Analysis of the Possibility of Environmental Pollution by Composted Biodegradable and Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics
Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland
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Geosciences 2019, 9(11), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9110460
Received: 2 October 2019 / Revised: 23 October 2019 / Accepted: 25 October 2019 / Published: 27 October 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Management and Environmental Remediation)
Composting the municipal organic fraction of waste results in a valuable product in the form of compost, which could be used instead of other forms of fertilisation. The organic waste stream may contain oxo-biodegradable and biodegradable plastics used for waste collection. Their components and decomposition residues may contaminate the compost chemically and physically. In this paper, the results of studies on the content of selected macro- and microelements in new and composted plastics have been analysed. Statistical analyses were carried out in order to determine the most characteristic components of plastics and to determine the character of chemical composition changes. The analysis of the test results showed that multidirectional changes in the content of macro- and microelements occur during composting, and they may be the source of contamination of the fertiliser produced. Contaminants in the form of microplastics may also be released into the environment, which may pose a threat to many elements of the environment, including animals and humans.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Markowicz, F.; Szymańska-Pulikowska, A. Analysis of the Possibility of Environmental Pollution by Composted Biodegradable and Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics. Geosciences 2019, 9, 460.
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