| ▲ | Terr_ 4 days ago | |
If you mean this particular thing because it involves compounds [0][1] with nitrogen and phosphorous, then I agree it's a valid concern to look at. However for existing plastics in general--mostly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen--it's less of an issue. Just because a material can be metabolized doesn't necessarily mean it's a rich source of energy, or that the chemicals in it will unlock some limiting-factor that was holding back a population-boom. Just to prove it's possible, consider lignin, another C/H/O polymer and the core component of wood. It was ecologically un-digestible for a long time until something (fungi) evolved to dismantle it efficiently. Yet even now, its breakdown is a slow, low-margin process that occurs in the background. ____ Side note: The long delay between the evolution of trees and the evolution of something to eat wood has been suggested as a cause of coal formation, but it is disputed. [2] [0] https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hexasodium-hexamet... [1] https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Guanidinium-sulpha... | ||