Academic literature on the topic 'Plastic leachates'

Background Plastic contamination is one of the concerns of our age. With more than 150 million tons of plastic floating in the oceans, and a further 8 million tons arriving to the water each year, in recent times the scientific community has been studying the effects these plastics have on sea life both in the field and with experimental approaches. Laboratory based studies have been using both natural sea water and artificial sea water for testing various aspects of plastic contamination, including the study of chemicals leached from the plastic particles to the water. Methods We obtained leachates of PVC plastic pre-production nurdles both in natural and artificial sea water, and determined the elements in excess from untreated water by Inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry. We then used these different leachates to assess developmental success in the tunicate Ciona intestinalis by treating fertilised eggs through their development to hatched larvae. Results Here we report that chemical analysis of PVC plastic pre-production pellet leachates shows a different composition in natural and artificial sea water. We find that the Zn leaching from the plastic particles is reduced up to five times in artificial sea water, and this can have an effect in the toxicological studies derived. Indeed, we observe different effects in the development of C. intestinalis when using leachates in natural or artificial sea water. We also observe that not all artificial sea waters are suitable for studying the development of the tunicarte C. intestinalis. Conclusions Our results show that, at least in this case, both types of water are not equivalent to produce plastic leachaetes and suggest that precaution should be taken when conclusions are derived from results obtained in artificial sea water.

Plastic pollution has become one of the most serious environmental issues worldwide. Plastics can contain high amount of additives (e.g., phthalate, bisphenol A, trace metals), and they could be leached out of plastics, enter the aquatic environment and cause toxic effects to aquatic organisms (including microcrustacean). In this study, we investigated chronic effects of plastic leachates from two popular plastic materials (garbage bag and disposable raincoat) on the survival, maturation and reproduction of the microcrustcean Daphnia magna. The results showed that, the plastic leachates from the two materials at the concentration up to 1000 mg/l did not cause negative effect on survival of D. magna. However, exposed to the leachates from the garbage bag (at the concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 mg/l) and from the disposable raincoat (at the concentration of 10 mg/l), the animals delayed their maturity ages compared to the control. Besides, the two kinds of leachates at the concentration of 1000 mg/l stimulated the reproduction of D. magna, resulting the increase of 17 – 37% of total offspring compared to the control, during 21 days of experiment. The results of this study contribute to the understanding on the toxicity of popular plastic materials to the microcrustacean, D. magna. Additionally, the plastic usage and emission into the environment should be paid more attention to protect the aquatic ecosystems and human health.

The broad use of plastics and the persistence of the material results in plastic residues being found practically everywhere in the environment. If plastics remain in the (aquatic) environment, natural weathering leads to degradation processes and compounds may leach from plastic into the environment. To investigate the impact of degradation process on toxicity of leachates, different types of UV irradiation (UV-C, UV-A/B) were used to simulate weathering processes of different plastic material containing virgin as well as recyclate material and biodegradable polymers. The leached substances were investigated toxicologically using in-vitro bioassays. Cytotoxicity was determined by the MTT-assay, genotoxicity by using the p53-CALUX and Umu-assay, and estrogenic effects by the ERα-CALUX. Genotoxic as well as estrogenic effects were detected in different samples depending on the material and the irradiation type. In four leachates of 12 plastic species estrogenic effects were detected above the recommended safety level of 0.4 ng 17β-estradiol equivalents/L for surface water samples. In the p53-CALUX and in the Umu-assay leachates from three and two, respectively, of 12 plastic species were found to be genotoxic. The results of the chemical analysis show that plastic material releases a variety of known and unknown substances especially under UV radiation, leading to a complex mixture with potentially harmful effects. In order to investigate these aspects further and to be able to give recommendations for the use of additives in plastics, further effect-related investigations are advisable.

Plastic consumables, used universally in bioscience laboratories, are presumed inert with respect to bioassay outcomes. However, it is clear that many pipette tips, microfuge tubes, and other plastic disposables leach bioactive compounds into assay solutions, profoundly affecting data and experimental interpretation. In this paper we discuss the nature and sources of leachates and review several examples of compromised bioassay data that speak to the probable widespread nature of this largely unrecognised source of error. Strategies for minimizing leachate interferences are discussed.

