Mechanical recycling of plastic waste as a point source of microplastic pollution
Mechanical recycling of plastic waste as a point source of microplastic pollution
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机械回收塑料废物作为微塑料污染的点源
DOI：
10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119114
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发表时间：
2022
影响因子：
8.9
通讯作者：
Osako Masahiro
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Suzuki Go;Uchida Natsuyo;Tuyen Le Huu;Tanaka Kosuke;Matsukami Hidenori;Kunisue Tatsuya;Takahashi Shin;Viet Pham Hung;Kuramochi Hidetoshi;Osako Masahiro
塑料污染已成为最紧迫的环境问题之一。回收是减少环境中塑料污染的潜在手段。然而，在机械回收过程中，塑料碎片仍有可能被释放到水生环境中。在这里，我们检查了越南处理电子，瓶子和家庭塑料废物的三个机械回收设施的塑料投入和污水输出，我们发现在机械回收过程中产生大量微塑料（长度<5 mm的塑料），并在未经适当处理的情况下释放到水生环境中。与废水处理厂流出物和地表水中微塑料的文献数据比较表明，塑料废物的机械回收可能是微塑料污染的主要点源。尽管本研究中检查的微塑料的尺寸与报告的预测无影响浓度之间存在不匹配，但设施中产生的微塑料仍然可能对水生环境构成风险，因为可能有许多小于315 μm的塑料颗粒，正如我们获得的尺寸分布所表明的那样。随着我们向循环塑料经济的转变，机械回收可能会增加，预计会有更多的微塑料排放。因此，迫切需要充分了解塑料机械回收产生和释放的微塑料的规模，以及微塑料在水环境中造成的环境风险。
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues. Recycling is a potential means of reducing plastic pollution in the environment. However, plastic fragments are still likely released to the aquatic environment during mechanical recycling processes. Here, we examined the plastic inputs and effluent outputs of three mechanical recycling facilities in Vietnam dealing with electronic, bottle, and household plastic waste, and we found that large quantities of microplastics (plastics <5 mm in length) are generated and released to the aquatic environment during mechanical recycling without proper treatment. Comparisons with literature data for microplastics in wastewater treatment plant effluents and surface water indicated that mechanical recycling of plastic waste is likely a major point source of microplastics pollution. Although there is a mismatch between the size of the microplastics examined in the present study and the predicted no-effect concentration reported, it is still possible that microplastics generated at facilities pose risks to the aquatic environment because there might be many plastic particulates smaller than 315 μm, as suggested by our obtained size distributions. With mechanical recycling likely to increase as we move to a circular plastics economy, greater microplastics emissions can be expected. It is therefore an urgent need to fully understand not only the scale of microplastic generation and release from plastic mechanical recycling but also the environmental risk posed by microplastics in the aquatic environment.