The introduction to the market of wet wipes, advertised and labelled as "flushable", has been the subject of controversy due to their perceived potential to block sewer systems as observed with other non-woven cloths such as traditional non-flushable wipes. Non-woven cloths that enter wastewater systems can find their way into the aquatic environment via wastewater effluents and it has been suggested that the breakdown of these fabrics can release materials such as microplastics into the environment. Worldwide research has revealed the alarming number of aquatic organisms affected by the presence of plastic debris in the aquatic environment harbouring a potential risk to humans through the introduction of microplastics into the food chains. However, the actual material composition of flushable wipes, their fate and impacts in the aquatic environment have not yet been scientifically studied. This paper investigates the fibre composition of flushable and non-flushable wipes, specifically with regard to synthetic polymer material, using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and microRaman spectroscopy along with fluorescence microscopy. The study demonstrated the presence of polyester (polyethylene terephthalate, (PET)), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene/vinyl acetate (PEVA/EVA) in some flushable wipes and PET in all non-flushable. Other polymers such us polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyurethane (PU) were also identified as potential components in the flushable material. Hence, commercially available wet wipes labelled as flushable could also be considered as a possible source of microplastic fibres in the wastewater streams and, if not retained, in the environment.

Health effects related to the plastic content of disposable period products have not been recognized or scientifically addressed. To begin to understand their potential impact on the environment and human...

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Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are part of everyday items such as cellular phones and computers, and they constitute a significant proportion of e-waste. PCBs contain hazardous components but also valuable and critical materials such as copper, gold, silver and rare earth elements. Rare earth elements (REE) are crucial to modern hardware and due to their increasing demand and high supply risk, they are now considered to be amongst the most critical elements in the world. In this research, WPCBs were supplied by local recycling companies after crushing/grinding process and metal analysis of the material was carried out. The concentration of the REE and their distributions in particle sizes is determined, and the potential of WPCBs for REE bioleaching is also discussed.