Matching Items (24)
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- All Subjects: Sustainability
- Creators: School of Life Sciences
Description
The production and incineration of single-use micropipette tips and disposable gloves, which are heavily used within laboratory facilities, generate large amounts of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) and accelerate climate change. Plastic waste that is not incinerated often is lost in the environment. The long degradation times associated with this waste exacerbates a variety of environmental problems such as substance runoff and ocean pollution. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of possible solutions for minimizing micropipette tip and disposable glove waste within laboratory spaces. It was hypothesized that simultaneously implementing the use of micropipette tip washers (MTWs) and energy-from-glove-waste programs (EGWs) would significantly reduce (p < 0.05) the average combined annual single-use plastic micropipette tip and nitrile glove waste (in kg) per square meter of laboratory space in the United States. ASU’s Biodesign Institute (BDI) was used as a case study to inform on the thousands of different laboratory facilities that exist all across the United States. Four separate research laboratories within the largest public university of the U.S. were sampled to assess the volume of plastic waste from single-use micropipette tips and gloves. Resultant data were used to represent the totality of single-use waste from the case study location and then extrapolated to all laboratory space in the United States. With the implementation of EGWs, annual BDI glove waste is reduced by 100% (0.47 ± 0.26 kg/m2; 35.5 ± 19.3 metric tons total) and annual BDI glove-related carbon emissions are reduced by ~5.01% (0.165 ± 0.09 kg/m2; 1.24 ± 0.68 metric tons total). With the implementation of MTWs, annual BDI micropipette tip waste is reduced by 92% (0.117 ± 0.03 kg/m2; 0.88 ± 0.25 metric tons total) and annual BDI tip-related carbon emissions are reduced by ~83.6% (4.04 ± 1.25 kg/m2; 30.5 ± 9.43 metric tons total). There was no significant difference (p = 0.06) observed between the mass of single-use waste (kg) in the sampled laboratory spaces before (x̄ = 47.1; σ = 43.3) and after (x̄ =0.070; σ = 0.033) the implementation of the solutions.When examining both solutions (MTWs & EGWs) implemented in conjunction with one another, the annual BDI financial savings (in regard to both purchasing and disposal costs) after the first year were determined to be ~$7.92 ± $9.31/m2 (7,500 m2 of total wet laboratory space) or ~$60,000 ± $70,000 total. These savings represent ~15.77% of annual BDI spending on micropipette tips and nitrile gloves. The large error margins in these financial estimates create high uncertainty for whether or not BDI would see net savings from implementing both solutions simultaneously. However, when examining the implementation of only MTWs, the annual BDI financial savings (in regard to both purchasing and disposal costs) after the first year were determined to be ~$12.01 ± $6.79 kg/m2 or ~$91,000 ± $51,200 total. These savings represent ~23.92% of annual BDI spending on micropipette tips and nitrile gloves. The lower error margins for this estimate create a much higher likelihood of net savings for BDI. Extrapolating to all laboratory space in the United States, the total annual amount of plastic waste avoided with the implementation of the MTWs was identified as 8,130 ± 2,290 tons or 0.023% of all solid plastic waste produced in the United States in 2018. The total amount of nitrile waste avoided with the implementation of the EGWs was identified as 32,800 ± 17,900 tons or 0.36% of all rubber solid waste produced in the United States in 2018. The total amount of carbon emissions avoided with the implementation of the MTWs was identified as 281,000 ± 87,000 tons CO2eq or 5.4*10-4 % of all CO2eq GHG emissions produced in the United States in 2020. Both the micropipette tip washer and the glove waste avoidance program solutions can be easily integrated into existing laboratories without compromising the integrity of the activities taking place. Implemented on larger scales, these solutions hold the potential for significant single-use waste reduction.
ContributorsMahant, Akhil (Author) / Zdrale, Gabriel (Co-author) / Halden, Rolf (Thesis director) / Biyani, Nivedita (Committee member) / Driver, Erin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Our group examined the low rate of clothing utilization in the fashion industry. Fast fashion has contributed to this low rate of utilization, as well as the high amounts of textiles that end up in landfills. Our startup, Patchwork Apparel, was designed to address this problem. Our clothes were made with fabric scraps or donated textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills. The mission of our business was to develop trendy and sustainable apparel that helped to eliminate textile waste while staying on brand with current fashion trends.
ContributorsRebe, Breanna (Author) / Schalla, Freya (Co-author) / Espinosa, Karly (Co-author) / Bolas, Brandon (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Climate change is a well-known global threat to societal systems; however, its effects on
the health of individuals are often less evident. Physicians who aim to properly treat patients
holistically must be educated on the various forms of illness and disease projected to be
exacerbated by climate change. Without this necessary climate education, physicians run the risk of being unable to fulfill the most sacred charge of the Hippocratic oath: Do No Harm. To
ensure that physicians moving forward are prepared to face this new global health threat, the
prevalence of climate change in current medical school curricula must be examined. Content
analysis of publicly available medical school curricula in the Southwest U.S. was done using
ChatGPT to track the frequency of climate health search terms. Medical school curricula
analyzed included mandatory degree programs as well as optional dual degree programs or
pathways for medical student education. Researchers found that medical schools within the
Southwest region of the United States are not sufficiently preparing students to mitigate the
regional effects of climate change on the health of patients. Mandatory medical degree
curriculum does not sufficiently educate on climate health issues, nor is it present in Utah, New
Mexico, or Colorado. Optional degrees and pathways are available to medical students to enroll
in and may be sufficient to educate a medical student, but are not enticing enough to sufficiently
educate all medical students. Some medical schools have recently conducted revisals of their
mandatory curriculum and still show a lack of education available about climate health issues.
The lack of educational resources for future providers could lead to detrimental health outcomes
for patients, and medical schools in development should take the lead in educating their students about climate health issues.
ContributorsGutierrez, Sean (Author) / Jamieson, Ann (Co-author) / Vanos, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Lobo, Jose (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor)
Created2023-12
Description
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is one of the world’s coldest capital cities with roughly 1.5 million residents. About fifty percent of the city’s residents are off the electrical grid and millions continue to live nomadic lifestyles, raising livestock for food. Problematically, residents often turn to raw coal - Mongolia’s largest export - as a means to cook food and stay warm. Project Koyash is a philanthropic engineering initiative that was founded in the Arizona State University Program Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) to combat the air quality crisis plaguing the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar. Koyash has already deployed 13 fully functional and autonomous units consisting of a solar powered air filtration system in Ulaanbaatar. Koyash innovated a solution of solar panels, air filters, batteries, inverters, PCB Arduinos, and other necessary components for providing crucial humanitarian services. The team is working to send more units and develop a local supply chain for the systems. This thesis project explores the development of Koyash, assesses the human health implications of air pollution, and reflects on the entire process.
ContributorsYavari, Bryan (Author) / Hartwell, Leland (Thesis director) / Schoepf, Jared (Thesis director) / Diddle, Julianna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05