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Characteristics of Microplastics Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Treatment Facilities through Regular Monitoring

Journal of the Korean Society of Urban Environment 2025 Score: 38 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
목포해양대학교 해양시스템공학과, GaYeong Lee, NaWon Kim, Yong-Jin Kim

Summary

Researchers conducted regular monthly monitoring of microplastic emissions from a municipal solid waste treatment facility in South Korea that operates both incineration and landfill systems, sampling incineration bottom ash and landfill leachate from February to May. They detected 477-794 microplastic items/kg in incineration bottom ash and 0.22-0.41 items/L in raw landfill leachate, confirming ongoing microplastic emissions across all facility types and calling for long-term systematic studies.

도시고형폐기물(municipal solid waste, MSW) 중 플라스틱 폐기물은 환경에 존재하는 미세플라스틱(microplastics, MPs)의 주요 원인 중 하나이다. 소각시설과 매립시설 등 도시고형폐기물처리시설에서 MPs 발생에 대한 연구가 증가하 고 있으며, 이와 함께 도시고형폐기물처리시설 주변 환경의 MPs 오염에 대한 관심도 증가하고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 소각시설과 매립시설이 함께 있는 국내 도시고형폐기물처리시설을 대상으로 MPs의 정기모니터링을 진행하였다. 이를 위해 2월부터 5월까지 매월 1회씩, 시설별로 소각 바닥재와 매립지 침출수(원수, 처리수)를 채취하였다. MPs 모니터링 결과, 소각시설의 소각 바닥재에서 477~794 items/kg의 MPs가 검출되었으며, 매립시설의 침출수 원수에서 0.22~0.41 items/L, 처리수에서 0.09~0.16 items/L가 검출되었다. 전반적으로 모든 시설에서 매월 MPs가 배출되는 것을 확인하였다. MSW 처리에 대한 관심이 증가함에 따라, 이를 처리하는 도시고형폐기물처리시설에서 배출되는 MPs 발생량과 거동에 대한 장기적이고 체계적인 연구가 필요하다.

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