Inadequate municipal solid waste management and occurrence of phthalate esters in soil in Serbia

An increase in urban population and the rising demand for food and other essentials, perpetuate a rise in the amount of waste being generated daily by each household. In the Republic of Serbia, landfilling is the principal action for the municipal solid waste disposal. Landfills receive plenty of plastic waste generated from daily usage. Municipal solid waste in landfills may act as a reservior of microplastics (MPs) and related pollutants such as phthalate esters (PAEs) into surrounding environment. This study illustrated considerable PAEs levels from an uncontrolled landfill without adequate protection, possibly contributing to their release into the environment in the Republic of Serbia.