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)…