Rodríguez Núria Boix, Formentini Giovanni, Favi Claudio, Marconi Marco
Department of Engineering and Architecture, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 181/A, 43124, Parma, Italy.
Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
Procedia CIRP. 2021;98:306-311. doi: 10.1016/j.procir.2021.01.108. Epub 2021 Mar 10.
In the present global health emergency, face masks play a key role in limiting the diffusion of the COVID-19 pandemic, by acting as physical barriers to avoid droplets and filtrate exhalations coming from infected subjects. Since the most widespread devices are disposable products made of plastic materials, this means that relevant quantities of fossil resources will be consumed, and huge amounts of wastes will be generated. The present paper aims to compare the environmental performances of five different typologies of face masks (i.e. 3D printed reusable mask with filter, surgical mask, filtering face-piece masks - FFPs with and without valve, washable masks), considering an average Italian use scenario and the whole mask lifecycle: materials, manufacturing processes, use, sanitization, and disposal. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology has been used to assess the environmental impacts in terms of both ReCiPe midpoints and endpoints. Reusable masks and masks with interchangeable filters could potentially contribute to improve the environmental performances in all the considered impact and damage categories. Eco-design actions can be developed starting from the study results.
在当前的全球卫生紧急情况中，口罩通过作为物理屏障来避免来自感染个体的飞沫和呼出物过滤，在限制新冠疫情传播方面发挥着关键作用。由于最普遍使用的口罩是由塑料材料制成的一次性产品，这意味着将消耗大量的化石资源，并产生大量废物。本文旨在比较五种不同类型口罩（即带过滤器的3D打印可重复使用口罩、医用口罩、有阀和无阀的过滤式面罩FFP、可清洗口罩）的环境绩效，考虑意大利的平均使用场景以及整个口罩生命周期：材料、制造过程、使用、消毒和处置。生命周期评估方法已用于根据ReCiPe中点和终点评估环境影响。可重复使用口罩和带有可互换过滤器的口罩有可能在所有考虑的影响和损害类别中有助于改善环境绩效。可以根据研究结果开展生态设计行动。
