COVID-19: Scientists invent technology to convert medical waste into energy

Scientists are planning to convert disposed and used masks into energy using new technology, that will then enable them to manufacture cost-effective batteries from medical waste, according to a study published in the Journal of Energy Storage on Thursday, Jan. 27. More than 130 billion masks are discarded every month, as the world continues to grapple with the novel COVID-19 pandemic and it’s the need of the hour to find a solution to be able to recycle these masks into raw materials, researchers stressed in the study. And do, scientists from the National University of Science and Technology “MISIS” and their colleagues from the US and Mexico developed an innovative way to manage and recycle PPE and the masks in order to reduce its hazardous impact on the environment. 

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has driven massive consumption of personal protective equipment (PPE) worldwide. Single-use face masks are one of the most used PPE to prevent the transmission of the virus. However, mismanagement of such materials threatens the environment with a new form of plastic pollution,” the scientists said in the study published in Journal of Energy Storage. 

Technology invented to 'reduce' the amount of solid waste from face masks

Researchers conducted an analysis to estimate daily face mask usage and the subsequent waste generation in Peru, a developing country struggling with a poor solid waste management framework and infrastructure. They left out the reusable masks but found that such a scenario significantly reduced the amount of solid waste generated in Peru. In the other case, researchers were shocked to note that the COVD-19 face masks have been adversely polluting the streets, and beaches of Peru, which was, in turn, worsened by the mismanagement and poor environmental awareness.

And so, they invented a technology that not only manufactured batteries from the discarded and used masks, but also found an innovative way to produce the waste drug blister packs which can be used as a shell. They would achieve this by extracting  graphene and producing thin, flexible batteries which are also easily disposable as they are cheap. 

“To create a battery of the supercapacitor type, the following algorithm is used: first the masks are disinfected with ultrasound, then dipped in ‘ink’ made of graphene, which saturates the mask,” Professor Anvar Zakhidov, scientific leader of the infrastructure project explains in the study. They go on to add that the material is then heated to 140°C and a separator which is made out of the mask and has insulating properties is carefully placed between the two electrodes. This is saturated with special electrolyte that is produced using the medical blister packs, such as paracetamol.

The new batteries that are manufactured with the masks have a high density of stored energy and electrical capacity compared with the traditional ones. “Long-term measures, including in post-pandemic scenarios, should develop environmental awareness and education in the population, especially in countries that lack appropriate waste management infrastructure,” scientists noted.