Inhalation risks of wind-blown dust from biosolid-applied agricultural lands: Are they enriched with microplastics and PFAS?
2022
Borthakur, Annesh | Leonard, Jamie | Koutnik, Vera S. | Ravi, Sujith | Mohanty, Sanjay K.
Application of wastewater biosolids as a fertilizer on agricultural fields may release pollutants such as microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the air and pose a serious inhalation risk. This article quantifies the total PFAS and microplastics present in biosolids, discusses their potential transport by wind, and highlights research needs to estimate inhalation risks of PFAS and microplastics in biosolids. Analyzing published data, we found that the dust from biosolid-applied land could be enriched with microplastics and PFAS. Microplastics are more susceptible to suspension by wind than natural soil particles. Future studies should measure microplastics and associated PFAS in dust and biosolids and quantify the exposure risks.
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