Thoughts on EPA, Electronics, and Elemental Nanotechnology-An Emerging Sustainability Problem

Transcription

1 Thoughts on EPA, Electronics, and Elemental Nanotechnology-An Emerging Sustainability Problem Barbara Karn, PhD US EPA inemi workshop Wednesday, February 23, 2011 Chandler, AZ The views presented here are those of the speaker and should not be taken to represent official EPA policy.

2 Outline About EPA with a little sustainability Electronics programs in EPA, a bit elsewhere, and some areas of cooperation Nanomaterials, electronics, elements of concern

3 EPA's Mission: To protect the environment and human health

4 EPA s Strategic Goals Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality Goal 2: Protecting America s Waters Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism Working for Environmental Justice and Children s Health Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation Strengthening State, Tribal, and International Partnerships Strengthening EPA s Workforce and Capabilities Science Transparency, Rule of Law Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies Core Values:

5 EPA Organizational Structure Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention

6 ORD Locations Newport, OR Corvallis, OR Duluth, MN 3 National Laboratories 2 National Centers 2 Offices 13 Locations Cincinnati, OH Grosse l le, MI Narragansett, RI Edison, NJ Washington, DC Research Triangle Park, NC Las Vegas, NV Athens, GA Ada, OK Gulf Breeze, FL 6

7 ORD National Center for Environmental Research Extramural grants in all research areas National Exposure Research Laboratory Human and ecosystem exposure to pollutants National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab Effects of contaminants on human health and ecosystems National Center for 1. Computational Toxicology Merging of computational and molecular approaches National Center for Environmental Assessment Human health and ecological risk assessment National Homeland Security Research Center Responses to attacks against buildings and water treatment systems National Risk Management Research Lab Preventing and reducing risks to humans and the environment

8 ORD aligns its research programs into four integrated research areas and two targeted research areas: 1. Safer Products for a Sustainable World 2. Safe and Sustainable Water 3. Air/Climate/Energy 4. Sustainable Communities: Built and Natural Environments 5. Human Health Risk Assessment 6. National Homeland Security Research Center

9 Sustainability Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs *1+ The reconciliation of society s developmental goals with the planet s environmental limits over the long term *2] Meeting fundamental human needs while preserving the life-support systems of planet Earth *3+ [1.] The Brundtland Report *2.+ NRC, Our Common Future [3.] Kates, RW, et. al., (2001) Science: 292 pp

10 SUSTAINABILITY AS DEPENDENCIES ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY SOCIETY ECONOMY ECONOMY Giddings et al, Sust. Dev.,2002

11 Action Items for Sustainability Science Accelerate current trends in fertility reduction. Accommodate an expected doubling to tripling of the urban system in a habitable, efficient, and environmentally friendly manner. Reverse declining trends in agricultural production in Africa; sustain historic trends elsewhere. Accelerate improvements in the use of energy and materials. Restore degraded ecosystems while conserving biodiversity elsewhere. Take Note: Achievements in one sector do not imply improvements in other sectors or in the situation overall. Our Common Journey, National Academy of Science 2000

12 Science to Achieve Results - STAR NCER s Science to Achieve Results program funds research grants, cooperative agreements, and fellowships in numerous environmental science and engineering disciplines. STAR RFAs have focused on: * air toxics & health effects of particulate matter * drinking water & water quality * global change * ecosystem assessment & restoration * human health risk assessment * endocrine disrupting chemicals * pollution prevention & new technologies * children s environmental health * economics & decision sciences * computational toxicology * nanotechnology * biomarkers

13 EPA Programs in Electronics Energy Star program EPA and DOE 2008 goal to avoid 19.4 tonnes C equivalents ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Specification for Computers Finalized November 14, 2008, effective July 2010 EPEAT IEEE Standard 1680 EPEAT registration: Desktops, laptops monitors that meet 23 required criteria 13

14 EPA s Design for the Environment Program Sample projects Life cycle impacts of Li Ion Batteries, including single walled CNT Printed Wiring Boards Lead-Free Solder Life Cycle Assessment of desktop computer displays Environmental and human health attributes of selected flame retardants used in printed circuit boards. 14

15 Voluntary Responsible Recycling Practices for Electronics Recyclers R2 Standard Accredited under ANSI board since 2009 Standard includes: --using an environmental, health, and safety management system --minimizing exposures or emissions during recycling operations --promoting reuse and material recovery 15

