We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Transport of Microplastics from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills to Aquatic system: An Overview
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examined how microplastics escape from municipal solid waste landfills and reach rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Researchers found that leachate, wind dispersal, and surface runoff are the primary transport routes, and that landfills are a significant but poorly quantified source of microplastic contamination in aquatic systems.
Microplastics possess a significant threat to water resources as well as aquatic life and present a challenge in overall water resource management. Among a wide variety of entry routes available for microplastics from land to water bodies, municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are suspected to be one of the important land-based sources (entry point) of microplastics affecting water quality. Few studies reported the presence of microplastic in the leachate obtained from municipal solid waste landfills corroborating that MSW landfills not only act as a sink of microplastic pollution but also act as a source. Microplastics from these leachates move to the soil system thereby affecting its quality and further migrate to aquatic systems. This movement of microplastic from leachate to aquatic system not only deteriorate the water quality but also highlights the importance of land-based sources of microplastic. In this review, we focused on the role of landfills as a pathway for microplastics to water bodies. The main aims of this review the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in landfills and discuss the role of landfill age. Polyethylene in fragmented and fibrous form remains the predominant type and shape of microplastic in leachates. The shape, size, and abundance of microplastics in leachates vary with landfill age. Landfills also provide a favorable environment for microplastic degradation thereby turning macroplastics into tiny plastic pieces. The major type of degradation is oxidative degradation. Our review confirms that MSW landfills are indeed a source of microplastic and contribute to microplastic pollution in soil and aquatic systems.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in Landfills: A Comprehensive Review on Occurrence, Characteristics and Pathways to the Aquatic Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive review examines the occurrence, characteristics, and transport pathways of microplastics in and from landfills, identifying leachate, wind dispersal, and runoff as key vectors by which landfill-derived microplastics migrate into aquatic environments.
Leachate from municipal solid waste landfills: A neglected source of microplastics in the environment
AI summary Read the abstract
This review identified municipal solid waste landfills as a significant but neglected source of microplastics in the environment, explaining how physical compression, chemical oxidation, and biological decomposition of buried plastics generate microplastics that migrate via leachate into surrounding soils and water.
Characterisation and Migration of Microplastics (MPs.) from Leachate
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examines how leachate from municipal solid waste landfills serves as a transport medium for microplastics and nanoplastics into groundwater and surface water. The authors recommend investing in renewable energy recovery from solid and liquid waste streams to reduce the spread of plastic pollution from landfill sites.
Microplastics in Landfill Leachate
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines microplastic contamination in landfill leachate, the liquid that drains from landfills and can contaminate groundwater and surface water. Landfills are major reservoirs of plastic waste that generate microplastics through physical and chemical breakdown, representing a significant but often overlooked contamination pathway.
Microplastics in Landfill Leachate: Sources, Pathways, and Mitigation Approaches
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles found in liquid waste that drains from landfills. Studies found widely varying amounts of microplastics in this leachate, and it can carry the particles into rivers and other water systems. Current cleanup methods face challenges, and the review calls for more consistent testing methods and better treatment technologies.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.