Cytotoxic potential of four plastic biomedical devices (intravenous transfusion sets, IV sets; dextrose normal saline bottles, DNS bottles; Ringer lactate bottles, RL bottles; and Ryle's tubes) including 17different brands was evaluated by investigating growth inhibition, percent survival, mitotic index and colony-forming ability (cfa) in L929, an adherent type mouse fibroblast cell line. Experimental sets were exposed with leachates of biomedical products in serumfree minimum essential medium (MEM) for 1 h at 378Cina CO2 incubator. After 1 h, medium was replaced with serumrich MEM containing essential amino acids and reincubated up to 96 h. Cells in serum-free MEM only were processed under identical conditions and served as the control. The leachates from all types of biomedical devices evaluated exhibitedreductioninthegrowthandsurvivalofthecellline in the first 12 h postexposure followed by their gradual recoveryupto96h.Asignificantreductionincellgrowthwas apparent in the six brands of IV sets from 24 h onwards up to 36 h (59% growth inhibition). Though the cfa was also reduced in all the brands tested, the magnitude of reduction was less compared to growth inhibition. The results indicate that leachates of IV sets were more toxic compared to other biomedical devices screened, and growth inhibition assay was found to be more sensitive and suitable for cytotoxicity evaluation of biomedical devices.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the migration of oleamide, a polymer lubricant, and a bioactive compound, from various plastic, marketed containers for food/beverages and medicines into polymer contact liquid. Methanol, food/medicine simulants or real samples were used to extract polymer leachables and extractables. Migrated oleamide into polymer contact liquids was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). The concentration of oleamide in the extracts of medicinal and insulin syringes was 7351 ng mL−1 and 21,984 ng mL−1, respectively. The leachates of intravenous (i.v.) infusion bottle, medicinal and insulin syringes contained 17 ng mL−1, 12 ng mL−1 and 152 ng mL−1, respectively. Oleamide in the extracts of dummies ranged from 30 to 39 ng mL−1, while in the leachates of baby bottles, from 12 to 23 ng mL−1. Leachates of soft drink bottles contained from 6 to 15 ng mL−1 oleamide, milk bottles from 3 to 9 ng mL−1, liquid yogurt bottles 17 ng mL−1 and water bottles from 11 to 18 ng mL−1. Bottled real matrices of oil and milk contained oleamide in the range from 217 to 293 ng mL−1. Moreover, the source of migrated oleamide (e.g., containers, caps, other parts) was identified. Oleamide is listed in the current EU regulations without a specific migration limit. Accordingly, these values are considered of no concern, unless future toxicological studies prove the opposite.

This study investigated the influence of leachate prepared from Telfairia occidentalis on the geotechnical and geochemical properties of termite mound soil obtained from the premises of the federal university of agriculture, Abeokuta, south-western Nigeria. The termite mound soil samples were collected from three different locations and each sample collected was contaminated by mixing with leachates in percentage increments of 0% 10%, 15% and 20% of dry weight of the air-dried soil. The soil samples were subjected to Atterberg limits and hydraulic conductivity tests for geotechnical observation and X-ray fluorescence tests for geochemical tests. The range of values for the geotechnical analyses were obtained as; plastic limit (9.1% – 14.2%), liquid limit (28.6 % – 61%), plasticity index ((18.2% – 49.5%) and hydraulic conductivity (1.85 – 4.1 x 10-8) cm/sec) with a resultant reduction in the plastic limit, liquid limit and plasticity index values but an increase in the hydraulic conductivity of the samples as the leachate concentration increased. The results from X-ray fluorescence analyses after 20% leachate contamination showed that the major elemental chemical composition for the three samples were comprised of SiO2 (56.25 – 56.5%), Al2O3 (28.42 – 28.50%), Fe2O3 (4.46 – 6.5%), TiO2 (1.08 – 1.23%), CaO (1.45 – 1.60%), P2O5 (0 – 0.04%), K2O (0.9 – 6.1%) and MnO (0.02 – 4.7%). There was a marginal alteration of the indices with the values inferring the presence of a minimum composition of feldspar and a major composition of quartz-rich minerals and thus lending more credence to the presence of silicates as shown from the X-ray fluorescence results. It also infers that the termite mounds are predominantly made from sand materials. The termite soil samples obtained from the aforementioned locations may not be suitable for engineering works unless stabilization procedure is adopted.

