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Glassy Powder Derived from Waste Printed Circuit Boards for Methylene Blue Adsorption.

Saad JavaidAlessandra ZanolettiAngela SerpeElza BontempiIvano AlessandriIrene Vassalini
Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2024)
Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world and Europe is classified as the first producer in terms of per capita amount. To reduce the environmental impact of e-waste, it is important to recycle it. This work shows the possibility of reusing glassy substrates, derived from the MW-assisted acidic leaching of Waste Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs), as an adsorbent material. The results revealed an excellent adsorption capability against methylene blue (MB; aqueous solutions in the concentration range 10 -5 M-2 × 10 -5 M, at pH = 7.5). Comparisons were performed with reference samples such as activated carbons (ACs), the adsorbent mostly used at the industrial level; untreated PCB samples; and ground glass slides. The obtained results show that MW-treated WPCB powder outperformed both ground glass and ground untreated PCBs in MB adsorption, almost matching AC adsorption. The use of this new adsorbent obtained through the valorization of e-waste offers advantages not only in terms of cost but also in terms of environmental sustainability.
Keyphrases
  • heavy metals
  • life cycle
  • sewage sludge
  • aqueous solution
  • municipal solid waste
  • risk assessment
  • acute coronary syndrome
  • human health
  • high resolution
  • single cell
  • low cost
  • simultaneous determination