Table 1. Food Packaging Materials Selected for Study of PFAS Release in Landfill Simulation Reactorsa.
| reactor group | no. of reactors | test material descriptionb,c |
|---|---|---|
| high F | 1 | popcorn bags 1–6 brands of microwavable popcorn bagsc |
| 1 | popcorn bags 2–2 brands of microwavable popcorn bagsc | |
| 1 | compostable bowls (1 brand)* | |
| 1 | biodegradable boxes (1 brand)* | |
| 1 | bagasse (sugar cane residue) containers (1 brand) | |
| 3 (designated a, b, c) | natural plates (1 brand)* | |
| 1 | eco-friendly plates (sugar fiber is made with 100% nontoxic plant byproduct material) (1 brand) | |
| low Fd | 2 (designated a, b) | paper plates + eco-friendly food trays (≥18% recycled wood fiber content) + poly coated freezer paper |
| control | 2 | Whatman #2 filter paper |
| MSW-May | 2 (designated a, b) | fresh residential MSW collected May 2022 |
| MSW-August | 2 (designated a, b) | fresh residential MSW collected August 2022 |
a
A list of all materials screened is given in Table S1.
b
The material descriptions match the manner in which each material is marketed. Some materials are described by function (e.g., paper plate), while others are marketed as having a characteristic that is presumed desirable from an environmental perspective (e.g., eco-friendly food tray). A * by a test material means that the attribute describing the material has been certified by a testing agency. For example, compostable bowls were certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute.
c
Materials were collected in 2021 with the exception of a second set of microwavable popcorn bags that was collected in 2022.
d
The three low F materials were combined and tested in duplicate reactors.