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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IJLTEMAS</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>International Journal of Latest Technology in Engineering, Management &amp; Applied Science (IJLTEMAS)</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">IJLTEMAS</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2278-2540</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>IJLTEMAS</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <!-- IDs -->
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">54</article-id>
            <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150700049</article-id>
      
      <!-- Categories -->
            <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Harnessing</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      
      <!-- Title -->
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Insects That Eat Plastic: Harnessing the Power of Kenyan Mealworms to Combat Environmental Pollution</article-title>
      </title-group>

      <!-- Authors -->
      <contrib-group>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>G.</surname>
            <given-names>Renuka.</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Department of Microbiology, Pingle Govt College for Women, Hanumakonda                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>Devi. U</surname>
            <given-names>Anitha</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Department of Botany, IPDGC for Women, Namapally, Hyderabad                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>G</surname>
            <given-names>Odelu.</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Department of Botany, Government Degree College Huzurabad                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>T</surname>
            <given-names>Ugandhar</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Department of Botany, Kakatiya Govt College (A), Hanumakonda                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
              </contrib-group>

      <!-- Volume / Issue / Pages -->
            <volume>15</volume>
                  <issue>7</issue>
                        <fpage>597</fpage>
            <lpage>600</lpage>
            
      <!-- Dates -->
      <history>
                <date date-type="received">
          <day>26</day>
          <month>07</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
                        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>31</day>
          <month>07</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
              </history>

            <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>08</day>
        <month>08</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      
      <!-- DOI Self-URI -->
            <self-uri xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150700049"/>
      
      <!-- Keywords -->
            <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
                <kwd>Plastic pollution</kwd>
                <kwd>polystyrene biodegradation</kwd>
                <kwd>Tenebrio molitor</kwd>
                <kwd>enzymatic breakdown</kwd>
                <kwd>eco-friendly waste management</kwd>
                <kwd>environmental sustainability</kwd>
                <kwd>biological recycling.</kwd>
              </kwd-group>
      
    </article-meta>
  </front>

  <!-- ============================================================ BODY (Abstract) -->
  <body>
        <sec>
      <title>Abstract</title>
      <p>Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to environmental health and sustainability, necessitating innovative solutions for its mitigation. Recent research by New York scientists highlights the potential of Kenyan mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) in addressing this challenge. These mealworms possess enzymes capable of breaking down polystyrene, a commonly used and persistent form of plastic, into digestible components. This discovery opens a promising avenue for eco-friendly waste management and recycling strategies. Furthermore, Kenyan mealworms exhibit prolonged lifespans, enhancing their utility in long-term biodegradation efforts.
The study emphasises the need for further investigation into the enzymatic pathways and metabolic mechanisms underpinning this biodegradation process. Scaling up this approach could revolutionise global waste management practices, potentially integrating mealworm farming into existing recycling systems. Additionally, understanding the environmental and ecological impacts of deploying such biological agents on a large scale will be critical to ensuring sustainability.
This breakthrough not only provides a potential solution to plastic pollution but also underscores the broader role of insects in environmental conservation and waste management. Continued interdisciplinary research into these organisms could pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future.</p>
    </sec>
      </body>

  <!-- ============================================================ BACK (References) -->
    <back>
    <ref-list>
      <title>References</title>
            <ref id="ref1">
        <label>1</label>
        <mixed-citation>Brandon, A. M., Gao, S. H., Tian, R., et al. (2018). Biodegradation of polystyrene by intestinal microbiota of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) assisted by plant-based dietary fibers. Environmental Science &amp; Technology, 52(11), 6415–6423.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref2">
        <label>2</label>
        <mixed-citation>Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. R., &amp; Law, K. L. (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances, 3(7), e1700782.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref3">
        <label>3</label>
        <mixed-citation>Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., et al. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science, 347(6223), 768–771.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref4">
        <label>4</label>
        <mixed-citation>Peng, B.-Y., Su, Y., Chen, Z., et al. (2020). Biodegradation of polystyrene by darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor) larvae: A sustainable approach for waste management. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 384, 121271.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref5">
        <label>5</label>
        <mixed-citation>Peng, X., Chen, X., Wang, J., et al. (2021). Insights into microbial degradation of plastics in mealworms: Enzymes, pathways, and bioenergetics. Environmental Research, 195, 110843.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref6">
        <label>6</label>
        <mixed-citation>Yang, Y., Yang, J., Wu, W.-M., Zhao, J., &amp; Jiang, L. (2015). Evidence of polystyrene biodegradation by mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) via gut microbiome. Environmental Science &amp; Technology, 49(20), 12087–12093.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
          </ref-list>
  </back>
  
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