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

Electronic waste, which can be an environmental hazard to the soil, has now been turned into an anti-microbial substance that can help destroy bacterial infections.

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.

Health Risk High from Toxic Electronic Waste
A United Nations report released on Monday says that environmental and health hazards from electronic waste are high in developing countries

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.

US Electronic Waste Polluting the Environment in India, China and Nigeria
Computers, televisions, cell phones discarded by Americans land up in countries like China, India and Nigeria. Workers there are exposed to a variety of toxic chemicals.

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.

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

Source-ANI

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