End-of-life management of single-use baby diapers: Analysis of technical, health and environment aspects

Płotka‐Wasylka, Justyna; Makoś, Patrycja; Kurowska-Susdorf, Aleksandra; Treviño, María José Santoyo; Guzmán, Sergio Zarazúa; Mostafa, Hisham; Cordella, Mauro

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155339

Cited by 26 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Superabsorbents of petrochemical origin are usually obtained by free-radical polymerization of vinylic monomers with multifunctional cross-linkers. Synthetic polymers present drawbacks such as nonrecyclability, high market price, energy-consuming synthesis processes, toxicity of trace initiators and unreacted monomers, and environmental concerns. , In comparison, natural SAPs are prepared from polysaccharides such as chitin, chitosan, ,, cellulose, , starch, agarose, alginates, tragacanth, , tamarind, and carrageenan . They are in great demand in the market due to the continuous increase in the global population and the average age of people.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthesis, Characterization, and Swelling Properties of a New Highly Absorbent Hydrogel Based on Carboxymethyl Guar Gum Reinforced with Bentonite and Silica Particles for Disposable Hygiene Products

et al. 2022

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Superabsorbent polymers derived from petroleum have been widely used as the primary component of high-water-absorption disposable sanitary products. However, environmental concerns as well as unstable market prices influence the quality of disposable hygiene products. The development of superabsorbent polymers from natural, non-petroleum-derived materials has become more predominant. In the present study, two borax-cross-linked carboxymethyl guar-based superabsorbents with bentonite (CMG-Bt) and fumed silica particle reinforcement (CMG-Bt-Si) were synthesized. The materials have been fully characterized by various techniques. The swelling behavior was studied through free swelling capacity (FSC) and centrifuge retention capacity (CRC). The swelling kinetics and urea absorption capacity were further analyzed. The effects of the cross-linking ratio, mineral clay, silica particles, and pH of the liquids on the swelling properties of the superabsorbents have been studied. The incorporation of silica particles demonstrated a positive effect on water uptake reaching 78.63 and 41.09 g/g of FSC and CRC, respectively, at an optimum pH of 6.8. The optimum swelling kinetics were attributed to CMG-Bt-Si of 5 wt % silica particle content, indicating a velocity parameter (ζ) of 41 s in saline solution. Finally, the highest swelling values were obtained at 10, 10, and 5 wt % for the cross-linking ratio, bentonite content, and silica particle content, respectively; in addition, the absorption of urea by the CMG-Bt-Si material was also confirmed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthesis, Characterization, and Swelling Properties of a New Highly Absorbent Hydrogel Based on Carboxymethyl Guar Gum Reinforced with Bentonite and Silica Particles for Disposable Hygiene Products

et al. 2022

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“…DDs are also associated with environmental concerns, such as water, air, and soil pollution, resource consumption, and waste production. Some studies have estimated that more than 22 kg of petroleum and 136 kg of wood are needed to produce DDs for one baby per year ( 35 , 36 ). Because of their relatively high price, biodegradable single-use diapers are the choice of few families ( 37 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delayed elimination communication is a crucial factor in disposable diaper dependence in Chinese preschool-aged children

Mao

et al. 2023

Front. Pediatr.

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PurposeElimination communication (EC) is considered to be a milestone in a child's development. Nowadays, a trend toward an older age at EC initiation has been observed globally, probably due to the convenience of disposable diaper use in daily life. The study aimed to identify potential risk factors for disposable diaper dependence (DDD) and evaluate whether an early/proper EC can reduce the risk of DDD among children in China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed on 13,500 children in mainland China from October 2019 to March 2020. An anonymous questionnaire was used to collect information including the sociodemographic characteristics, details about DDD and EC, and the effect of DDD on the quality of life of children. Data were analyzed by SPSS and R software.ResultsThe overall prevalence of DDD was 4.17% (4.31% in boys; 4.02% in girls) and decreased with age, from 8.71% at 2 years to 0.73% at 6 years (χ2trend = 210.392, P < 0.001). In univariable analysis, age, location or EC were associated with DDD. Four independent factors—age, location (urban), caregivers with high education levels (junior college or above) and delayed EC (after 12 months of age)—were identified to be significantly associated with DDD risk in logistic regression model. Compared with EC onset after 12 months of age, EC onset before 12 months of age was associated with a 79.6% (model 2) reduction in DDD. Four independent factors were selected to establish the nomogram for DDD based on the results of logistic regression analysis. The C-index (0.770) and the AUC (>0.7) indicated satisfactory discriminative ability of the nomogram. The calibration diagrams showed favorable consistency between the prediction of the nomogram and actual observations.ConclusionOur findings indicate the joint contribution of age, location, caregivers’ education level and EC to DDD in Chinese preschool-aged children. Timely cessation of the use of disposable diapers and early/proper EC may help to reduce the risk of DDD in children.

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“…This fibre is then washed twice using The shredding of used diapers is an important initial step to facilitate the process of used diapers' raw materials separation [8,10]. Due to the fact that the used diapers have already contained a fairly large amount of liquid, which is around 79% [8], the addition of water should be minimised [11]. The addition of a large amount of water increases the load on the next process due to the large amount of water should be removed from the process as well.…”

Section: Description Of the Recycling Process At Bsbmentioning

confidence: 99%

The evaluation of the used diapers recycling process in Bank Sampah Bersinar

Indriati

Wattimena²,

Febriyanti

et al. 2023

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Disposal of used diapers causes environmental pollution problems. Bank Sampah Bersinar, which is located in Bale Endah, Kabupaten Bandung, West Java Province, Indonesia, has made an effort to recycle used diapers and has been operating since 2021 with a capacity of around 5 tonnes of used diapers per month. The process is started by shredding the used diapers and separating the plastic fraction. The fibre and super absorbent polymer (SAP) slurry are then cooked at about 85 °C and squeezed to separate the SAP gel. The fibre resting in the laundry bag is washed and then sun-dried. The performance of the process has been evaluated and reported in this paper. The recycling efficiency of fibre and plastic was around 1.12% and 31.9%, respectively. The highest loss occurred in the shredder, i.e., about 51% of the material was left in the bottom of the shredder. Both recycled fibre and plastic fractions still contained contaminants. The recycled plastic fraction was difficult to dry since it was contaminated by SAP gel. Three washing methods of recycled plastic have been tried. The recycled plastic fraction with 6–10% of moisture was obtained by using the counter-current washing system. About 73% of recycled fibre was categorised as long fibres, longer than 2 mm. However, the fibre fraction still contained plastic flakes contaminants. The cooking process at 180 °C reduced the number of microorganisms in the fibre fraction effectively. The recycling process still needs to be improved, especially to reduce material loss and get cleaner fibre and plastic fractions.

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End-of-life management of single-use baby diapers: Analysis of technical, health and environment aspects

Cited by 26 publications

References 80 publications

Synthesis, Characterization, and Swelling Properties of a New Highly Absorbent Hydrogel Based on Carboxymethyl Guar Gum Reinforced with Bentonite and Silica Particles for Disposable Hygiene Products

Synthesis, Characterization, and Swelling Properties of a New Highly Absorbent Hydrogel Based on Carboxymethyl Guar Gum Reinforced with Bentonite and Silica Particles for Disposable Hygiene Products

Delayed elimination communication is a crucial factor in disposable diaper dependence in Chinese preschool-aged children

The evaluation of the used diapers recycling process in Bank Sampah Bersinar

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