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KAPASITAS LARVA BLACK SOLDIER FLY (Hermetia illucens Linnaeus, 1758) DALAM MENDEGRADASI LIMBAH ORGANIK YANG TERKONTAMINASI MIKROPLASTIK
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Indonesian researchers tested the ability of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae to degrade organic waste contaminated with polyethylene (PE) and PET microplastics. The larvae demonstrated measurable degradation of plastic-contaminated organic waste, suggesting a biologically-based approach to managing plastic-mixed organic waste.
The challenge of organic waste management in Indonesia lies in the mixture of organic waste and plastic waste, which accounts for 54.7%. This situation creates an urgency to utilize Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae to degrade organic waste contaminated with plastics, particularly Polyethylene (PE) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) types. The observed parameters included microscopic physical changes in microplastics, waste reduction (WR), efficiency of conversion of digested feed (ECD), and survival rate (SR). Microscopic observations showed that microplastics ingested by the larvae did not undergo physical shape changes, fragmentation, or surface degradation. Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA indicated that the addition of microplastics up to a concentration of 6% had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on WR, ECD, or SR. BSF larvae have the potential to serve as effective agents for reducing plastic-contaminated organic waste without significant mortality risk; however, proper handling of the residue (frass) is required since microplastics remain intact. For future research, the author suggests using smaller microplastic particle sizes to facilitate detection within the body, observing the effect of treatment duration on physical and chemical properties, and exploring specific activities within the digestive system of BSF larvae.
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