Degradation of Polyvinyl Alcohol in US Wastewater Treatment Plants and Subsequent Nationwide Emission Estimate

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a water-soluble plastic commercially used in laundry and dish detergent pods (LDPs) for which a complete understanding of its fate in the environment and subsequent consequences is lacking. The objective of this study was to estimate the US nationwide emissions of PVA resulting from domestic use of LDPs, corroborated by a nationwide, online consumer survey and a literature review of its fate within conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Peer-reviewed publications focusing on the degradation of PVA in critical processes of WWTPs were shortlisted as a part of the literature review, and subsequent degradation data was extracted and applied to a model with a set of assumptions. Survey and model results estimated that approximately 17,200 ± 5000 metric ton units per year (mtu/yr) of PVA are used from LDPs in the US, with 10,500 ± 3000 mtu/yr reaching WWTPs. Literature review data, when incorporated into our model, resulted in ~61% of PVA ending up in the environment via the sludge route and ~15.7% via the aqueous phase. PVA presence in the environment, regardless of its matrix, is a threat to the ecosystem due to the potential mobilization of heavy metals and other hydrophilic contaminants.

Microbial Consortia and Mixed Plastic Waste: Pangenomic Analysis Reveals Potential for Degradation of Multiple Plastic Types via Previously Identified PET Degrading Bacteria

“…previously. PVA, a water-soluble plastic that is typically used in dish and laundry detergent “pods” and has been entering waterways and ecosystems due to unprecedented commercial use [ 66 , 67 ], was also predicted to be degradable by the full consortium.…”

Biodegradation of Biodegradable Polymers in Mesophilic Aerobic Environments

“…Due to its good adhesion to other hydrophilic surfaces, PVOH is used widely in emulsifiers, binders, and hydrogels for a broad range of industries, including textile, paper sizing, fabrics, and packaging films as a protective film for laundry and dish detergents [ 601 , 602 ]. The applications are not limited and extend to the biomedical, cosmetic, and food packaging industries [ 603 , 604 ].…”

Plastic Waste in India: overview, impact, and measures to mitigate: Review

“…Beyond the popular laundry and detergent packets, it is used in many households, biomedical (Bialik-Wąs et al 2021;Kamoun et al 2021), personal care, and industrial electronic applications (Hashim 2020), including food packaging (Amin et al 2020), textile yarns (Jhang et al 2021), paper products (Islam 2020), unit-dose pharmaceuticals (Nemati et al 2021), water treatment chemicals (Rolsky and Kelkar 2021), "artificial tears" used to treat dry eyes, contact lens lubricants (Yu et al 2020), transfer printing, agrochemicals, embroidery, and dust abatement (Islam 2020). Food-grade versions of the film are used to deliver premeasured quantities of grains, pasta, chocolate flavoring, and nutritional supplements (Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH, PVA, or PVAl) 2021)…”