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I very much doubt that even if there are "bacteria feeding on that great 
plastic mass in the Pacific" they will have much effect on the "sargaso 
sea." But perhaps someone who has better quantitative (and geographical) 
information than I do can address this.

Bill Silvert

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pay_the_Piper" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 5:04 PM
Subject: Re: Plastic-eating bacteria in the ocean?


> I did not suggest that. I merely asked if a new ecosystem was being 
> generated in which micro-organisms are living on this plastic sargaso sea.
>
> PtP
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Silvert" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 8:58 AM
> Subject: Re: Plastic-eating bacteria in the ocean?
>
>> There are bacteria that will eat almost anything, but I have never heard 
>> it suggsted that they are abundant enough to cope with all the plastic 
>> waste in the sea. If there were a bacterium capable of doing this, it 
>> would already be hard at work in the landfills of the world. Plastic in 
>> the sea is less concentrated than in landfills.
>>
>> Also, I have no idea of what these bacteria turn plastic into.
>>
>> I suspect that the bacteria that PtP refers to will prove to raise more 
>> problems than they solve.
>>
>> Bill Silvert
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Pay_the_Piper" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 4:49 PM
>> Subject: Plastic-eating bacteria in the ocean?
>>
>>
>>> Last night's ReGenesis tv program dealt with a bacterium which was 
>>> eating through plastic wire coatings.
>>>
>>> Are there bacteria feeding on that great plastic mass in the Pacific and 
>>> forming a new ecosystem and food chain?
>>>
>>> PtP

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