Long term behaviour of poly(vinyl chloride) products under soil buried and landfill conditions

Abstract

The long term performance of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) products has been investigated in laboratory scale landfill simulation assays. Leachate and gas were monitored and PVC samples were inspected. No degradation of the PVC polymer was observed. Plasticised PVC products showed a certain loss of additives. In addition, leachate samples from actual landfill sites were analysed for phthalates and organotin compounds. A preliminary assessment of the environmental impact indicates that there is no significant contribution of PVC waste to concentrations of heavy metals in landfills, and the presence of phthalates and organotin compounds in the leachate is not expected to constitute a risk to the aquatic environment.