Disposal/Recycling of Nanomaterials:

Advancing the Eco-Responsible Design and Disposal of Engineered Nanomaterials

An International WorkshopMarch 9-10, 2009

Rice University, Houston, Texas

Presented by:Golam Mustafa, Ph.D.

US EPA Region 6Dallas, Texas

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Presentation Outline

• Focus of Waste Disposal/Recycling

• Waste Management and Regulations

• Nano Waste and Possible Regulations

• Information Needed for Nanomaterials Disposal/Recycling

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** How EPA currently deals with waste

• Generator/Hauler

• Transfer Station / Material Recovery Facility (MRF)

• Recycler / End User

• Permitted Solid Waste / Hazardous Waste / Other Special Waste Facilities

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** One Possible Pathway for Hazardous Waste

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Copper slag can be used for road base and sub-base construction

Finished roadCopper Slag at Chino Mine New Mexico and Miami Smelter in Arizona

** Ancillary Waste - Copper Slag

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** Ancillary Wastes – Silver and Gold Slags

Silver Slag Gold Slag

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Traditional Waste Cycle

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Current Waste Cycle

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What do we mean by Nanomaterials Waste Streams?

• Pure Nanomaterials Manufactured (e.g., Carbon Nanotubes).

• Nano By-products with organic or inorganic.

• Liquid Suspensions Containing Nanomaterials.

• Items Contaminated with Nanomaterials (e.g., Wipes/PPE).

• Solid matrixes with Nanomaterials.

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** Nano Containing End-Products

Electronics

Food Baby Products

Batteries Appliances

Sun Screen

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4 Kinds of Regulations

• Pollution Prevention & Risk Mitigation

• Information Decimation

• Creating Waste while Protecting the Environment

• Direct Waste Management

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X Regulations for Pollution Prevention and Risk Mitigation

• Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

• Pollution Prevention Control Act (PPCA)

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X Regulations for Information Decimation

• Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)

(Does Nano declared as toxic?)

• Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

• Hazardous Materials Transport Act (HMTA, Administered by DOT)

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X Regulations - Creating Waste while Protecting the Environment

• Clean Water Act (CWA)

• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

• Clean Air Act (CAA)

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X Direct Waste Management Regulations

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act [RCRA Subtitles C (hazardous waste), D (non-hazardous waste) & I (underground storage tank)].

• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund Cleanup Program).

• Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfield Revitalization Act (2002).

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X Non-regulatory Options for Nano

• Volunteer & Stewardship Programs

• Development of Guidelines

• Voluntary Standards

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Possible Regulatory Options for Nano

• Environmental Monitoring

• Manufacturers or Importers Checklist (Material Safety Data Sheet, MSDS)

• Labeling

• Product take-back requirements

• New Regulations for Nanomaterials.

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Information Needed for Nanomaterials disposal/recycling

• Intrinsic Toxicity (for example Arsenic or Cadmium)

• Recyclability Properties such as thermal, mechanical, chemical properties of nano composites.

• Fate & Transport of Nanomaterials in the environment upon disposal.

• Safety and Hazard Factors for Nanomaterials.

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Specific Examples of Information Needed

• How to handle nanomaterials from incinerators, Scrubbers, and Bag Houses [Some nanomaterials may not be decomposed upon incineration or captured in scrubbers, permitting their release to the air].

• How to protect disposal/recycling workers [What information and training are needed to protect workers from exposure to nanomaterials during recycling or disposal operations?]

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Specific Examples of Information Needed

• What needs to be done with miscellaneous products containing nanomaterials? (e.g., take back, disassemble and reuse).

• What needs to be done in design for disassembly, in particular, for separating out parts containing nanomaterials? (e.g., design reusable computer cover case).

• How much do we know about the Fate & Transport of Nanomaterials? (e.g., if the liners for landfills/underground storage tanks/impoundments are tested for Nanomaterials).

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Final Thoughts!

• Nanomaterials are very special.

• Essentially, there are no specific regulatory control for Nanomaterials.

• There will be waste generated from nanotechnology.

• We need to be proactive about disposal and recycling of nanomaterials and products containing nanomaterials to make sure that we protect public health and the environment.

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Acknowledgement

I like to acknowledge the following individuals who made this presentation possible by providing their ideas and inputs.

Barbara Karn, USEPA, Washington, D.C., and,

Willie Kelley, USEPA Region 6, Dallas, Texas.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Golam Mustafa, Ph.D.

USEPA Region 6, Dallas, Texas

Tel: (214) 665-6576

E-mail: mustafa.golam@epa.gov