Amid COVID-19, there have been rampant increase in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits by frontline health and sanitation communities, to reduce the likelihoods of infections. The used PPE kits, potentially being infectious, pose a threat to human health, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems, if not scientifically handled and disposed. However, with stressed resources on treatment facilities and lack of training to the health and sanitation workers, it becomes vital to vet different options for PPE kits disposal, to promote environmentally sound management of waste. Given the various technology options available for treatment and disposal of COVID-19 patients waste, Life Cycle Assessment, i.e., cradle to grave analysis of PPE provides essential guidance in identifying the environmentally sound alternatives. In the present work, Life Cycle Assessment of PPE kits has been performed using GaBi version 8.7 under two disposal scenarios, namely landfill and incineration (both centralized and decentralized) for six environmental impact categories covering overall impacts on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which includes Global Warming Potential (GWP), Human Toxicity Potential (HTP), Eutrophication Potential (EP), Acidification Potential (AP), Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity Potential (FAETP) and Photochemical Ozone Depletion Potential (POCP). Considering the inventories of PPE kits, disposal of PPE bodysuit has the maximum impact, followed by gloves and goggles, in terms of GWP. The use of metal strips in face-mask has shown the most significant HTP impact. The incineration process (centralized−3816 kg CO2 eq. and decentralized−3813 kg CO2 eq.) showed high GWP but significantly reduced impact w.r.t. AP, EP, FAETP, POCP and HTP, when compared to disposal in a landfill, resulting in the high overall impact of landfill disposal compared to incineration. The decentralized incineration has emerged as environmentally sound management option compared to centralized incinerator among all the impact categories, also the environmental impact by transportation is significant (2.76 kg CO2 eq.) and cannot be neglected for long-distance transportation. Present findings can help the regulatory authority to delineate action steps for safe disposal of PPE kits.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 制造另一个问题？通过 LCA 方法处理 PPE 的可持续解决方案

在 COVID-19 期间，前线卫生和卫生社区使用个人防护设备 (PPE) 套件的情况急剧增加，以减少感染的可能性。使用过的 PPE 套件可能具有传染性，如果不进行科学处理和处置，将对人类健康、陆地和海洋生态系统构成威胁。然而，由于处理设施资源紧张，卫生和环卫工人缺乏培训，审查个人防护装备包处理的不同选择，以促进废物的环境无害管理变得至关重要。鉴于可用于治疗和处置 COVID-19 患者废物的各种技术选择，生命周期评估（即 PPE 从摇篮到坟墓的分析）为确定无害环境的替代品提供了基本指导。在目前的工作中，PPE 套件的生命周期评估已使用 GaBi 8.7 版在两种处置情景下进行，即垃圾填埋和焚烧（集中式和分散式），针对六个环境影响类别，涵盖对陆地和海洋生态系统的总体影响，其中包括全球变暖潜能值 (GWP) )、人类毒性潜力 (HTP)、富营养化潜力 (EP)、酸化潜力 (AP)、淡水水生生态毒性潜力 (FAETP) 和光化学臭氧消耗潜力 (POCP)。考虑到 PPE 套件的库存，就 GWP 而言，PPE 紧身衣裤的处置影响最大，其次是手套和护目镜。在面罩中使用金属条已显示出最显着的 HTP 影响。焚烧过程（集中式-3816 kg CO2 eq. 和分散式-3813 kg CO2 eq. ) 显示出较高的 GWP，但与垃圾填埋场处理相比，AP、EP、FAETP、POCP 和 HTP 的影响显着降低，导致垃圾填埋场处理与焚烧相比具有较高的整体影响。在所有影响类别中，与集中式焚化炉相比，分散式焚烧已成为环境无害化管理选择，而且运输对环境的影响很大（2.76 kg CO2 eq.），对于长途运输也不容忽视。目前的调查结果可以帮助监管机构确定安全处置 PPE 套件的行动步骤。在所有影响类别中，与集中式焚化炉相比，分散式焚烧已成为环境无害化管理选择，而且运输对环境的影响很大（2.76 kg CO2 eq.），对于长途运输也不容忽视。目前的调查结果可以帮助监管机构确定安全处置 PPE 套件的行动步骤。在所有影响类别中，与集中式焚化炉相比，分散式焚烧已成为环境无害化管理选择，而且运输对环境的影响很大（2.76 kg CO2 eq.），对于长途运输也不容忽视。目前的调查结果可以帮助监管机构确定安全处置 PPE 套件的行动步骤。