UPSC Civil Services Model Paper 3

● It is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fibre for engineering resins.
● Statement 1: At least one species of bacterium in the genus Nocardia can degrade PET with an esterase enzyme.
◦ Japanese scientists have isolated a bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis that possesses two enzymes which can break down the PET into smaller pieces that the bacterium can digest.
● Statement 2: Manufacturing PET resin generates more toxic emissions (nickel, ethyl benzene, ethylene oxide, benzene) than manufacturing glass .
◦ Producing a 16 oz. PET bottle generates more than 100 times the toxic emissions to air and water than making the same size bottle out of glass.