16 E-Steward program a waste processors pledge Basel Action Network The following electronic parts are considered hazardous under Basel definitions: - Cathode ray tubes ( [CRTs]- the glass tubes in many monitors and TVs), leaded glass cullet from CRTs, and anything containing CRTs or leaded glass (due to lead content) - Circuit boards, both high-value and low-value boards, and anything containing them (due to lead and beryllium content) -Any components containing mercury and/or PCBs -Any components or material containing beryllium - Any battery containing lead, cadmium or mercury or a component containing such a battery. Caution about plastics containing brominated flame retardants 16

17 Federal activities in Last congress 17

18 States are doing their own thing 24 states with 65% of the population of the U.S. is now covered

19 AREAS for Cooperation inemi 7 Categories for roadmap Manufacturing Processes Systems Integration Energy Environment Materials & Reliability Design Information Management EPA inemi Reduce energy and materials use from cradle to cradle. driving design materials substitution dematerialization Focus on electronics to help solve climate change Applications/Implications Rare Earth Metals Assessment and Supply Chain Actions Project

20 Major uses of nanomaterials in products Nanotech-enabled Semiconductor technologies (Organic Semiconductors, CMOS Sensors ) Memory and storage (Magnetic Heads, Optical Pickup, AFM-based Memory, CNT-based Memory, Molecular Memory ) Display technologies (Photonic FED, Organic Electroluminescence, Electronic Paper) Optic/photonic technologies (Photonic Crystal Fiber, Optical Waveguides, Optoelectronic IC) Energy technologies (Fuel Cells, Li-Ion Batteries, Electric Double-Layer Capacitors, Microcrystalline Thin Films, Solar Cells, Dye-sensitized Solar Cells) Bio/health (Drug Delivery Systems, Immunochromatography, Regenerative Medicine, Biosensors, Drugs) Materials (nano-composites for airplane, automobile bodies and parts) Chemical processing (Nano-scaled catalysts, nano-membranes) Consumer products (sports equipment, cosmetics, textiles, appliances, food additives

21 Growth of Elements in Electronics What do we know about their health and environmental impacts? 21

22 The Biosphere Elemental Composition of a Human

23 Titanium, 0.66% Carbon, 0.18% Hydrogen, 0.15% Manganese, 0.11% Magnesium, 2.90% Calcium, 5.00% Potassium, 1.50% Sodium, 2.30% Phosphorus, 0.10% Iron, 6.30% Aluminum, 8.10% Silicon, 27.00% Oxygen, 46.00% Oxygen Silicon Aluminum Iron Calcium Magnesium Sodium Potassium Titanium Carbon Hydrogen Manganese Phosphorus Elemental Composition of Lithosphere

24 Elemental Content Human % Crust % oxygen carbon hydrogen nitrogen calcium phosphorus potassium sulfur rest

25 Elements used in nanomaterials

26

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28 Life cycle of nanomaterials s s Modified from Robichaud et al, 2009

29 Use of Elements in Energy Applications DOE 2010

30 Critical Energy Elements (DOE, 2010)

31 Focus on an Element

32 Indium Stats (tonnes) Import Sources ( ):1 China, 43%; Japan, 18%; Canada, 17%; Belgium, 7%; and other, 15%. Indium s abundance in the continental crust is estimated to be approximately 0.05 part per million. Trace amounts of indium occur in base metal sulfides particularly chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and stannite by ionic substitution. Indium is most commonly recovered from the zinc-sulfide ore mineral sphalerite. The average indium content of zinc deposits from which it is recovered ranges from less than 1 part per million to 100 parts per million. Although the geochemical properties of indium are such that it occurs with other base metals copper, lead, and tin and to a lesser extent with bismuth, cadmium, and silver, most deposits of these metals are subeconomic for indium. Vein stockwork deposits of tin and tungsten host the highest known concentrations of indium. However, the indium from this type of deposit is usually difficult to process economically. Other major geologic hosts for indium mineralization include volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits, sediment-hosted exhalative massive sulfide deposits, polymetallic vein-type deposits, epithermal deposits, active magmatic systems, porphyry copper deposits, and skarn deposits. Tolcin, U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2009

