A new safe plastic that is biodegradable in soil, land and water is being developed by Murdoch University in the fight to curb microplastic pollution.

MU Bioplastics Innovation Hub scientist and lead Joseph Boctor said his team is “reprogramming and re-teaching” bacteria to replace synthetic plastics.

“We are getting certain bacteria to produce certain types of polymers that resemble the characteristics of synthetic plastics and…unlike synthetic plastics, they don’t harm the environment and they don’t stay for long,” Mr Boctor said.

Mr Boctor said the goal of developing this natural plastic in the lab is to combat two issues with microplastics: chemical additives and pathway blockages.

Mr Boctor said chemical additives can disrupt endocrine functions and impact sexual health.

While plastics are generally considered “inert”, microplastics can accumulate in tissues causing inflammation and health issues.

“Research has found a lot of patients with arterial plaques that have microplastics in these plaques and they have bad prognosis and higher mortality chances,” he said.

“This (microplastics blocking pathways) also applies to plants”.

It can have an impact on crop yields as it prevents plants from taking up nutrients from the soil, he said.

One of the things that introduces microplastics to the soil is organic fertilisers.

We think of organic fertilisers as eco-friendly, however, some fertilisers are introducing microplastics to the soil, he said.

By solving a problem, we are introducing another, Mr Boctor said.

He said that while the future impact of microplastics is worrying with effective communication, the issue can be fought.

“By being more aware, we can shape the narrative,” Mr Boctor said.

The scientist used the example of lead fuel. Once the problem was realised the lead was removed from everyday use.

“The shift in the narrative happened when the public became aware of the issue,” he said.

By being more aware, we can all take steps to minimise the global risk.