via Heriot-Watt University
The Covid-19 pandemic created an explosion in the use of disposable face masks around the globe.
This added to the already significant amount of PPE waste generated by hospitals and in other medical settings.
Researchers from Heriot-Watt University have developed a process that degrades a common face mask using the power of fresh air and 200W of electricity – about the same as a small microwave.
Our low-power air plasma method efficiently degrades surgical masks in four hours, so that 90% of the mask is gone.
The team’s findings are reported in the academic journal Materials Degradation.
Dr Humphrey Yiu, assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University, said: “PPE from the healthcare sector has always been a waste challenge. It’s high-volume and must be treated as biohazardous waste, which means it is incinerated.
“Incineration is expensive and not environmentally friendly – reaching the high temperatures required, over a long period of time, uses a lot of energy and generates a significant amount of pollutants.
“We proved that our small-scale, cold plasma system can degrade single-use face masks, the use of which has exploded since the pandemic. They are still widely used around the world.
“Our low-power air plasma method efficiently degrades surgical masks in four hours, so that 90% of the mask is gone.”
The Heriot-Watt air plasma system is mains-powered and produces a highly reactive environment rich in oxygen atoms that etches the plastics in the mask and eventually converts them into carbon dioxide and water.
Professor Martin McCoustra, who specialises in complex surfaces research, said: “Plasma is already used to decontaminate surfaces as it destroys biological materials like bacteria and viruses as easily as any plastic.
“In this work, we’ve gone beyond simple decontamination to actually break down waste material by exposing the waste to the plasma for longer and at higher applied powers.
The small-scale system has limitations, the researchers point out.
Dr Humphrey Yiu said: “The ear loops on the masks were extremely stubborn, we could only degrade those by 9%.
“Our focus now is scaling up the system to prove that the system could work at the hospital scale. We’d like to develop models that could be installed in hospital wards or GP practice rooms, or work at the hospital scale, where hundreds of tons of PPE need to be destroyed.”
Dr Yiu and the team are applying for funding for the next stage of the research.
Original Article: Fresh air and cold plasma could break down hospital PPE waste
More from: Heriot-Watt University
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
PPE waste disposal
- USDA, HHS Announce New Actions to Reduce Impact and Spread of H5N1
Additional details on how producers can access and apply for the financial tools is forthcoming.
- New book takes on the dangers of radioactivity in the oil and gas industry
Waste from the oil and gas industry plays a central role in science journalist Justin Nobel‘s new book "Petroleum-238: Big Oil’s Dangerous Secret and the Grassroots Fight to Stop It." ...
- How is CT keeping milk safe from bird flu— and preparing for a potential human pandemic?
Connecticut is more prepared to address bird flu than it was for COVID-19, experts say. But questions still remain about state and federal preparedness.
- USDA expands resources for dairy farms affected by avian flu
The Agriculture Department is making a wide range of resources available to dairy farmers whose herds are affected by avian flu, including reimbursing them for the cost of personal protective ...
- Discover CoBUILD-19: The Innovative Brainchild of DLSU-D SHS Students Transforming PPE Waste into Concrete Strength
It’s cheaper than current waste disposal methods, and its production can reduce PPE waste and the demand for natural resources. “We have a program we call an incubator program in which we ...
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Air plasma system
- NASA’s Plasma Rocket Could Reach Mars in 2 Months
In our top stories this week, reporter Passant Rabie describes in in-development rocket engine that NASA could eventually use to reach Mars in two months. Reporter Isaac Schultz details the severe ...
- PYRGF PyroGenesis Canada Inc.
It provides plasma torches and plasma torch systems used toreplace fossil fuel burners in industrial iron ore pelletization process; plasma arc waste destruction systems for waste destruction ...
- US Medical Innovations Secures FDA Clearance for Canady Helios Cold Plasma™ Ablation System
The Canady Helios Cold Plasma™ System introduces a novel approach to soft tissue ablation using plasma. The system creates a plasma jet consisting of a pre-programmed, pulsed, non-contact ...
- Aurora Plasma Collection System from Fresenius Kabi
Aurora™ is the automated system that streamlines plasma collection, producing virtually cell-free plasma and providing an improved experience for both operators and donors. The system separates ...
- NASA plasma propulsion project promises Mars in a flash
System would also make it easier to transport much heavier spacecraft Engineering research outfit Howe Industries is working with NASA to develop a new plasma-based propulsion system that might help ...