Chemicals Discharged from a Compactor for Used Plastic Containers and Packages

Abstract

Chemicals that were discharged from a compactor for used plastic containers and packages regulated by Japanese Law for the Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling of Containers and Packages, were measured in seasonally for one year at 3 medium-scale facilities. Among 39 kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOC) measured, chloromethane, 1,3-butadiene and styrene were detected at high concentrations, because chloromethane is used as foaming additive for plastics, styrene and 1,3-butadiene are raw materials for polystyrene (PS) and high-impact PS (HIPS). Detected concentrations of diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), bis-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) and bis-2-ethylhexyl phthalate(DEHP) in front of the compactor device were 2 to 120 times higher than the concentrations at the site boundary. However, 24-hour monitoring concentrations of VOC and phthalates at a site boundary went within the range of monitoring results of hazardous air pollutants measured by several local public bodies.