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Overlooked risk of microplastics from municipal solid waste–storage site
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Researchers found that municipal solid waste storage facilities are a significant but overlooked source of airborne microplastic pollution, with particles accumulating densely on smooth interior surfaces and dispersing across areas of 15 to 124 square kilometers depending on the season, suggesting that better cleaning protocols at waste sites could meaningfully reduce environmental microplastic loads.
Municipal solid waste (MSW) storage sites are potential and overlooked contributors to microplastic (MP) pollution. Herein, the distribution and dispersion characteristics of MPs at MSW storage sites were investigated through modeling, sampling analysis, and prediction methodologies. The results indicated a notable adsorption phenomenon of MPs on smooth surfaces within such sites, achieving high saturation levels and making MPs prone to re-release by airflow disturbance. Quantitative analysis revealed that the MP concentrations on these surfaces varied from 4.48 × 105 to 1.90 × 106 n/m2 and that MPs predominantly accumulated in the corner areas. Notably, MP accumulation on wall surfaces can be reduced by 76.4% using washing procedures. The majority of MPs were under 50 µm in size and were primarily in fragment form. Operational activities such as ventilation and waste handling were identified to amplify the airborne spread of MPs. The atmospheric concentrations of MPs peaked seasonally, with concentrations of 28.25 n/m3 in summer and 3.90 n/m3 in winter, and the spatial dispersion ranged from 14.98 to 124.08 km2 per station. This study highlights that MSW storage sites are substantial yet overlooked sources of MP pollution, where wall surfaces play a critical role in MP adsorption and dispersal. The implementation of robust management and cleaning protocols is essential to mitigate the environmental footprint of MPs emanating from these locations. This study also provides a typical case for the precise prevention and control of MPs in the environment.
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Microplastics in solid waste disposal sites of central India: Abundance and implications
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Researchers found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the liquid runoff, called leachate, from landfills in two Indian cities, and this contaminated liquid can seep into soil and groundwater that people may eventually drink from or use to grow food. The good news: cities that sorted their trash before disposal had fewer microplastics leaking out, suggesting that better waste-sorting habits could help reduce this pollution and protect water supplies.
Leachate from Non-Sanitary Waste Dumpsites as a Major Source of Microplastics: Identification, Characterization, and Ecological Risk Assessment
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Researchers analyzed leachate from three uncontrolled waste dumpsites in Iran and found microplastic concentrations averaging up to 205 particles per liter, with polyamide and polypropylene as the dominant types and very high ecological risk scores. The study underscores how unregulated waste disposal in developing countries is a significant and underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering freshwater and soil environments.
Micro/Nanoplastics Pollution from Landfill Sites: A Comprehensive Review on the Formation, Distribution, Effects and Potential Mitigation
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This comprehensive review examined how landfills generate and release micro- and nanoplastics through UV exposure, mechanical stress, and biological degradation, distributing particles through leachate into groundwater and via wind into surrounding air and soil. Landfills are underrecognized chronic sources of microplastic emissions that contaminate local water supplies and agricultural soils, creating persistent exposure risks for communities living near waste disposal sites.
Microplastic hazard, management, remediation, and control strategies: a review
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Researchers reviewed microplastic distribution and ecological impact across marine, freshwater, terrestrial, and human systems, concluding that freshwater and soil environments remain understudied relative to marine contexts and that effective remediation will require improved detection techniques alongside better-implemented waste management and biodegradation strategies.
Microplastics in a solid waste landfill in Japan: concentrations in landfilled waste, cover soil, rainwater and leachate
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Researchers studied a Japanese landfill and found microplastics throughout cover soils and rainwater sediments, but very few in treated leachate, suggesting that while landfills concentrate plastic particles, proper leachate treatment can prevent them from escaping into groundwater.
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