Le comportement joue un rôle crucial dans la survie des organismes en leur permettant de s'adapter à leur environnement particulièrement variable. De nos jours, les réponses comportementales des organismes aux changements environnementaux doivent faire face à des défis sans précédents en raison des changements rapides et néfastes provoqués par l'ère Anthropique. En particulier, la pollution plastique se distingue comme l'une des préoccupations les plus pressantes dans les habitats marins. Au-delà des dommages physiques évidents, les plastiques peuvent libérer un cocktail nocif de molécules chimiques, compromettant les organismes marins à de nombreux niveaux. Liant les individus au fonctionnement des écosystèmes et aux processus évolutifs, le comportement des organismes reste cependant peu étudié dans la littérature sur l'impact des lixiviats de plastique. Ce travail de thèse vise à combler les lacunes existantes dans la littérature en ce qui concerne les organismes et les polymères étudiés. Après une revue approfondie de la littérature, ce travail se concentre sur l'étude de l'impact des lixiviats de plastique, issus de bio-polymères et de polymères conventionnels sur les comportements liés à l'anxiété chez le crabe Hemigrapsus sanguineus, les comportements de déplacement du foraminifère Haynesina germanica et les comportements cirraux de la balane Austromonius modestus. Les résultats révèlent des modifications significatives de ces comportements, qui dépendent de l'espèce, du type de polymère et de la concentration des lixiviats, et compromettent l'équilibre délicat de l'écosystème. Notamment, le lixiviat de bio- polymère entraine des altérations comportementales similaires, voire plus prononcées, que ceux issus de polymères conventionnels, soulevant des inquiétudes significatives quant à la sécurité environnementale des alternatives aux plastiques
Behaviors play a pivotal role in organisms' survival, enabling organisms to cope with their ever-changing environment. Nowadays, adaptive behavioral responses to environmental changes face unprecedented challenges due to the rapid and detrimental effects of the Anthropocene era. Noticeably, plastic pollution stands out as one of the most pressing concerns in marine habitats. Beyond causing conspicuous physical damages, plastics may leach a cocktail of harmful chemicals impairing marine organisms at various levels. Despite its role in connecting individuals to ecosystem functioning and evolutionary processes, organism behavior remains scarcely studied in the plastic leachate literature. This PhD thesis aims at to address the gaps in existing literature concerning the organisms and polymers considered. After an extensive review of the plastic leachate literature, this work focuses on investigating the impact of plastic leachates from both bio and conventional polymers on the anxiety-related behaviors of the crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, the motion behaviors of the foraminifera Haynesina germanica and the cirral activity of the barnacle Austrominius modestus. The results reveal significant modifications in behaviors, highlighting species, polymer and dose dependencies, posing a threat to the delicate ecosystem balance. Noticeably, the biopolymer leachate results in similar or even more behavioral alterations than leachates from conventional polymers, raising significant concerns about the environmental safety of plastic alternatives

