Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Compost: A case of landfills in Uganda

A rise in plastic waste production has characterized the increase in municipal solid waste generation. This has resulted in plastic contamination at landfill sites. Plastics are degraded into microplastics that enter compost manure and are utilised in agriculture, posing risks to the ecosystem and human health. Microplastics are a potential threat since they are not regularly monitored. In this study, the abundance and distribution of microplastics with a size less than 5 mm were assessed in the compost samples. The compost sites of 8 cities and 5 municipalities were examined. The fiber (54.98%) was the most abundant microplastic type. The results show the presence of microplastics at all sites, with the Hoima City compost site exhibiting the highest abundance. All microplastics were secondary types obtained from large plastics used by the community. The microplastics obtained from the degradation of large particles in the compost are due to poor waste management practices.