pictos_nano_animations  pictos_nano_videos  pictos_nano_cartoons  pictos_nano_quiz
 animations  videos  cartoons  quiz

Waste elimination

What are the ways of elimination?

The sectors of elimination (recycling, compost, treatment of special waste and incineration) apply in:

  • waste of production of the industries manufacturer of nanoparticles or those using nanoparticles, as raw material (industry of the painting, the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, electronic,…),
  • waste of research laboratories,
  • household waste.

The NanoFlueGas project, launched in 2011, deals with end-of-life material safety, in particular the incineration sector.

The recycling

The nanomaterial exposure potential risks depend on the specific recycling operations of the wastes. The grinding operations, heat treatment or shredding  unrealized in a vacuum may generate important risks.

During the waste recycling process, three types of exposure should be considered:

  • exposures to nano-objects present in liquid media (water, solvent,…) following the cleaning of recycling equipment or products before mechanical recycling,…
  • exposures to nano-objects produced in the combustion gases or in ambient air with thermal processes (pyrolysis, heating, soldering),
  • exposures to fine or ultra-fine dusts containing loose nano-objects emitted during transportation, sorting, shredding,…

At the present time, nanomaterial containing products and products containing no nanomaterial are recycled in the same time. In addition, the recycling techniques used don’t take into account nanomaterial specific potential risks from wastes.

Engineered nanomaterial mass transferred to the recycling system in tons/y by product category [A. Caballero-Guzman et al., Waste Management 36 (2015) 33-43].