Mais de 5 trilhões de peças de plástico estão presentes no oceano. Seus efeitos sobre os macroorganismos estão bem documentados e sabe-se que podem afetá-los principalmente devido à sua ingestão ou emaranhamento. No entanto, os estudos sobre seus efeitos em microrganismos são menos populares e focados, principalmente, na comunidade de biofilme que pode colonizar a superfície do plástico. Foi demonstrado que os plásticos marinhos são recobertos por matéria orgânica e inorgânica, seguida da colonização bacteriana, que é dominada por Gammaproteobacteria e Alphaproteobacteria, com a possibilidade de a bactéria Bacteroidetes aparecer mais tarde e se tornar abundante. Além disso, os plásticos geralmente contêm aditivos que são adicionados pela indústria para melhorar sua qualidade e desempenho. Esses aditivos e compostos, assim como os blocos monoméricos do plástico, podem ser liberados no meio aquático com consequências para a comunidade microbiana. Verificou-se que as bactérias marinhas absorvem os compostos orgânicos liberados pelo plástico, estimulando seu crescimento. No entanto, quais grupos de bactérias são capazes de usá-los e como isso os afeta ainda é desconhecido. Nossa hipótese é que os lixiviados plásticos podem alterar e afetar a composição e atividade da comunidade de bactérias heterotróficas marinhas quando expostas a diferentes condições ambientais e tipos de plástico. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a comunidade bacteriana e avaliar sua atividade após a exposição aos compostos liberados por diferentes tipos de plásticos. O estudo testou lixiviados de diferentes tipos de plástico comumente encontrados no oceano, como polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD) e poliestireno (PS), sob uma variedade de condições ambientais, como diferentes temperaturas (15 e 28 °C), exposição à radiação UV e ambiente escuro. Um plástico biodegradável, ácido polilático (PLA), também foi usado para comparar com os lixiviados termoplásticos. Na etapa de fotodegradação, peças plásticas foram adicionadas à água do mar artificial (AMA) em tubos de quartzo, para tratamentos de luz, e em frascos de borosilicato revestidos com folha de alumínio, para tratamentos de escuro. Um experimento comparou PEBD e PLA a 15 °C, enquanto o outro comparou PEBD e PS a 28 °C. As amostras foram incubadas durante 6 dias sob radiação ultravioleta e luz visível e temperatura constante. Na etapa de biodegradação, lixiviados plásticos obtidos no experimento de fotodegradação anterior foram utilizados após a remoção das peças de plástico. Os lixiviados foram inoculados com um inóculo bacteriano natural do Observatório Microbial de Blanes Bay (NO Mediterrâneo). Sua curva de crescimento foi acompanhada até atingirem a fase estacionária. Em seguida, 72 horas após a inoculação, a comunidade bacteriana que foi capaz de crescer nesses lixiviados plásticos foi caracterizada pelo uso das técnicas de hibridização in situ fluorescente de deposição de repórter catalisado (CARD-FISH) e marcação de aminoácidos não canônicos bioortogonal (BONCAT). CARD-FISH é um método que usa sondas oligonucleotídicas marcadas com peroxidase de rábano (HRP) e amplificação do sinal de tiramida, a fim de detectar células com baixo conteúdo ribossômico, que são frequentemente prevalentes em águas oligotróficas. O BONCAT é um método que tem sido usado para caracterizar a atividade de micróbios não cultivados, em seu ambiente de crescimento nativo. Esta abordagem semiquantitativa explora o estado fisiológico das bactérias marinhas, incubando uma amostra bacteriana com um análogo da metionina e usando a química do clique para identificar as células que incorporaram o substrato. Sondas diferentes foram usadas para avaliar a composição da comunidade, como GAM42a, que tem como alvo a maioria das Gammaproteobacterias, CF319a, que tem como alvo muitos membros do grupo Bacteroidetes, EUB338 I-II e –III, que tem como alvo a maioria das bactérias, e Alf968, que tem como alvo as Alphaproteobacterias. Suas abundâncias foram calculadas em relação às suas contribuições para a comunidade total, enquanto sua atividade foi avaliada pelo cálculo de seu valor médio cinza (VMC), que é a soma dos valores de cinza de todos os pixels na célula dividida pelo número de pixels. Um teste-t de Student bicaudal foi aplicado a fim de comparar a abundância e a atividade dos diferentes grupos filogenéticos bacterianos. Em ambas as temperaturas, as bactérias começaram a crescer após 24 horas e atingiram a fase exponencial após 72 horas de incubação. Ao final de ambos os experimentos, as amostras de plástico apresentaram maior abundância bacteriana