A chilling new discovery has upended everything we thought we knew about the safety of medical plastics. Scientists have found that Pseudomonas aeruginosa—a hospital superbug already infamous for resisting antibiotics—isn’t just surviving on plastic surfaces. It’s eating them.
Yes, you read that right. Researchers at Brunel University London discovered that this deadly bacterium can digest polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable plastic used in sutures, stents, surgical mesh, and more. The culprit? A single enzyme, nicknamed Pap1, which broke down 78% of a plastic film in just one week. And the bacteria didn’t just survive—they thrived, using the broken plastic as food and building stronger, more drug-resistant biofilms.
This finding shatters the long-held belief that medical plastics are inert and safe from microbial degradation. In reality, they might be fueling infections—literally feeding the very microbes that cause deadly complications like catheter-related UTIs and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Worse, similar enzymes have been spotted in other ICU-dwelling bacteria, suggesting this isn’t an isolated problem. Plastics in the operating room, IV lines, and dental implants could be potential targets.
Hospitals urgently need to rethink sterilization, surveillance, and materials used in patient care. Cleaning surfaces won’t cut it if pathogens are burrowing into the plastics we rely on. And patients with long-term implants? They may face higher risks than anyone knew.
The takeaway is stark: hospital plastics may not be passive components—they may be the meal. Medical science must catch up—and fast—before this quiet threat turns into a full-blown crisis.
