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Han B, Shang Y, Wang H, Shen Y, Li R, Wang M, Zhuang Z, Wang Z, Fang M, Jing T. Prevalence of synthetic phenolic antioxidants in food contact materials from China and their implications for human dietary exposure through take-away food. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 473:134599. [PMID: 38788569 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
The application of disposable tableware has increased substantially in recent times due to the rapidly growing food delivery business in China. Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) are widely used in food contact materials (FCMs) to delay the process of oxidation; however, their compositions, concentrations, and potential health hazards remain unclear. Therefore, FCMs comprised of five materials obtained from 19 categories (n = 118) in China were analyzed for SPAs concentrations. FCMs have been found to contain a variety of SPAs, with ∑SPAs concentrations ranging from 44.18 to 69,485.12 μg/kg (median: 2615.63 μg/kg). The predominant congeners identified in the sample include 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP), 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (2,6-DTBP), and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone (BHT-Q) with a median concentration of 885.75, 555.45 and of 217.44 μg/kg, respectively. Milky tea paper cups, instant noodle buckets, milky teacups, and disposable cups showed high levels of SPAs. 2,2'-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol) (AO 2246) was predominantly detected in polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate-based products. The migration test identified disposable plastic cups and bowls as the predominant FCMs and 2,4-DTBP as the dominant SPA. The exposure risk of SPAs decreased with age. In children, the estimated daily intake of ∑SPAs from FCMs was determined to be 17.56 ng/kg body weight/day, which was 8.3 times higher than that of phthalic acid esters. The current findings indicate the potential ingestion risk of SPAs during the daily life application of multiple FCM categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Han
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Yinzhu Shang
- Technology Center of Wuhan Customs, #15 Jinyinhu Road, Dongxihu District, Wuhan, Hubei 430050, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Technology Center of Wuhan Customs, #15 Jinyinhu Road, Dongxihu District, Wuhan, Hubei 430050, China
| | - Yang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Ruifang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Mengyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Zhijia Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Zhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Min Fang
- Institute of Food Science and Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; Hubei Key Laboratory for Processing and Transformation of Agricultural Products (Wuhan Polytechnic University), Institute of Food Science and Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China.
| | - Tao Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
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Huang YQ, Zeng Y, Mai JL, Huang ZS, Guan YF, Chen SJ. Disposable Plastic Waste and Associated Antioxidants and Plasticizers Generated by Online Food Delivery Services in China: National Mass Inventories and Environmental Release. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38316131 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
China's online food delivery (OFD) services consume enormous amounts of disposable plastics. Here, we investigated and modeled the national mass inventories and environmental release of plastics and chemical additives in the plastic. The extra-tree regression identified six key descriptors in determining OFD sales in Chinese cities. Approximately 847 kt of OFD plastic waste was generated in 2021 (per capita 1.10 kg/yr in the megacities and 0.39 kg/yr in other cities). Various additives were extensively detected, with geomean concentrations of 140.96, 4.76, and 0.25 μg/g for ∑8antioxidants, ∑21phthalates, and bisphenol A (BPA), respectively. The estimated mass inventory of these additives in the OFD plastics was 164.7 t, of which 51.1 t was released into the atmosphere via incineration plants and 51.0 t was landfilled. The incineration also released 8.07 t of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 39.1 kt of particulate matter into the atmosphere. Takeout food may increase the dietary intake of phthalates and BPA by 30% to 50% and raise concerns about considerable exposure to antioxidant transformation products. This study provides profound environmental implications for plastic waste in the Chinese OFD industry. We call for a sustainable circular economy action plan for waste disposal, but mitigating the hazardous substance content and their emissions is urgent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Qi Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuan Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jin-Long Mai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhen-Shan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yu-Feng Guan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - She-Jun Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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3
