Abstract

Polystyrene (PS), a major contributor to plastic pollution, is non-biodegradable and widely produced. However, Tenebrio molitor larvae (mealworms) can degrade plastics, including PS, making them ideal for this study. This research is one of the few to offer a daily assessment of PS degradation rates and describes the kinetic profile (equation) of degradation. We assessed daily degradation rates and described the kinetic profiles. A Hill 1 equation best fit the supplemented diet, while the non-supplemented diet followed a two-phase exponential decay function. Larvae on the supplemented diet degraded 50.77 +/- 2.62 % of PS, compared to 24.66 +/- 5.79 % on pure PS. Physicochemical analyses revealed significant changes in PS after contact with larvae. Thermogravimetric analysis showed maximum degradation temperatures near 350 degrees C for both samples, with a slight difference of 14 degrees C. Infrared spectroscopy identified new chemical groups, and contact angles increased from 69.7 degrees to 120.7 degrees in exposed PS, indicating alterations. Zeta potential also rose in PS exposed to larvae. A 30-day viability study showed no significant differences in survival between groups. However, larvae fed wheat bran or supplemented diets had only 0.5 % mortality, whereas 17.5 % of those without food died. These findings highlight that a supplemented diet enhances PS biodegradation by more than two-fold (2.06). Plastic alone lacks sufficient nutrients for T. molitor larvae development, limiting their biodegradation capacity.