Swinnerton S, Kurtz K, Nforsoh S Neba, Craver V, Tsai C
Environmental Health Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
J Clean Prod. 2024 Oct 20;477. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143818. Epub 2024 Sep 28.
The rapid escalation of plastic production has prompted researchers to seek innovative and sustainable methods for recycling plastic waste to prevent its accumulation in landfills and mitigate its adverse effects on the environment and human health. One way is by incorporating plastic waste into construction materials. This study imparts a review on the application of plastic waste in the production of construction bricks through mechanical recycling processes, with a specific focus on compiling information on the manufacturing process as well as identifying potential emissions, occupational health hazards, and environmental risks. Through a review of 100 existing empirical studies, including those available in open-access journals specifically relevant to the study's focus, it became evident that there is limited research investigating the emissions, occupational health impacts, and environmental risks associated with the production of bricks from plastic waste. Due to this information gap, the study extrapolated health risks and environmental impacts from comparable mechanical recycling processes. Our findings indicated that the manufacturing process, which consists of plastic collection, sorting, washing, drying, shredding, melting or extrusion, cooling, and molding, is likely to emit several air pollutants, including but not limited to heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds. Individuals involved in the production of plastic-waste bricks likely face a heightened risk of adverse health outcomes, particularly in settings where appropriate safety measures and control mechanisms are lacking. While the scientific literature currently offers a limited examination of the environmental impacts stemming from these pollutants, the research identified significant concerns related to microplastic presence in wastewater and heavy metal contamination in nearby soil and sediments. This study recommends that small-scale recycling operations mandate the use of personal protective equipment, implement adequate control strategies such as general and local ventilation systems, and prioritize the recycling of plastics known to pose minimal risks to human health. There is a pressing need for further research to accurately characterize the emissions produced during the manufacturing process and to comprehensively evaluate the consequent health and environmental hazards.
塑料产量的迅速增长促使研究人员寻求创新且可持续的方法来回收塑料垃圾，以防止其在垃圾填埋场堆积，并减轻其对环境和人类健康的不利影响。一种方法是将塑料垃圾纳入建筑材料中。本研究对通过机械回收工艺将塑料垃圾应用于建筑砖生产进行了综述，特别关注汇编制造过程的信息以及识别潜在排放物、职业健康危害和环境风险。通过对100项现有实证研究的综述，包括开放获取期刊中与该研究重点特别相关的研究，很明显，关于塑料垃圾制砖生产过程中相关排放物、职业健康影响和环境风险的研究有限。由于这一信息空白，该研究从类似的机械回收过程中推断出健康风险和环境影响。我们的研究结果表明，制造过程包括塑料收集、分类、清洗、干燥、粉碎、熔化或挤出、冷却和成型，可能会排放多种空气污染物，包括但不限于重金属、持久性有机污染物、颗粒物和挥发性有机化合物。参与塑料垃圾砖生产的人员可能面临更高的不良健康后果风险，尤其是在缺乏适当安全措施和控制机制的环境中。虽然目前科学文献对这些污染物产生的环境影响研究有限，但该研究确定了与废水中微塑料存在以及附近土壤和沉积物中重金属污染相关的重大问题。本研究建议小规模回收作业强制使用个人防护设备，实施适当的控制策略，如全面通风和局部通风系统，并优先回收已知对人类健康风险最小的塑料。迫切需要进一步研究，以准确描述制造过程中产生的排放物，并全面评估由此产生的健康和环境危害。