33 X Primary Indium: Supply vs. Demand 2004: 509mt 2005: 630mt 2006: 750mt Demand Supply Capacity O Neill, 2004

34 Mining, mainly from Zinc mines as sphalerite Australian Zn mine Chinese Zn mine

35 Extracting Indium --Leaching in H 2 SO 4 or HCl; purifying leach solution using In strips to get sponge of crude In. Extracting with solvent of tributyl phosphate or bis(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid --Precipitation of InPO 4 from slightly acidic solution. Conversion of phosphate to oxide using NaOH. Reduction of oxide to In metal --For Zn retort smelting, In distilled with Zn and concentrates in molten Zn-Pb metal at bottom during 1 st stage evaporation and reflux purification of Zn. In is separated as high grade slag and recovered by leaching and sponging as above. Sponge In (99 to 99.5% pure) refined via soluble-anode electrolysis.

36 Australian Zinc Smelter Anthony John Downs, 1993

37 Production Refinery production (tonnes) est. United States Belgium Canada China France 10 Japan Korea, Republic of Peru 6 6 Russia Other countries World total (rounded) US uses 28% Tolcin, U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2009

38 Uses Of Indium Flat panel display applications for indium tin oxide: Liquid crystal displays; Plasma display panels; Electrochromic displays; Field emission displays; LEDs Thin-film photovoltaics (Cu-In-Ga-Se : CIGS) Flexible solar cells for roofing or other power applications Mobile telephones, Computer monitors, Televisions, Watches and calculators, Digital video and still cameras

39 End of life An LCD manufacturer has developed a process to reclaim indium directly from scrap LCD panels. The panels are crushed into millimeter-sized particles then soaked in an acid solution to dissolve the ITO, from which the indium is recovered. Indium recovery from tailings was thought to have been insignificant, as these wastes contain low amounts of the metal and can be difficult to process. However, recent improvements to the process technology have made indium recovery from tailings viable when the price of indium is high. Tolcin, U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2009

40 End of life In Japan 470 t-in is used in ITO for transparent electrodes, out of which 220 t-in (47%)is dissipated or potentially dissipated NAKAJIMA et al, 2007

41 Impactful Ingredients ITO - Main form of In for flat screens NF 3 Greenhouse gas with large potential impact

42 Health considerations These results (40 men in indium plant) suggest that inhaled indium compounds can cause pulmonary disorders such as interstitial changes. Case of interstitial pneumonia from ITO Homma 2003 Pulmonary and testicular toxicity to hamsters Omura et al 2002 Kidney impairment ICSC:1293 Tanaka et al 2002 Nogami et al 2008 Worker death and pulmonary auto immune response in ITO facility Cummings, 2010 indium showed teratogenicity in rats (and rabbits, Ungvary,2000). Oral treatment with indium may be developmentally toxic at 300 mg In/kg Indium caused tail malformations in rats Nakajima, 2008 Nakajima, 1998

43 Food for thought The lifecycle of uncommon elements used in nanomaterials needs attention. We know little about their human health effects and less about their environmental effects. Their extraction/processing is environmentally costly. Production and use impacts are unrecognized and/or unknown. The end of life will likely be dissipative.

44 Bottom Line There is a vast opportunity to be proactive and preventive by examining impacts of unusual elements now.

45 Questions? Barbara Karn "It is not who is right, but what is right that is of importance." T. Huxley

46 DOE s Key Materials DOE 2010

47 Key materials Production and Reserves

48 Major product Co- or byproduct Nickel, copper Cobalt Copper Tellurium Zinc Indium, gallium Higher profit rare earth elements (Nd) Lower profit rare earth elements (La, Ce, Sm)

49 End of life Indium is most commonly recovered from ITO. Sputtering, the process in which ITO is deposited as a thin-film coating onto a substrate, is highly inefficient; approximately 30% of an ITO target is deposited onto the substrate. The remaining 70% consists of the spent ITO target, the grinding sludge, and the after-processing residue left on the walls of the sputtering chamber. It was estimated that 60% to 65% of the indium in a new ITO target will be recovered, and research was underway to improve this rate further. A short recycling process time for used ITO targets is critical as a recycler may have millions of dollars worth of indium in the recycling loop at any one time, and a large increase in ITO scrap could be problematic owing to large capital costs, environmental restrictions, and limited storage space. It was reported that the ITO recycling loop from collection of scrap to production of secondary materials now takes less than 30 days. ITO recycling is concentrated in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea the countries where ITO production and sputtering take place. Tolcin, U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2009