Effective degradation of cigarette butts via treatment with old landfill leachates

In this paper, results of feasibility study on microplastics (MPs) assessment in leachates from the Latvian solid municipal landfill Getliņi are discussed. The application of leachates for the treatment of cigarette butts (CGB) was evaluated. Methods of fluorescent microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and FTIR-microscopy were used for the identification and characterization of MPs in the leachates and analysis of CGB. Presence of the secondary MPs (e.g., degraded polyolefin mixtures) was determined in the tested landfill leachates, while cellulose acetate (CA) was not determined in these products. The leachates were tested as potential media for the thermophilic (55°C) fermentation of CGB without air supply. Degradation of CGB was determined after one-week fermentation that was confirmed comparing the changes in FTIR spectra of CA prior and after the treatment. This study provoked a path for further experimental studies of controlled degradation of cigarette butts under natural conditions in landfill environments.