do que os controles sem plástico, exceto para o PS irradiado. Todos os tipos de lixiviados plásticos levaram a uma composição de comunidade microbiana semelhante: elas eram compostas principalmente por Gamma-, Alphaproteobacteria e Bacteroidetes. Ambos os experimentos apresentaram contribuições semelhantes de cada grupo filogenético para a abundância total. Gamma- e Alphaproteobacteria mostraram ser os maiores contribuintes, enquanto Bacteroidetes foi o grupo menos abundante. Os lixiviados plásticos estimularam o crescimento de Gamma- e Alphaproteobacteria nos tratamentos plásticos em relação aos controles sem plásticos. No entanto, o impacto sobre os Bacteroidetes foi mais variável. A irradiação durante a lixiviação de plástico teve resultados contrastantes na abundância bacteriana que dependeu do tipo de plástico e do grupo filogenético. No entanto, lixiviados plásticos previamente irradiados, como os encontrados no oceano, estimularam a síntese de proteínas em bactérias marinhas em relação àquelas não expostas anteriormente à radiação. Portanto, algumas exceções foram capazes de mostrar como diferentes condições e tipos de plásticos podem ter impactos mistos em cada grupo filogenético e na comunidade bacteriana. Aqui também descobrimos que o plástico biodegradável, PLA, não liberou compostos biodegradáveis que se refletiram em um maior crescimento ou atividade bacteriana. Isso mostra que, na água do mar, o plástico biodegradável como o PLA, nem sempre é biodegradado e seu impacto sobre os microrganismos não difere dos demais termoplásticos. Este estudo foi o primeiro passo para entender como os lixiviados plásticos podem afetar a composição da comunidade microbiana na coluna d'água. Também identificou, pela primeira vez, quais grupos bacterianos são selecionados nos lixiviados plásticos marinhos e o quanto eles são ativos na síntese de proteínas. As sondas aqui utilizadas levaram a uma ampla identificação de microrganismos, em grupos filogenéticos, que incluem muitas espécies diferentes. Portanto, novos experimentos são necessários para identificar os organismos que compõem cada grupo e seu comportamento quando expostos aos lixiviados plásticos em diferentes condições, pois muitos fatores intrínsecos e extrínsecos podem ter diferentes efeitos isolados e combinados sobre as bactérias. Este estudo melhorou nosso conhecimento atual sobre a interação entre a lixiviação de plástico e micróbios marinhos e como isso pode afetar o ambiente, a teia alimentar e o sistema marinhos. Esses resultados fornecem insights cruciais sobre potenciais formas de biodegradação de plástico que podem ser desenvolvidas no futuro.
Over 5 trillion pieces of plastic are present in the ocean. They usually contain additives that are added to them by the industry in order to improve their quality and performance. These additives and compounds, as well as the monomer blocks of the plastic, can be released into the aquatic media with consequences for the microbial community. It has been found that marine bacteria uptake the organic compounds released by plastic stimulating their growth. However, which bacterial groups are able to use them are still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize for the first time the bacterial community and assess its activity after the exposure to the compounds released by different types of plastics. The study tested the leachates from different types of plastic commonly found in the ocean, such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polystyrene (PS), under different environmental conditions. A biodegradable plastic, polylactic acid (PLA), was also used to compare with the thermoplastic leachates. Then, the bacterial community that was able to grow in these plastic leachates was characterized by using the CARD-FISH and BONCAT techniques. Our results indicate that the bacterial community was mainly composed by Gamma-, Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, with the first two being the dominant ones. Overall, plastic leachates increased the growth rates of Gamma- and Alphaproteobacteria in the plastic treatments compared to the controls without plastics. However, the impact on Bacteroidetes was more variable. Irradiation during plastic leaching had contrasting results on the bacterial abundance which depended on the plastic type and the phylogenetic group. On the other hand, plastic leachates that were previously irradiated increased significantly more the activity of marine bacteria compared to the non-irradiated ones. These results provide crucial insights on potential ways of plastic biodegradation that could be developed in the future.

