Microplastic emissions via air and compost from an industrial composting facility in England
Author(s)
Zapata, Raulin
Douglas, Philippa
Chan, KL Andrew
Barratt, Benjamin
Wright, Stephanie L
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Composting provides a sustainable method of processing biodegradable waste but is often contaminated with plastic. We quantified and characterised microplastics in air and compost samples from an industrial aerobic green waste composting facility in England. Compost samples were taken at different stages of the process; air samples were taken onsite, upwind, and downwind. Microplastics were found in compost from all stages of the process at levels comparable to those reported for marine sediments; higher concentrations were found in the screening stages of the composting process (mean 9.0 (IQR: 7.1) and 9.0 (IQR: 7.4) MPs 5 g-1 (dw), for 30 mm and 10 mm screened material, respectively). Airborne microplastics were found onsite (32–49 MP m−3), upwind (1 MP m−3) and downwind (3 MP m−3). Composting facilities represent a potential source of microplastics and point of entry to the wider environment. Further investigation into other sites and processes is warranted.
Date Issued
2024-12-01
Date Acceptance
2023-12-12
Citation
Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability, 2024, 36 (1)
ISSN
2639-5932
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Journal / Book Title
Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability
Volume
36
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2023 Crown Copyright. Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permitsunrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the postingof the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
License URL
Identifier
10.1080/26395940.2023.2296046
Subjects
agriculture
air quality
airborne microplastic
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
compost
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Microplastic
Science & Technology
soil
Toxicology
waste
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
2296046
Date Publish Online
2023-12-24