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Zhang X, He X, Pan D, Shi L, Wu Y, Yang Y, Zhu Y, Wang Y, Wang H, Pu L, He S, Meng L, Li J. Effects of thermal exposure to disposable plastic tableware on human gut microbiota and metabolites: A quasi-experimental study. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 462:132800. [PMID: 37866144 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the alterations in gut microbiota and metabolism in humans who consume hot food served in disposable plastic tableware (DPT). Participants in the exposure and control groups were provided three hot meals in DPT (n = 30) or non-DPT (n = 30), respectively. After a month of observation, individuals in the exposure group discontinued the three meals provided in DPT (n = 27) for 1 month as the post-exposure group. Fecal samples were collected and tested for microplastics (MPs) detection using LDIR and gut microbiota identification based on the 16 S rRNA. Urine samples were used for metabolite analysis using LC-MS/MS. Results showed that the level of MPs in feces was lower in the post-exposure group compared with the exposure group. Furthermore, the abundance of the phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota in the exposure and post-exposure groups were significantly different compared with the control group. Changes in microbiota abundance and metabolite levels were mainly associated with central nervous system effects, energy metabolism, and inflammation, suggesting that thermal exposure to DPT for 1 month has considerable health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Xiaoxue He
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Degong Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Liping Shi
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Yueping Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Yongbin Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Yanrong Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Huihui Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Lining Pu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Shulan He
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
| | - Lingchen Meng
- Department of Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
| | - Jiangping Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
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Fan YV, Čuček L, Si C, Jiang P, Vujanović A, Krajnc D, Lee CT. Uncovering environmental performance patterns of plastic packaging waste in high recovery rate countries: An example of EU-27. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 241:117581. [PMID: 37967705 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Plastic consumption and its end-of-life management pose a significant environmental footprint and are energy intensive. Waste-to-resources and prevention strategies have been promoted widely in Europe as countermeasures; however, their effectiveness remains uncertain. This study aims to uncover the environmental footprint patterns of the plastics value chain in the European Union Member States (EU-27) through exploratory data analysis with dimension reduction and grouping. Nine variables are assessed, ranging from socioeconomic and demographic to environmental impacts. Three clusters are formed according to the similarity of a range of characteristics (nine), with environmental impacts being identified as the primary influencing variable in determining the clusters. Most countries belong to Cluster 0, consisting of 17 countries in 2014 and 18 countries in 2019. They represent clusters with a relatively low global warming potential (GWP), with an average value of 2.64 t CO2eq/cap in 2014 and 4.01 t CO2eq/cap in 2019. Among all the assessed countries, Denmark showed a significant change when assessed within the traits of EU-27, categorised from Cluster 1 (high GWP) in 2014 to Cluster 0 (low GWP) in 2019. The analysis of plastic packaging waste statistics in 2019 (data released in 2022) shows that, despite an increase in the recovery rate within the EU-27, the GWP has not reduced, suggesting a rebound effect. The GWP tends to increase in correlation with the higher plastic waste amount. In contrast, other environmental impacts, like eutrophication, abiotic and acidification potential, are identified to be mitigated effectively via recovery, suppressing the adverse effects of an increase in plastic waste generation. The five-year interval data analysis identified distinct clusters within a set of patterns, categorising them based on their similarities. The categorisation and managerial insights serve as a foundation for devising a focused mitigation strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee Van Fan
- Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory - SPIL, NETME Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technická 2896/2, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Lidija Čuček
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Chunyan Si
- Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory - SPIL, NETME Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technická 2896/2, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Business School, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Annamaria Vujanović
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Damjan Krajnc
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Chew Tin Lee
- Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
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Zhang QQ, Lan MY, Li HR, Qiu SQ, Guo Z, Liu YS, Zhao JL, Ying GG. Plastic pollution from takeaway food industry in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166933. [PMID: 37709096 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
