WITHDRAWN: How Flushable Wet Wipes Are Causing Sewer Blockages – and An Approach to Prevent That

Abstract

Scientific publications and newsfeeds recently focused on flushable wet wipes and their role in sewage system blockages. It is stated that although products are marked as flushable, they do not disintegrate after being disposed of via the toilet. In this work it is shown that wetlaid hydroentangled wet wipes lose their initially good dispersive properties during their storage in wet condition. This behaviour is found for both, wet wipes from industrial production and wipes produced on pilot facilities. It is demonstrated that the deterioration of the wipe’s ability to disintegrate during wet storage is linked to the type of cellulosic fibres used. Only wipes made from a combination of band-shaped viscose fibres and unbleached softwood pulp fibres were preserving good disintegration during wet storage. The results are also suggesting to add tests after defined times of wet storage when assessing the flushability of wet wipes.