Hydrogen sulfide production by sulfate-reducing bacteria utilizing additives eluted from plastic resins

Abstract

In the present study it was demonstrated that organic additives eluted from plastic resins could be utilized as substrates by sulfate-reducing bacteria. Two laboratory-scale experiments, a microcosm experiment and a leaching experiment, were conducted using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as a model plastic resin. In the former experiment, the conversion of sulfate to sulfide was evident in microcosms that received plasticized PVC as the sole carbon source, but not in those that received PVC homopolymer. Additionally, dissolved organic carbon accumulated only in microcosms that received plasticized PVC, indicating that the dissolved organic carbon originated from additives. In the leaching experiment, phenol and bisphenol A were found in the leached solutions. These results suggest that the disposal of waste plastics in inert waste landfills may result in the production of H(2)S.

Plastic Degradation and Its Environmental Implications with Special Reference to Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

“…Pollutants of note include volatile organics, such as benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethyl benzenes and trimethyl benzenes, released both as gases and contained in leachate [49] and endocrine disrupting compounds, in particular BPA [50][51][52]. In addition to its endocrine disruption properties, BPA released from plastics in landfill has also been shown to lead to an increase in production of hydrogen sulphide by sulphate-reducing bacteria in soil populations [52].…”

“…In addition to its endocrine disruption properties, BPA released from plastics in landfill has also been shown to lead to an increase in production of hydrogen sulphide by sulphate-reducing bacteria in soil populations [52]. High concentrations of hydrogen sulphide are potentially lethal [52].…”

Physico-chemical properties of excavated plastic from landfill mining and current recycling routes

“…Microorganisms tend to attack the amorphous polymer structure while the crystalline component, characterised by slower degradation, is separated from the material structure (Shah et al, 2008). Moreover, the degradation of plastics releases pollutants into the air and leachate, such as benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzenes, trimethyl benzenes, bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenols (NP) (Teuten et al, 2009;Tsuchida et al, 2011;Urase et al, 2008;Webb et al, 2013;Xu et al, 2011).…”

“…Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) is one of the chemicals that can cause corrosion of plastics (Table 2). H₂S formation occurs in landfills when sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) convert sulphate (SO 4 2− ) to sulphite (SO 3 2− ), and this into sulphide (S 2-) and H₂S at low pH (Ko et al, 2015;Tsuchida et al, 2011). Different types of waste have an opposite effect on H2S production.…”

“…New waste has greater influence on the increase in the level of H2S than aged waste due to the decrease of sulphur compounds with time (Ko et al, 2015). Tsuchida et al (2011) remarked the use of some organic plastic additives such as phenols and organic phosphates as electron donors by SRB for H₂S production in inert waste landfills. In addition, SRB uses gypsum drywall, organic waste and sludge of wastewater treatment plants as a sulphur source in landfills in anaerobic condition (Ko et al, 2015).…”