Forskare och myndigheter runt om i världen enas idag om att stora mängder mikroplast ackumuleras i världshaven och att dessa kan tas upp av olika levande organismer. Mikroplaster definieras ofta som plastpartiklar mindre än fem millimeter och kan härstamma från olika mänskliga aktiviteter. Majoriteten av all plast som har producerats finns idag i deponier eller i naturen. Eftersom flera studier funnit att plastadditiver lakas ut ur deponier tros lakvatten från deponier vara en potentiell källa till mikroplastutsläpp. I denna studie undersöktes förekomsten av mikroplaster ≥ 100 mikrometer i behandlat lakvatten från åtta avfallsanläggningar i Sverige: sju med deponi och en utan deponi. Lakvatten från avfallsanläggningarna filtrerades genom filter med porstorlek 100 mikrometer. Partiklar på filtren inspekterades under ett stereomikroskop och undersöktes sedan med ett smälttest för att kvantifiera antalet mikroplaster. Även referensprover med kranvatten som genomgått samma provtagningsprocedur som lakvattnet analyserades för att se om mikroplaster från andra källor än lakvattnet kan ha påverkat lakvattenproverna. I lakvattenproverna från avfallsanläggningarna med deponi återfanns mikroplastkoncentrationer mellan 0 och 2,7 mikroplastpartiklar per liter. I referensproverna återfanns mellan 0,2 och 1,7 mikroplastpartiklar per liter. På grund av liknande koncentrationer i lakvattenproverna och referensproverna gick det inte att säga om mikroplasterna fanns i lakvattnet eller om de enbart kom från på kontamination vid provtagning och analys. Resultaten indikerade därför att behandlat lakvatten från avfallsanläggningar med deponier innehåller låg eller ingen halt mikroplast ≥ 100 mikrometer. Avfallsanläggningen utan deponi som undersöktes i studien var en sorteringsanläggning. Från denna anläggning återfanns mellan 2,3 och 4,2 mikroplastpartiklar per liter i lakvattenproverna medan motsvarande siffra för referensprovet var 0,2 mikroplastpartiklar per liter. Skillnaden mellan mikroplastkoncentrationerna i lakvattenproverna och referensprovet indikerar att mikroplasterna eventuellt berodde på avfallsverksamheten. Därmed är det möjligt att mikroplaster från andra avfallsverksamheter än deponering eventuellt kan släppas ut med behandlat lakvatten. För sorteringsanläggningen togs dock enbart ett stickprov. Därför krävs ytterligare studier på sorteringsanläggningar behövs för att bekräfta resultaten. Mängdberäkningar baserade på de uppmätta mikroplastkoncentrationerna, antaget att mikroplasterna fanns i lakvattnet, indikerar att eventuella utsläpp av mikroplaster ≥ 100 mikrometer via behandlat lakvatten från svenska avfallsanläggningar med deponi maximalt är i storleksordningen tiotals kilogram per år. Detta innebär att behandlat lakvatten från avfallsanläggningar är en obetydlig källa till mikroplaster i förhållande till andra mikroplastkällor i Sverige.
Researchers and authorities worldwide recognize the substantial accumulation of microplastics in the oceans as well as the uptake of these microplastics by various living organisms. Microplastics are often defined as plastic particles smaller than five millimeters and can originate from several anthropogenic activities. The majority of all plastics ever produced are accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. Since studies have found plastic additives in leachate from landfills, landfill leachate is thought to be a possible source of microplastic emissions. In this study, the occurrence of microplastics ≥ 100 micrometers was examined in treated leachate from eight waste facilities in Sweden: seven with landfills and one without. The leachate was filtered through filters with a 100 micrometer pore size. Particles on the surface of the mesh were examined under a stereo microscope and then further investigated by a melting test in order to quantify the number of microplastic particles. To see if the leachate samples might have been contaminated with microplastics from other sources, reference samples were analyzed by letting tap water go through the same sampling procedure as the leachate samples. In the leachate samples from the waste facilities with landfills, microplastic concentrations between 0 and 2.7 microplastic particles per liter were found. In the control samples the corresponding concentrations were between 0.2 and 1.7 microplastic particles per liter. Due to similar concentrations in the leachate and control samples, it was impossible to determine if the microplastics originated from the leachate or came from contamination via sampling and analysis. The results of the study therefore indicate that the microplastic concentrations in treated leachate from landfills are low or even nonexistent. The waste facility without a landfill in the study was a sorting facility. At this facility, microplastic concentrations between 2.3 and 4.2 microplastic particles per liter were found in the leachate samples. In the control sample the corresponding concentration was 0.2 microplastic particles per liter. The difference between the concentrations in the leachate samples and control sample indicate that some of the microplastics might have originated from the leachate. Therefore it is possible that other microplastics from waste activities than landfilling can end up in the leachate. However, this result is only based on one sample. Studies including more samples from more sorting facilities are needed to confirm these results. Mass calculations based on the microplastic concentrations, assuming that detected concentrations originated from the leachate, indicate that if microplastics ≥ 100 micrometers are emitted through the leachate from Swedish landfills the maximum emission is only a few tens of kilograms per year. This makes treated leachate from waste facilities insignificant in comparison to other known microplastic sources in Sweden.

