Behaviour of mono- and diesters of o-phthalic acid in leachates released during digestion of municipal solid waste under landfill conditions

In order-to investigate phthalates in landfill leachates, four landfill simulation reactors, filled with municipal solid waste from a housing area, were studied. Plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was added to two of the reactors. Two-reactors, one with and one without the additional PVC, were aerated for 3 months to achieve methanogenic conditions. The other two became acidogenic a few days after filling and closing. After approximately 3 years, the acidogenic waste became methanogenic. The leachates were analysed for phthalic acid diesters and their degradation products, phthalic acid monoesters and o-phthalic acid. The occurrence of monobenzyl phthalate (MbenzP) and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) showed that the diesters, butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), released from the PVC products had been transformed, and that they were not completely sorbed to particles or to the waste material. Monoesters were observed once methanogenic conditions were established. The monoesters and phthalic acid were present in concentrations several orders-of magnitude higher than the diesters themselves. Our results show that it is important to include monoesters in studies of the fate of diesters. To date, monoesters have been neglected in investigations of organic pollutants in landfill leachates. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science, Ltd. All rights reserved.