Waste to Wealth: E-waste Now as An Anti-Bacterial

by Tanya Thomas on  June 26, 2010 at 10:36 AM Environmental Health
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
Electronic waste, earlier an environmental hazard, has now been turned into an anti-microbial substance that can help destroy bacterial infections.

Researchers at the University of York's Department of Chemistry have found a way to turn electronic waste from LCD screens into an anti-microbial substance that destroys infections such as Escherichia coli, some strains of Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria.

A key element of LCD televisions is polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA), a chemical compound that is compatible with the human body, Discovery News reported.

Andrew Hunt and his colleagues had to cool and then heat PVA, dehydrate it with ethanol, and add a dash of silver nanoparticles to enhance the material's anti-microbial properties.

The final product could be used in hospital cleaning solutions to help to reduce infections.

According to a York University press release, the product "could also be used in pills and dressings that are designed to deliver drugs to particular parts of the body".

But Hunt and his team have confessed that more work needs to be done.

Regulatory agencies still must guarantee that silver nanoparticles are suitable for human health applications.

Source-ANI

 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X

Medwonders Health Network

  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
News Categories:  
Women's Health Center

Environmental Health Related News

» Nuclear Disasters Likely to Occur Once in 20 Years » Cut Down Seagrass Ecosystems to Liberate Carbon
» Research Shows Global Warming Intensifying Water Cycle » Future of Renewable Energy: Space-Based Solar Power?
» Earth Will Not be Able to Sustain Human Activity by 2030 » Fungus That Can Consume Discarded Plastic Discovered
» Prudent Intake Can Induce Dip in Carbon Footprint: Study » Study Links Air Pollution Level Changes in Beijing With Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers
Read More >>