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Waste respirator processing system for public health protection and climate change mitigation under COVID-19 pandemic: Novel process design and energy, environmental, and techno-economic perspectives

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  • Zhao, Xiang
  • You, Fengqi

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic leads to a surge on consumption of respirators. This study proposes a novel and effective waste respirator processing system for protecting public health and mitigating climate change. Respirator sterilization and pre-processing technologies are included in the system to resist viral infection and facilitate unit processes for respirator pyrolysis, product separation, and downstream processing for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. We evaluate the system’s environmental performance through high-fidelity process simulations and detailed life cycle assessment. Techno-economic analysis results show that the payback time of the waste respirator processing system is seven years with an internal rate of return of 21.5%. The tipping fee and discount rate are the most influential economic factors. Moreover, the unit life cycle GHG emissions from the waste respirator processing system are 12.93 kg CO2-eq per thousand waste respirators treated, which reduces GHG emissions by 59.08% compared to incineration-based system so as to mitigate climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhao, Xiang & You, Fengqi, 2021. "Waste respirator processing system for public health protection and climate change mitigation under COVID-19 pandemic: Novel process design and energy, environmental, and techno-economic perspectives," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:283:y:2021:i:c:s0306261920315452
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.116129
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    1. Zhou, Jianzhao & Ayub, Yousaf & Shi, Tao & Ren, Jingzheng & He, Chang, 2024. "Sustainable co-valorization of medical waste and biomass waste: Innovative process design, optimization and assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    2. Shi, Tao & Zhou, Jianzhao & Ren, Jingzheng & Ayub, Yousaf & Yu, Haoshui & Shen, Weifeng & Li, Qiao & Yang, Ao, 2023. "Co-valorisation of sewage sludge and poultry litter waste for hydrogen production: Gasification process design, sustainability-oriented optimization, and systematic assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    3. Magdalena Skrzyniarz & Marcin Sajdak & Monika Zajemska & Józef Iwaszko & Anna Biniek-Poskart & Andrzej Skibiński & Sławomir Morel & Paweł Niegodajew, 2022. "Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Tao, Yanqiu & You, Fengqi, 2021. "Can decontamination and reuse of N95 respirators during COVID-19 pandemic provide energy, environmental, and economic benefits?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).

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