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

Single-use baby diapers belongs to an important group of products used in the parenting journey because of their high performance and convenience. Single-use baby diapers are normally thrown away after one-time use, resulting in a waste management problem. The goal of this paper was to better understand main environmental concerns of different types of diapers and address how to reduce them, with a special consideration of waste management strategies and user behaviour practices. Furthermore, health and environmental hazards potentially associated with materials included in diapers, or substances formed from diapers during the waste treatment stage, are also analysed (e.g., phthalates, pesticides, dioxins, pesticides). Three main types of baby diapers have been analysed: single-use baby diapers, reusable baby diapers, and biodegradable single-use diapers. Each type of diaper comes with technical characteristics and environmental concerns and challenges, which are discussed in this paper to support the development of measures for the safe(r) and sustainable design, use and end of life management of baby diapers.

Durability of smartphones: A technical analysis of reliability and repairability aspects.

Smartphones are available on the market with a variety of design characteristics and purchase prices. Recent trends show that their replacement cycle has become on average shorter than two years, which comes with environmental impacts that could be mitigated through a prolonged use of such devices. This paper analyses limiting states and design trends affecting the durability of smartphones, and identifies reliability and repairability measures to extend the product lifetime. Technical trade-offs between reliability and repairability aspects are also discussed. Smartphones are often replaced prematurely because of socio-economic and technical reasons. Specific hardware parts (e.g. display, battery, back cover), as well as software, can be critical. Improving the reliability of smartphones can reduce the occurrence of early replacements. Apart from the bottom-line consideration of reliability aspects for electronics, this can be pursued through the design of devices which: i) are resistant to mechanical stresses; ii) implement durable batteries; iii) offer sufficient adaptability to future conditions of use (e.g. in terms of software/firmware updates, memory and storage capacity). However, if and when failures occur, repairs have to be rapid and economically viable. This can be facilitated through modular design concepts, ease of disassembly of key parts, availability of spare parts and repair services. As common elements of the two strategies, easily-available instructions on use, maintenance and repair are also needed. The analysis of devices on the market suggests that it is possible to design satisfactorily reliable devices without compromising repairability excessively. However, trade-offs between these two aspects can occur. Considerations about reliability and/or repairability should be integrated in the design of all smartphones. The findings of this paper can be used by decision makers (e.g. manufacturers, designers, consumers and policy makers) interested in enhancing the durability of smartphones. This is particularly timely considering the policy attention on smartphones at the EU level.

Durability of washing machines under real life conditions: Definition and application of a testing procedure.

One of the global challenges of our economy is to meet the demand of a growing population while reducing resource consumption and waste production. This means moving from a linear to a more circular economy model, in which the design of more durable products plays a key role. From a technical perspective, product design needs to be supported by sound testing methods. However, repeatable and reproducible methods for testing product durability under real-life stress conditions are often not available, as in the case of washing machines. The overall objective of this study is to make further progress in the know-how relating to the durability testing of washing machines. A procedure is developed which: 1) consists of washing and spinning cycles, thus imposing thermal and mechanical stresses typically occurring in household washing machines; 2) can be used to monitor the performance of the appliances over time with limited testing burdens. The procedure was applied in a trial with two washing machines for a simulated usage period of two years. Results imply that the procedure can be suitable for evaluating the occurrence of early failures in laboratory testing. The study also provides indications for the further analysis of the repeatability and reproducibility of the test procedure, as well as investigating the consequences associated with longer testing periods. However, a comprehensive assessment of these aspects was not possible in this study. All in all, this guidance could be used by manufacturers and consumer-focussed testing organisations for the assessment and verification of the durability of washing machines, as well as being used to develop standard testing methods for the potential implementation of ecodesign/labelling measures for washing machines.

Bio-oils from biomass slow pyrolysis: a chemical and toxicological screening.

Bio-oils were produced from bench-scale slow-pyrolysis of three different biomass samples (corn stalks, poplar and switchgrass). Experimental protocols were developed and applied in order to screen their chemical composition. Several hazardous compounds were detected in the bio-oil samples analysed, including phenols, furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A procedure was outlined and applied to the assessment of toxicological and carcinogenic hazards of the bio-oils. The following hazardous properties were considered: acute toxicity; ecotoxicity; chronic toxicity; carcinogenicity. Parameters related to these properties were quantified for each component identified in the bio-oils and overall values were estimated for the bio-oils. The hazard screening carried out for the three bio-oils considered suggested that: (i) hazards to human health could be associated with chronic exposures to the bio-oils; (ii) acute toxic effects on humans and eco-toxic effects on aquatic ecosystems could also be possible in the case of loss of containment; and (iii) bio-oils may present a marginal potential carcinogenicity. The approach outlined allows the collection of screening information on the potential hazards posed by the bio-oils. This can be particularly useful when limited time and analytical resources reduce the possibility to obtain detailed specific experimental data.

Thermal degradation of Fenitrothion: identification and eco-toxicity of decomposition products.

The thermal decomposition of Fenitrothion [phosphorothioic acid O,O-diethyl O-(3-methyl-4-nitrophenyl) ester] was investigated. Results obtained by different scale calorimetric techniques show that the thermal decomposition of Fenitrothion involves two main steps. Intermediate and final thermal degradation products formed during isothermal and adiabatic thermal decomposition experiments were identified. The eco-toxicological profile of the decomposition products was assessed experimentally and compared to results obtained with a predictive software (ECOSAR). A specific index was defined to assess the change in ecotoxicity profile of decomposition products with respect to the original compound.