Microplastics in landfill leachates: The need for reconnaissance studies and remediation technologies

Although landfills represent repositories for cumulative loading of plastic waste derived from households and industrial sectors, often seen as sinks, the contribution these structures their leachates potential sources microplastics to natural environments remains poorly covered. Microplastics discharged sites may pose greater risks human environmental health by adsorbed toxic persistent hazardous chemicals. As reviewed here, landfill present microplastic concentrations 0–291 particles L−1, highly variable depending on conditions methodologies adopted, while treatment can reduce in 1–2 orders magnitude. Nonetheless, knowledge is still scarce factors influencing release landfills, technology must be developed mitigate this source microplastics, which poses a significant challenge but needed order preserve good status.