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Comparative fate and risk of microplastics in sanitary landfills versus open dumping sites: A multidimensional assessment framework.
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Researchers compared microplastic pollution at a managed sanitary landfill and an open dumping site in East China. The sanitary landfill had higher microplastic levels buried deep in soil and waste, while the open dumping site showed more contamination and higher ecological risk in surrounding soils, suggesting the two disposal methods need different pollution control approaches.
Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are critical terrestrial reservoirs of microplastics (MPs), yet how disposal methodology governs MP fate remains poorly constrained, hindering accurate risk assessment and management. Here, we systematically compared MP pollution between an engineered sanitary landfill (SL) and an open dumping site (OD) in East China through field investigation and laboratory simulation. We analyzed spatial distribution, physicochemical characteristics, and release potential of MPs, and developed a novel Index (MDAI) that integrates soil species sensitivity distribution (SSD), abundance, size, shape, and polymer hazard to assess ecological risk. Results revealed that MP abundance in SL (5340-12,670 particles/kg soil) markedly exceeded that in OD (2100-5620 particles/kg soil), with SL exhibiting a distinct vertical accumulation gradient absent in OD. MP abundance on plastic waste were substantially higher, reaching 29,740 particles/kg plastic on deeply buried SL plastics. MPs in SL were predominantly small-sized fragments and films dominated by polypropylene, whereas OD contained more fibers and medium-sized fragments dominated by polyethylene. Surrounding soils of the OD showed higher MP levels and extremely high potential ecological risk (PERI), whereas those of the SL exhibited only Level III risk. Plastic waste from both sites demonstrated ongoing MP release potential, most pronounced for deeply buried SL waste. The MDAI indicated a higher comprehensive risk within SL (Level III) versus moderate but spatially dispersed risk around OD (Level II). This spatial disparity highlights distinct management priorities: for SL, ensuring long-term containment to prevent release of internally accumulated MPs; for OD, implementing immediate source control and migration barriers to limit off-site dispersion. This study provides a critical, multidimensional framework for assessing and managing MP pollution from these predominant waste disposal pathways.
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Researchers traced the sources of microplastic contamination in and around a municipal landfill in Thailand, finding that landfill decomposition is a significant contributor of microplastics to the surrounding environment. The study suggests that better waste management practices at landfills could help reduce microplastic pollution in nearby soil and water systems.
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Investigating the amount of macro, meso, and microplastics in the surface soil around the landfill of Tabriz and the effect of the prevailing wind on their distribution
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Researchers sampled soil around an improperly managed landfill in Tabriz, Iran, finding it heavily contaminated with microplastics — averaging 470 particles per kilogram of dry soil — along with larger meso- and macroplastic debris. Surprisingly, the prevailing wind had little influence on how the microplastics spread around the site; the pollution was widespread in all directions. Open and poorly managed landfills are a significant and underappreciated source of microplastic contamination in surrounding soils and communities.
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