Leachate and microplastics (IMAGE)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau

Leachate and microplastics

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Microplastics and PFAS flow into wastewater treatment plants from landfill leachate, left, and from storm and sanitary sewers. Both contaminants accumulate in biosolid waste, most of which is carted out and spread on agricultural fields. On the right, a sample of the microplastics recovered from wastewater treatment plants in Illinois.

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Photo by Fred Zwicky

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