Microbes as Solutions to Plastic and CO₂ Pollution
This short discussion paper examines two microbial approaches to addressing major environmental pollution problems. First, it considers plastic-eating bacteria — as described by Morgan Vague — as a potential tool for combating plastic pollution in heavily contaminated environments such as oceans. Second, it explores cyanobacteria's photosynthetic capacity to capture and convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into bioproducts, offering a biological strategy for reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. Drawing on sources from UNEP, NOAA, and peer-reviewed microbiology literature, the paper argues that these microbial solutions could complement existing environmental remediation strategies.
- The Problem of Plastic Pollution and Microbial Solutions: Plastic-eating bacteria as ocean remediation tool
- Carbon Dioxide Pollution and the Role of Cyanobacteria: Cyanobacteria harnessed to reduce atmospheric CO₂
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper efficiently pairs each environmental problem with a specific microbial solution, creating a clear cause-and-effect structure within a very short format.
- It integrates credible sources — including a UN environmental body, a NOAA climate resource, and a peer-reviewed microbiology journal — to support its claims.
- The writing remains focused and avoids tangents, making good use of limited word count to cover two distinct topics coherently.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of direct quotation combined with paraphrase: key claims are introduced with cited quotations to establish authority, then followed by the student's own synthesis and application. This technique shows engagement with sources rather than mere summary.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into two parallel paragraphs, each addressing one pollution problem (plastic waste, then CO₂) and its corresponding microbial solution (plastic-eating bacteria, then cyanobacteria). A references list follows in APA format. This compact, two-part structure suits the short discussion paper format at the undergraduate level.
The Problem of Plastic Pollution and Microbial Solutions
Unlike other materials, plastic is not biodegradable and can leach chemicals when exposed to heat (UNEP, 2022). As a result, plastic "pollution chokes marine wildlife, damages soil and poisons groundwater, and can cause serious health impacts" (UNEP, 2022). For this reason, the kind of microbe described by Morgan Vague in her TED talk could be a practical solution to the problem of plastic pollution (TED, 2019). These bacteria could be deployed in locations heavily polluted with plastic waste — such as our oceans — where they would effectively break down that waste, complementing other strategies aimed at addressing the plastic pollution crisis.
References
Lindsey, R. (2023). Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide. NOAA. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide
TED (2019, June 24). These bacteria eat plastic | Morgan Vague [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbW4XWkJC6w
United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP (2023). Everything you need to know about plastic pollution. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/everything-you-need-know-about-plastic-pollution
Zhang, A., Carroll, A. L., & Atsumi, S. (2017). Carbon recycling by cyanobacteria: improving CO₂ fixation through chemical production. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 364(16), 98–105.
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