Bisphenol A and phthalates are most frequently detected organic pollutants found in our surroundings because of their regular use as plasticizers in daily use polymeric products. BPA is used in manufacturing baby feeding bottles, water pipes, canned food linings, and food packaging materials. Phthalates are used in polyvinyl chloride products including clothing, toys, medical devices, and food packaging. These chemicals are not bound to the matrix and leach out into the surroundings on slight change in the environment, like alteration in pH, temperature, and pressure. Humans are continuously exposed to these chemicals through skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion when the leachates enter food, drinks, air, water, or soil. The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) revealed that Bisphenol A has 1932 interactions with genes/proteins and few frequently used phthalates (DEHP, MEHP, DBP, BBP, and MBP) showed 484 gene/protein interactions. Similar toxicogenomics and adverse effects of Bisphenol A and phthalates on human health are attributed to their 89 common interacting genes/proteins.

Chlorinated plastics releases harmful chemicals and toxic substances into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into ground water or other surrounding surface water bodies in the form of a black thick liquid known as leachate causing sever water pollution. This water, if used as drinking water, causes serious harm to both plants and animals. Many advanced polymer composites used in various fields can leach into water forming hurdles. Plastic pollution is potentially poisonous to animals, which can then affect human food supplies. Plastic materials contain a number and variety of chemicals that are carcinogenic and mutagenic in nature. The five R's (recycle, reuse, reduce, remove, and refuse) can control the plastic pollution in our environment. This chapter explores plastic pollution and its effect on the environment.

Optimized models of landfill leachate processes that could lead to the production of fuel oils from the pyrolysis of plastics and cultivation of microalgae can be highly efficient and have sustainable activities. Studies using advanced oxidation processes in combination with biological processes showed to be efficient in treating leachate. The complexity of this type of waste, as well as the continuous modification of its properties due to local seasonality, prevents kinetic and thermodynamic studies to predict the steady state at the final disposal. Environmental management systems using Lean Six Sigma accompanied by process modeling and optimization tools, whether statistical or computational, generate reliable models. These models can reproduce reductions in contaminants by confirming the initial conditions of each leachate enabling the scale-up of the process. This chapter provides data survey, types of treatment, and models linked to optimization tools in wastewater decontamination processes from municipal solid waste. Also, this chapter includes the synthesis and proposal for treatment and management of the classification of garbage until the generation of leachate, aiming to contribute to future research in the area of leachate treatment.

The solid waste disposal affects the quality of water as it leaches down in deeper layers of water bodies having dissolved organic and inorganic constituents from solid waste. The resulting polluted liquid, popularly known as leachate, increases in its concentration levels when it seeps deep inside and appears brownish to black in colour with a rotten smell. It has more organic pollutants with ammoniacal nitrogen. The toxicity levels depend upon the kind of waste, like plastic or metals, being present in solid waste which has severe impacts on human health and aquatic animals. The unselective and mismanaged disposal of waste introduces various toxins comprising of heavy metals and degrades the environment and water resources. Solid waste not only affects the inland waters but also contributes to climatic changes like emission of greenhouse gases.

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.

Abstract Radioactive wastes containing Iodine-129 are to be disposed of in Japan in an underground facility together with TRU wastes. Iodine-129 has a long half-life (1.6 × 107 y) and it is strongly adsorbed in the thyroid gland when it intrudes into the human body. The main chemical formulae of iodine in an alkaline solution are I− and IO3−, and these anion species are absorbed only to a very small extent on silicate minerals. Iodine-129, therefore, is one of the key nuclides to be studied in the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. Recently, a new inorganic ion-exchanger, BiPbO2NO3, has been developed which reacts with iodide ions in a solution by forming BiPbO2I (BPI). The leach resistance of BPI encapsulated in cement (BPIC) was studied in a solution under geological conditions. The leaching experiment was carried out in an inert glove box in which the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide were maintained at less than 1 ppm. Pure water was degassed 12 hours prior to use. Two kinds of solution were prepared: one was low salinity solution (RW), and the other was high salinity solution (SW). Leachants were prepared by adding a reductant (N2H4) to each solution and pH was adjusted to a fixed value. BPIC was mixed with the leachant in a plastic container. The container was shaken continuously at ambient temperature for six months. The concentrations of iodide ions, bismuth ions and lead ions in the leachant were analyzed periodically using ICP-AES. Limited numbers of iodide ions (2%–4%) were released from BPIC in the initial period of leaching, following which no additional release of iodide ion was observed for six months. No significant difference was observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns of BPI in BPIC before and after the experiment. These results indicate that iodine is fixed tightly in BPIC. A mechanism of the leaching resistance is discussed.