China's takeaway food industry is growing rapidly, and bringing unprecedented demand for plastic packaging, which results in serious plastic pollution and increasing emissions of plasticizers of phthalate esters (PAEs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs). This study assesses the current and future situation of plastic usage for takeaway food packaging in China, and also analyzes the PAEs and GHG emissions brought by these plastics under different scenarios. From 2010 to 2020, the plastic usage grew from 2.92 to 101 × 104 tons, and brought 112-3845 kg PAEs and 43.6-1438 kt CO2e GHG emissions. Their distribution exhibited a clear 'two-line' pattern: higher features mostly located in Beijing-Guangzhou and Beijing-Shanghai railways. The socio-economic factors model performed better than the growth rate model for plastic usage prediction from 2021 to 2060. It is predicted that 40.6 Mt. plastic would be consumed in 2060, and they will bring 155 tons PAEs and 37.0 Mt. CO2e GHGs. At that time, biodegradable plastic replaced or plastic cycling cannot significantly contribute to national carbon reduction, unless using a temperature change of 2 °C scenario. Our work improves the understanding of PAEs and GHG emission from plastic pollution, and provides insight into long-term dynamics in the plastics management of takeaway food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Qian Zhang
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Min-Yi Lan
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hui-Ru Li
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shu-Qing Qiu
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhao Guo
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - You-Sheng Liu
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jian-Liang Zhao
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guang-Guo Ying
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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6
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Xu X, Yu J, Yang F, Li Y, Ou R, Liu Z, Liu T, Wang Q. Preparation of degradable chemically cross-linked polylactic acid films and its application on disposable straws. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 251:126394. [PMID: 37595700 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The semi-rigidity of the polylactic acid (PLA) molecular chain makes it brittle, poor impact resistance and barrier properties, which severely limits its practical applications. In this paper, a bio-based reactive plasticizer epoxy soybean oil (ESO) was used to improve the mechanical and barrier properties of maleic anhydride grafted polylactic acid (MAPLA) by the chemical reaction between the epoxy and anhydride group. Firstly, the optimum curing conditions were 93.5 °C, 100 °C, and 110.8 °C for 2 h. The effects of different mass fractions of ESO on the properties of MAPLA-ESO (ME) films were systematically investigated. It was found that when the content of ESO was 10 wt%, the tensile properties of the resulting ME films were the best, with a tensile strength of 35.2 MPa. And it had an elongation at break of 20.0 % and toughness of 5.4 MJ/m3, which increased to 690 % and 675 %, respectively, compared with pure MAPLA films. The chemically crosslinked ME films also displayed excellent water resistance, well degradation, low migration properties, and better performance than that of commercial paper straws and PLA straws, exhibiting great application potential as degradable disposable straws. Therefore, this work provides an effective way to develop high-performance, green, and degradable PLA films and products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety of Guangdong Province, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety of Guangdong Province, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Fangfei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety of Guangdong Province, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yilu Li
- Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety of Guangdong Province, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Rongxian Ou
- Institute of Biomass Engineering, Key Laboratory of Energy Plants Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhenzhen Liu
- Institute of Biomass Engineering, Key Laboratory of Energy Plants Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Tao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety of Guangdong Province, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Qingwen Wang
- Institute of Biomass Engineering, Key Laboratory of Energy Plants Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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He G, Pan Y, Park A, Sawada Y, Tan ES. Reducing single-use cutlery with green nudges: Evidence from China's food-delivery industry. Science 2023; 381:eadd9884. [PMID: 37676957 DOI: 10.1126/science.add9884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Rising consumer demand for online food delivery has increased the consumption of disposable cutlery, leading to plastic pollution worldwide. In this work, we investigate the impact of green nudges on single-use cutlery consumption in China. In collaboration with Alibaba's food-delivery platform, Eleme (which is similar to Uber Eats and DoorDash), we analyzed detailed customer-level data and found that the green nudges-changing the default to "no cutlery" and rewarding consumers with "green points"-increased the share of no-cutlery orders by 648%. The environmental benefits are sizable: If green nudges were applied to all of China, more than 21.75 billion sets of single-use cutlery could be saved annually, equivalent to preventing the generation of 3.26 million metric tons of plastic waste and saving 5.44 million trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guojun He
