F., Song, H., Moon, D. H., & Kwon, E. E. (2022). Sustainable valorization of styrofoam and CO2 into syngas. Science of the Total Environment, 834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155384.
Dimassi, S. N., Hahladakis, J. N., Yahia, M. N. D., Ahmad, M. I., Sayadi, S., & Al-Ghouti, M. A. (2022). Degradation-fragmentation of marine plastic waste and their environmental implications: A critical review. In Arabian Journal of Chemistry (Vol. 15, Issue 11). Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104262.
Hadiyanto, H., Haris, A., Muhammad, F., Afiati, N., & Khoironi, A. (2021). Interaction between styrofoam and microalgae Spirulina platensis in brackish water system. Toxics, 9 (3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics9030043.
Jiang, S., Su, T., Zhao, J., & Wang, Z. (2021). Biodegradation of polystyrene by tenebrio molitor, galleria mellonella, and zophobas atratus larvae and comparison of their degradation effects. Polymers, 13(20). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13203539.
Kamaludin, A., Iqbal, M., Kahar, K., & Aripin, S. (2025). Effect of varying weight of me
alworms (Tenebrio molitor L.) on styrofoam degradation. Environmental Health Engineering and Management, 12. https://doi.org/10.34172/EHEM.1385.
Nakatani, H., Yamaura, Y., Mizuno, Y., Motokucho, S., Dao, A. T. N., & Nakahara, H. (2024). Biodegradation Mechanism of Polystyrene by Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and Nutrients Influencing Their Growth. Polymers, 16(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16121632.
Nukmal, N., Umar, S., Amanda, S. P., & Kanedi, M. (2018). Effect of styrofoam waste feeds on the growth, development and fecundity of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor). OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences, 18 (1), 24–28. https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2018.24.28
Park, J. W., Kim, M., Kim, S. Y., Bae, J., & Kim, T. J. (2023). Biodegradation of polystyrene by intestinal symbiotic bacteria isolated from mealworms, the larvae of Tenebrio molitor. Heliyon, 9(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17352.
Peña-Pascagaza, P. M., López-Ramírez, N. A., & Ballen-Segura, M. A. (2020). Tenebrio molitor and its gut bacteria growth in polystyrene (PS) presence as the sole source carbon. Universitas Scientiarum, 25(1), 37–53. https://doi.org/10.11144/JAVERIANA.SC25-1.TMAI.
Phelan, A. A., Ross, H., Setianto, N. A., Fielding, K., & Pradipta, L. (2020). Ocean plastic crisis—Mental models of plastic pollution from remote Indonesian coastal communities. PLoS ONE, 15(7 July). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236149.
Putra, I. L. I., & Ma’rufah, N. (2022). Degradation Rate of Several Plastics Type Using Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) and Germany Superworm (Zophobas atratus F.). 23(1).
Rumbos, C. I., & Athanassiou, C. G. (2021). The superworm, zophobas morio (Coleoptera:Tenebrionidae): A ‘sleeping giant’ in nutrient sources. Journal of Insect Science, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieab014.
Sun, J., Prabhu, A., Aroney, S. T. N., & Rinke, C. (2022). Insights into plastic biodegradation: Community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials. Microbial Genomics, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000842.
Verma, R., Vinoda, K. S., Papireddy, M., & Gowda, A. N. S. (2016). Toxic Pollutants from Plastic Waste- A Review. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 35, 701–708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2016.07.069.
Yang, S. S., Ding, M. Q., Zhang, Z. R., Ding, J., Bai, S. W., Cao, G. L., Zhao, L., Pang, J. W., Xing, D. F., Ren, N. Q., & Wu, W. M. (2021). Confirmation of biodegradation of low-density polyethylene in dark- versus yellow- mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio obscurus versus Tenebrio molitor) via. gut microbe-independent depolymerization. Science of the Total Environment, 789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147915.
Yang, Y., Wang, J., & Xia, M. (2020). Biodegradation and mineralization of polystyrene by plastic-eating superworms Zophobas atratus. Science of the Total Environment, 708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135233.
Zahrah, Y., Yu, J., & Liu, X. (2024). How Indonesia’s Cities Are Grappling with Plastic Waste: An Integrated Approach towards Sustainable Plastic Waste Management. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16103921.
