Microplastics in different municipal solid waste treatment and disposal systems: Do they pose environmental risks?

Lei Zhang; Wentao Zhao; Ruiqi Yan; Xia Yu; Damià Barceló; Qian Sui

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2024.121443

Microplastics in different municipal solid waste treatment and disposal systems: Do they pose environmental risks?

Water Res. 2024 May 15:255:121443. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121443. Epub 2024 Mar 9.

Authors

Lei Zhang¹, Wentao Zhao², Ruiqi Yan¹, Xia Yu¹, Damià Barceló³, Qian Sui⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
³ Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona 08034, Spain.
⁴ State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China. Electronic address: suiqian@ecust.edu.cn.

PMID: 38492313
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121443

Abstract

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a significant worldwide environmental and health challenge. Municipal solid waste (MSW) can be an important source of MPs in the environment if treated and disposed of inappropriately, causing potential ecological risks. MSW treatment and disposal methods have been gradually shifting from landfilling/dumping to more sustainable approaches, such as incineration or composting. However, previous studies on MP characteristics in different MSW treatment and disposal systems have mainly focused either on landfills/dumpsites or composts. The lack of knowledge of multiple MSW treatment and disposal systems makes it difficult to ensure effective MP pollution control during MSW treatment and disposal. Therefore, this study systematically summarizes the occurrence of MPs in different MSW treatment and disposal systems (landfill/dumpsite, compost, and incineration) on the Eurasian scale, and discusses the factors that influence MPs in individual MSW treatment and disposal systems. In addition, the paper assesses the occurrence of MPs in the surrounding environment of MSW treatment and disposal systems and their ecological risks using the species sensitivity distribution approach. The study also highlights recommendations for future research, to more comprehensively describe the occurrence and fate of MPs during MSW treatment and disposal processes, and to develop appropriate pollution control measures to minimize MP pollution.

Keywords: Bottom ash; Compost product; Landfill leachate; Landfill refuse; Microplastics (MPs); Risk assessment.

Publication types

Review