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuhang Pan
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Albert Park
- Asian Development Bank, Metro Manila, Philippines
- Department of Economics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Division of Public Policy, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yasuyuki Sawada
- Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Asian Development Bank Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Elaine S Tan
- Asian Development Bank, Metro Manila, Philippines
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Tan Y, Wen Z, Hu Y, Zeng X, Kosajan V, Yin G, Zhang T. Single-use plastic bag alternatives result in higher environmental impacts: Multi-regional analysis in country with uneven waste management. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 171:281-291. [PMID: 37690403 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.08.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Single-use plastics (SUPs) have been the focus of plastic pollution control, and limiting their use while shifting to other alternatives have been widely promoted in various countries. This study tries to verify the life cycle environmental performances of single-use plastic bag and its alternatives under different scenarios in real world. China is chosen as case study, where provincial variability is prominent in waste disposal, and strictest plastics ban has issued lately in this worldwide biggest market. The study found that HDPE plastic bags have relatively lowest environmental footprints regarding to Acidification Potential, Global Warming Potential, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Eutrophication Potential, Fossil Fuel Depletion Potential and Water Use. Sticking to current waste treatment, large-scale promotion of degradable products will increase environmental impacts by 1.4-22.6 times nationwide. Xinjiang has highest impact of using plastic bag at household level, due to its long-distance transport and high landfill ratio. Henan and Hebei will trigger the most significant changes in Global Warming Potential of 4.6 and 4.4 times if single-use plastic bags are all replaced with other alternatives. Uncertainty and sensitivity test further prove the robustness of results, and extends geographical implications of the findings. These suggest that introduction of new alternatives requires systematic deployment with full life cycle thinking, and SUPs pollution control should be a holistic transformation. Reducing bag weight while ensuring carrying capacity, purchasing local products to shorten transportation distances and shifting towards cleaner energy sources are synergetic ways to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqi Tan
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Zongguo Wen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Yupeng Hu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Xianlai Zeng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Vorada Kosajan
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Ge Yin
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK.
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9
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Zeng X, Liu D, Wu Y, Zhang L, Chen R, Li R, Gu W, Zhang L, Liu C, Sun Q. Heavy metal risk of disposable food containers on human health. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 255:114797. [PMID: 36933486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The consumption of disposable materials is booming with the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, which may inevitably cause the release of toxic and harmful substances during use of them in daily life. This study was to estimate element levels such as Beryllium (Be), Vanadium (V), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Antimony (Sb), Barium (Ba), Lead (Pb), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), and Selenium (Se) in leachate and subsequently assess the health risk of exposure to those disposable products such as paper and plastic food containers. We found that a large amount of metals was released from disposable food containers in hot water, and the order of metal concentration is Zn > Ba > Fe > Mn > Ni > Cu > Sb > Cr > Se > Be > Pb > Co > V > Cd. Additionally, the hazard quotient (HQ) of metals in young adults were less than 1, and were decreased in the order of Sb > Fe > Cu > Be > Ni > Cr > Pb > Zn > Se > Cd > Ba > Mn > V > Co. Furthermore, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) results of Ni and Be indicated that chronic exposure to Ni and Be may have a non-negligible carcinogenic risk. These findings suggest that potential health risk of metals may exist for the individuals to use disposable food containers under high temperature environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zeng
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Dongling Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yue Wu
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lina Zhang
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Rucheng Chen
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ran Li
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Weijia Gu
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Cuiqing Liu
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Qinghua Sun
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China.
