Plastics recycling facilities may be significant sources of microplastics releases into the environment, contributing to the plastic pollution they are intended to prevent. A recent study carried out by a team of scientists from universities in the UK, Canada and New Zealand analysed wash water samples from a mixed plastics recycling plant in the UK and found that as much as 13 per cent of the waste plastic entering the plant could be leaving it with the wash water in the form of microplastic.
Based on their findings, the study's authors recommend that additional filtration be installed at plastic recycling facilities to remove finer microplastic particles, especially for sorting and size reduction processes. They also noted that samples taken as part of the project suggest that workers in plastics recycling facilities may be exposed to notable amounts of atmospheric and inhalable microplastics. They recommend further study and that workers wear masks, such as N95 respirators, that could provide protection against the inhalation of microplastics.
The full report authored by Erina Brown, Anna MacDonald, Steve Allen, and Deonie Allen appears in the May issue of the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances and is available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2023.100309 ....
