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Extraction and characterization of microplastics in biomined good earth fractions: assessment of urban and suburban landfill sites, India
Summary
Researchers extracted and characterized microplastics from biomined landfill materials at five sites in West Bengal, India, finding concentrations ranging from 11,500 to 34,500 particles per kilogram. The most common types were fragments, films, and fibers, with HDPE and LDPE as the primary polymers, though some sites had elevated hazard levels due to the presence of PVC. The study highlights the need for standardized methods to assess microplastic contamination in landfill-derived materials before they are reused in development projects.
The sustainability of biomined landfill sites mainly depends on the profitable valorisation of landfill mined wastes based on the physical and chemical properties of the materials. This study focuses on the extraction, concentration, and characterization of microplastics (MPs) as an emergent pollutant in biomined good earth fractions derived from five landfill sites in West Bengal, India: Baruipur, Dhapa, Madhyamgram, Chandannagar, and Howrah. The concentration of MPs in these samples ranged from 11,500 ± 707.1 to 34,500 ± 7778.2 particles/kg having average sizes 1000-2000 µm. Morphological analysis revealed that fragments, films, and fibers are the common MP types across all samples, with sky, black, and red being the predominant colours. µFTIR analysis identified HDPE and LDPE as the primary polymers in the good earth materials derived from all landfill sites, followed by PP, Cellophane, PVC, PS, EPM, EPS, and PET. Pollution Load Index (PLI), Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) were used to assess the risk of good earth materials. PLI values indicated relatively low pollution load, while elevated PHI values exceeding 1000 were noted in Howrah, Dhapa, and Chandannagar due to the presence of PVC. The study suggests the need for standardized methods to extract and quantify MPs in good earth products from landfill sites and the development of protocols or guidelines for the application of good earth in sustainable development projects.
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