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Li R, Zhou Y, Su H, Wang Q, Wang H. Cost-benefit analysis of reusable takeaway food containers usage: a case on campus in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:50002-50012. [PMID: 36787080 PMCID: PMC9927042 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25884-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Promoting the use of reusable takeaway food container (RTFC) in takeaway industry is an effective way to reduce the negative environmental impacts caused by single-use plastic containers. This study intended to figure out the barriers to the new business model deployment through evaluating the economic costs and benefits of RTFC from a stakeholder's perspective. Taking the pilot RTFC project at a university in Guangdong province as a case, we established a holistic cost and benefit analysis framework from a stakeholder's perspective. Both the costs and benefits with and without a market price of each stakeholder were evaluated using market price method and contingent valuation method. The analysis result shows that while shifting to reusable takeaway food container, the costs and benefits of all the main stakeholders changed. The net benefit of consumers is positive about 360 thousand yuan during 2020-2025, while the platform company, the university and the restaurants gain negative net benefits ranging from - 20 to - 470 thousand yuan under current operation situation, which may hinder the sustainable development of this new business model. However, the sensitivity analysis shows that all the stakeholders could gain a positive net benefit by adjusting the rental price, cleaning price and packaging price, as well as optimizing the location of recycling cabinets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Li
- School of Environment & Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Yuanchun Zhou
- Green Economy Development Institute, School of Economics, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Hongyan Su
- School of Applied Economics, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Environment & Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Hua Wang
- School of Environment & Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
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Zheng X, Feng Q, Chen J, Yan J, Li X, Guo L. Quantification analysis of microplastics released from disposable polystyrene tableware with fluorescent polymer staining. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 864:161155. [PMID: 36572298 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ingesting microplastics (MPs) from plastic tableware is an important source of health risk to human bodies. However, the comprehensive information of MPs released from disposable tableware has not been explored. Herein, a new visual quantification method for polystyrene MPs is proposed with carbon nitride fluorescent polymers staining, which can overcome the disadvantages of high signal background and photobleaching derived from organic dyes staining. Combining with fluorescence microscope and ImageJ software, the quantity, shape, and size distribution of MPs carried by the brand-new disposable polystyrene tableware (DPT) samples before usage and released from the clean DPT samples in different simulated usage scenes were studied. The brand-new DPT samples were found to carry a large number of MPs particles and the clean DPT samples could release MPs during usage. Fiber and fragment are the main morphology of the detected MPs and fiber accounts for 45-52 %. The particles with size <50 μm are the majority of the detected MPs and the distribution fraction of MPs particles is gradually decreased with the raising of particle size within 50 μm. The released MPs particles are increased with the raising of contact time and temperature, and greatly boosted for the DPT samples with cracks. The DPT samples are more like to release MPs in weak acidic condition (pH 4.0) than in weak alkaline (pH 8.3) and neutral (pH 7.0) conditions. The obtained results help to assess the food safety of tack-out food and the health risk of MPs exposure to human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyi Zheng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection Technology for Food Safety, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Qiaocheng Feng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection Technology for Food Safety, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Jingru Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection Technology for Food Safety, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Jiaquan Yan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Information Processing and Intelligent Control, College of Computer and Control Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, 350121, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- College of Environment & Safety Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Liangqia Guo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection Technology for Food Safety, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China.
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Comparing two types of mainstream disposable lunch boxes by LCA and exploring the possibility of converting carbon dioxide into products. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13480. [PMID: 36814612 PMCID: PMC9939589 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A disposable lunch box is an important cause of "white pollution". Many people consider that the disposable polylactic acid (PLA) lunch box is more environmentally friendly than the disposable paper pulp lunch box and can substitute for the latter. Objective We can determine whether PLA tableware is more environmentally friendly than paper tableware by analyzing the product life cycle of two tableware types. At the same time, as a continuous compound, carbon dioxide has significant commercial value. Carbon dioxide materials' applications range from beverages to cosmetics and building materials. The future application of carbon dioxide in the field of lunch boxes is discussed in this paper. Methods In this paper, the production stages of the two types of disposable lunch boxes were compared and surveyed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. Conclusion The results reveal that the main impact of the two types of lunch boxes is resource damage; the PLA lunch box is not better than the paper type; the production stage of the disposable PLA lunch box poses greater damage to the environment in all aspects than the paper type. Discussion Against the background of carbon neutrality and based on the constantly mature carbon dioxide conversion technology, the author explored the possibility of making products from carbon dioxide and proposed to make product designs based on carbon dioxide.
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