Dielectric barrier discharge plasma for the remediation of microplastic-contaminated soil from landfill

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2023-03, Vol.317, p.137815-137815, Article 137815
• Main Authors: Sima, Jingyuan, Wang, Jun, Song, Jiaxing, Du, Xudong, Lou, Fangfang, Pan, Yuhan, Huang, Qunxing, Lin, Chengqian, Wang, Qin, Zhao, Guangjie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Environmental Pollutants; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Landfill; Microplastic pollution; Microplastics; Plasma oxidation; Plastics; Reactive Oxygen Species; Soil; Soil remediation; Waste Disposal Facilities
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137815

The huge amount of plastic waste accumulated in landfills has caused serious microplastic (MP) pollution to the soil environment, which has become an urgent issue in recent years. It is challenging to deal with the non-biodegradable MP pollutants in actual soil from landfills. In this study, a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system was proposed to remediate actual MP-contaminated landfill soil due to its strong oxidation capacity. The influence of carrier gas type, applied voltage, and air flow rate was investigated, and the possible degradation pathways of MP pollutants were suggested. Results showed the landfill soil samples contained four common MP pollutants, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with sizes ranging from 50 to 1500 μm. The MP pollutants in the soil were rapidly removed under the action of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by DBD plasma. Under the air flow rate of 1500 mL min−1, the maximum remediation efficiency represented by mass loss reached 96.5% after 30 min treatment. Compared with nitrogen, when air was used as the carrier gas, the remediation efficiency increased from 41.4% to 81.6%. The increased applied voltage from 17.5 to 24.1 kV could also promote the removal of MP contaminants. Sufficient air supply was conducive to thorough removal. However, when the air flow rate reached 1500 mL min−1 and continued to rise, the final remediation efficiency would be reduced due to the shortened residence time of ROS. The DBD plasma treatment proposed in this study showed high energy efficiency (19.03 mg kJ−1) and remediation performance (96.5%). The results are instructive for solving MP pollution in the soil environment. [Display omitted] •PE, PP, PS, and PVC microplastic pollutants were identified by Py-GC/MS.•MP pollutants were effectively removed by ROS directly generated in the soil layer.•After 30 min of DBD treatment, the remediation efficiency reached 96.5%.•Atmosphere, applied voltage, and air flow rate were the main influencing factors.