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

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