Long-Term Polyethylene (Bio)Degradation in Landfill: Environmental and Human Health Implications from Comprehensive Analysis.
Vladyslav RedkoLidia WolskaEwa OlkowskaMaciej TankiewiczMonika Cieszyńska-SemenowiczPublished in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2024)
This study investigates the process of long-term (bio)degradation of polyethylene (PE) in an old municipal waste landfill (MWL) and its implications for environmental and human health. Advanced techniques, such as ICP-ES/MS and IC-LC, were used to analyze heavy metals and anions/cations, demonstrating significant concentration deviations from control samples. The soil's chemical composition revealed numerous hazardous organic compounds, further indicating the migration of additives from PE to the soil. Toxicological assessments, including Phytotoxkit F TM , Microtox ® bioassay, and Ostracodtoxkit ® , demonstrated phytotoxicity, acute toxicity, and high mortality in living organisms (over 85% for Heterocypris Incongruens ). An unusual concentration of contaminants in the MWL's middle layers, linked to Poland's economic changes during the 1980s and 1990s, suggests increased risks of pollutant migration, posing additional environmental and health threats. Moreover, the infiltration capability of microorganisms, including pathogens, into PE structures raises concerns about potential groundwater contamination through the landfill bottom. This research underscores the need for vigilant management and updated strategies to protect the environment and public health, particularly in older landfill sites.
Keyphrases
- human health
- risk assessment
- municipal solid waste
- heavy metals
- sewage sludge
- public health
- climate change
- ionic liquid
- health risk
- health risk assessment
- mass spectrometry
- gram negative
- anaerobic digestion
- multiple sclerosis
- liver failure
- ms ms
- respiratory failure
- single cell
- wastewater treatment
- drinking water
- cardiovascular events
- multidrug resistant
- intensive care unit
- life cycle
- cardiovascular disease
- simultaneous determination
- social media
- hepatitis b virus
- liquid chromatography
- antimicrobial resistance