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Atmospheric microplastic emissions from organic waste composting: Field-based assessment and exposure implications
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Using active and passive deposition sampling methods, researchers measured airborne microplastic emissions from four composting techniques (reactor, stack, film-covered, and trough) at commercial facilities. All composting methods emitted MPs into the atmosphere, with emission rates varying by technique, identifying composting as an underrecognized source of atmospheric MP pollution.
Organic compost serves as a major pathway for microplastics (MPs) entering the environment. However, atmospheric MPs pollution from composting activities remains poorly understood. This study comprehensively investigated airborne MPs pollution by comparing multiple composting techniques (reactor, stack, film-covered, and trough) using a combined approach of active and dry deposition sampling, and quantitatively assessed the associated human exposure risks. Results revealed substantial differences among composting techniques: stack composting exhibited the highest MPs abundance (16.90 items m via active sampling; 93.4 items m d via deposition sampling), whereas film-covered composting showed the lowest emissions (3.48 items m and 37.4 items m d, respectively). Film-covered composting released more film-shaped MPs, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene, while stack composting emitted more rayon and polyamide. As composting progressed, airborne MPs abundance via active sampling significantly increased by 114.8 %, the proportion of smaller MPs (<800 μm) rose by 34.4 %, and the average size significantly decreased by 26.3 %. Human exposure risk, estimated via oral intake and inhalation pathways, increased as composting advanced, peaking during stack composting and reaching minimal levels during film-covered composting. These findings underscore composting as a significant pathway for MPs dispersion into the atmosphere and provide essential insights for optimizing composting practices to mitigation environmental contamination.
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Microplastic emissions via air and compost from an industrial composting facility in England
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Researchers measured microplastics in compost and air samples at an industrial green waste composting facility in England, finding microplastics at every stage of the composting process at concentrations similar to those in marine sediments. Airborne microplastics were detected not only on site but also downwind, suggesting composting facilities actively emit plastic particles into the surrounding environment. Compost spread on agricultural land and airborne emissions from processing facilities represent overlooked pathways through which microplastics enter soils and the atmosphere.
Microplastics identification and quantification in the composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste
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Researchers quantified microplastics in composted organic municipal solid waste from five facilities, finding contamination levels that raise concerns about compost quality and the potential transfer of microplastics to agricultural soils through organic waste recycling.
A systematic review of the occurrence of microplastics in compost: Understanding the abundance, sources, characteristics and ecological risk
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Researchers reviewed 19 global studies and found microplastics in virtually all types of compost — including those made from animal manure, sewage sludge, and municipal waste — with concentrations reaching up to 288,000 particles per kilogram in some samples. Since compost is widely applied to farmland, these findings highlight a significant but overlooked pathway for microplastics to enter soils and the food chain.
Microplastics in composting of rural domestic waste: abundance, characteristics, and release from the surface of macroplastics
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Rural domestic waste compost contained an average of 2,400 ± 358 MP items/kg (dry weight) dominated by polyester, PP, and PE fibers and films, with lab experiments confirming that macroplastics in compost feedstock shed microplastics during the composting process.
Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Commercial Compost From a Wide Range of Composting Materials and Potential Environmental Impacts
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Researchers identified and quantified microplastics in commercial compost derived from household waste, livestock manure, and vegetable straw using acid extraction, filtration, and FTIR spectroscopy. All compost types contained microplastics, with concentrations varying by feedstock type, raising concerns about microplastic introduction to agricultural soils via compost application.
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